General Information:

          The savanna biome is unlike the other biomes that surround it.  The savanna biome is found between the tropical rainforests and the dry deserts.  They are found in a wide band on wither side of equator.  It is found in the middle of Africa in the countries Niger, Chad, and Mali, and it is also found in Northern Australia.  Savannas are rolling grasslands with scattered shrubs and bushes and some isolated trees. 

• Climate:

          In the savanna biome, it either has a wet or dry climate throughout the year.  In this region, winter is the season of cooler weather and is also the dryest season of the year.  Most plants cannot find water in the soil because the ground freezes, so the plants who cannot receive the water shrivel up and die.  Some plants, like the acacia, thrive in little rainfall.  Some of the rivers and streams dry up and most of the animals must migrate to search for food and water.  In the summer, all of the plants are lush and blommed, and rivers and streams flow freely.  The rainy season usually starts around the month of May and can continue through the month of September.  Because of this darastic change in rainfall, there is not enough water through out the year to support the life of tall trees.  In the graph below, it shows how when the temperature begins to rise, the rainfall also begins to rise, but when the temperature falls, the rainfalls goes down as well.

• Symbiotic Relationships:

               1.     Commensalism relationships are when two living organisms benefit eachother in the things they do (+,+).  For example, some Nigricep's ants live near specific trees.  With their keen eyesight they can detect when a predator is coming toward them.  Because they live by some trees, when a giraffe comes toward the tree to eat the leaves, the ants detect it and the colony begins to swarm it.  This benefits the ants by possibly getting food and saving their home, and it benefits the tree by it not being eaten and being able to grow taller as it lives on.

               2.     Mutualism relationships are when an organism does an action that benefits itself but not effect the other organism at all (+,0).  For example, when a lion is hunting from prey it must be hidden do it can sneak on it prey.  The lion may hide in tall grass so it can sneak silently and unseen by its prey.  Because he is able to sneak up on its prey, it is able to have food to survive.  This relationship between the grass and the lion is that the lion is benefited by being hidden while hunting for prey, but the grass is not effected at all when the lion hides in it for camouflage.

               3.     Parasitism relationships are when an organism does an action that benefits itself, but it is harmful to the other organism (+,-).  For example, a tick must feed on blood to survive.  So, the tick can attach to the organism and eat its blood.  The tick gets food, but the organism that the tick is feeding off of is not being benefitted.  The animal will be loosing blood and will begin to become weak.  Sooner or later, the animal will die from the loss of blood caused by the tick.

Environmental Profile

Discuss an environmental issue and explain why it is important to address:

The dryness and temperature of the savannas cause many fires.  Some are contained and started by humans and others are not.  Fires can cause a huge problem for the environment.  When a fire goes uncontrolled, it can burn the tree seedlings that are trying to grow; in result, new grass can not grow and the savannas can not expand.  The dryness of the land is caused by agriculture because of the water the farmers must use to grow their pants.  They soon may run out of water and then have to wait until rainy season to get more water.  But because of all the water they use, it causes the rest of the environment to lose water.  The lack of water causes the land to dry out.  Because of the frequent fires, agriculture can have many problems.  A problem is that the farmers in savannas can not grow or plant any new seeds if there is no good soil for them to have a good foundation on. For a good foundation they need water to keep the soil moist.  Finally of course fires can affect the animals and inhabitants in a negative way.  When the animals lose their environment (home), they become cramped and end up having a problem finding food.  Fires are a huge problem for the environment/biome and people need to address the issue so they can stop unneeded causalities.  To prevent some of these fires is to not have so many farms in the savanna biome.  This will help because it will allow there to be more water not used that can go back to the environment and help it grow and not dry out.  Allowing the environment to grow more will help the animals and cause fewer fires because the land is not as dry as it would be with the lack of water caused by the agricultural processes.  The people do not want the whole savanna disappear all at once, so the people must help to save the savanna biome.

To find more information on the issue, research the savanna parks and their location.  They would greatly appreciate awareness and donations so they can keep the parks running. 

Currently nothing specific is being done to prevent fires from occuring, but they are trying to prevent the savanna from being over populated.  In Kenya, there are over 40 national parks that are used to preserve and care for savannas and wildlife.  One of the biggest parks is Isavo National Park.

Organizations:

·         Enviocore- Save the Savannas (ESS)

Source:

·

         Wikipedia.org

·         Djcase.com/inews/apprendices/FS7_savanna.pdf

Breanna Robinson= Green+Blue 

             Class: Rosids

             Scientific Name: Acer saccharium

             Common name: Silver Maple Tree

             The Silver Maple Tree can grow up to 115 ft tall. They are very sturdy and thick. During Autumn the leaves turn a yellowish orange color. They have the ability to grow very tall, very quickly. This allows them to get extra light and survive. There thick trunks give them strength so they do not tip or die. They use large seeds to reproduce. They can mostly be found in Asia but are also in North America. The maple is collected to make maple syrup and molasses, which are sold all over. Small animals eat the seeds, which also spreads the seeds and helps the trees to reproduce. Many birds and other small animals use the trees as shelter.

          Class: Commenlinids

          Scientific Name: Pennistum purpureum

          Common Name: Usanda Grass

           This grass is very tall, up to ten feet, with leaves that are 2-3 feet long. It grows in very dense clumps and is very strong and sturdy. It grows near rivers so it has easy access to the water. The leaves have razor sharp edges, which makes it extremely difficult to eat. It reproduces by underground roots that spread and then shoot up through the soil. It is native to the grasslands of Africa. it can be harvested and used for livestock and is also used to trap pests.

          Class: Masnolirsida

          Scientific Name: Acacia dreparalobium                        

          Common Name: Whistling Thorn

          This whistling thorn can grow up to eighteen feet tall and it is protected by pairs of thorns that can grow up to three inches long. Many types of ants live in these and it is not decided weather it is a Symbiotic or Parasitic relationship. They are commonly found in East Africa. They are able to withstand very hot and dry climates. They produce using seeds which they spread around. 

          One example of Mutualism is birds making their nests in certain species of trees. The birds can get food and shelter from the trees, and are able to build a sturdy nest for their eggs which helps them reproduce. The tree however isn't harmed and does not benefit from this relationship.

          Red-austin parker p.5

          Sources:

          www.blueplanetbiomes.com          

          www.parkwoodpines.com

          www.allposters.com

          www.mbgnet.net