L10.1 Savanna Biome

Question 1

How can a Savanna be described

Answer 1

A continuous layer of grasses with a discontinous layer of trees

Question 2

What is the photosynthetic method of grasses in savanna

Answer 2

C4

Question 3

What is the photosynthetic method of trees in the savanna

Answer 3

C3

Question 4

Is a savanna heterogenous or homogenous

Answer 4

Heterogenous

Question 5

Why are savanna ecosystems often percieved as ecologically puzzling

Answer 5

Can be varied (e.g. In terms of wood density, succession state)

Question 6

Are savannas disturbed

Answer 6

Highly

Question 7

How much of the earths land is savanna ecosystems

Answer 7

25%

Question 8

Where do savannas occur

Answer 8

Tropics and subtropics

Question 9

What are the usual climatic conditions in a savanna

Answer 9

Climate will vary due to global distribution
Warm temperatures
Varied rainfall (300-1000MAP)
Wet and dry season

Question 10

What biome are you in if the rainfall is below 300 MAP

Answer 10

Desert

Question 11

What are the 2 predominant disturbances in savannas

Answer 11

Herbivory and fire

Question 12

Why are savannas burned on purpose

Answer 12

To mitigate the fires effects - controlled
Reduces implications when fire happens naturally

Question 13

How do trees defend against herbivory

Answer 13

Thorns

Question 14

What group of animals are herbivorous in savanans

Answer 14

Browsers

Question 15

How do fires benefit savannas

Answer 15

Kills grass layer but rarely causes tree mortality
Allows trees to grow in abscence of competitive grasses

Question 16

What is a Gulliver tree

Answer 16

A tree which stays trapped in the fire zone for years
Resprouts quickly after fire from roots byt do not develop enough before the next fire so are killed repeatedly

Question 17

What are some challenfes to plants in a savanna

Answer 17

Water stress
Fire
Predation
Inter-competition with other plant forms for resources (trees and grasses)
Nutrirnt availability

Question 18

Adaptive traits of savanna trees

Answer 18

Nitrogen fixer
Spines
Small compound leaves

Question 19

What is the sap of savanna trees like and why

Answer 19

Watery to reduce flammability

Question 20

What is the stem of the Bao bab like

Answer 20

Spongy and eventually hollow

Question 21

How many families of acaisa are there and how are these seperated

Answer 21

2 - determined by locaion

Question 22

What is the name for acasias found in Africa

Answer 22

Fatelu

Question 23

Why do some savanna trees have milky sap

Answer 23

Deterant against herbivory
Poisonous, can cause skin rashes and blindness

Question 24

What are some adaptations of Fabeaceae (leaf and stem structure, reproduction)

Answer 24

Nitrogen fixers
Bipinnate leaves
Multi-stemmed
Reproduces from root (vegetatively)

Question 25

What is more productive in a savanna: grasses or trees

Answer 25

Grasses

Question 26

What happens to C4 savanna grasses if the canopy becomes more closed

Answer 26

Replaced by C3 grasses

Question 27

How can savanna grasses reproduce

Answer 27

From seed or resprout from roots if not damaged

Question 28

What makes savanna grasses fierce competitors

Answer 28

More responsive roots
Gain height more quickly
Higher reproduction rates