Tropical Savanna Flashcards
What are tropical savannas?
a transition zone between TRF and subtropical deserts
what is the geography of tropical savannas?
Poleward of tropical rainforest, in bands
What is the weather like in tropical savannas?
- Warm all months,
- moderate rainfall totals, far lower than TRF or Trop Monsoon. Typically 40-50 in/yr
- seasonal precipitation
What are the summers and winters like in tropical savannas
Wet summers, VERY dry winters
What are some key characteristics of tropical savanna climates?
- longer dry season than tropical monsoon
2. lower total annual rainfall
What is a savanna anyway?
Vegetation dominated by grass
Are there trees in savannas?
Yes, scattered trees are common in savanna biomes, but they are NOT closed canopy
Why is the african savanna biome called the “big game” capital of the world?
Because of a high abundance and diversity of large animals, especially grazers, browsers, and predators.
What kind of animals are very common in savannas and what do they eat?
Grazers ,and they eat grass
What do browsers eat?
browsers, like elephants and giraffes, eat shrubs, trees, and foliage
what is a common plant adaptation in tropical savannas and why?
To have thorns, so browsers don’t eat you!
When are waterholes important?
during the dry season, lots of wildlife congregate there
Because there is an abundance or grazers and browsers, what other animals are abundant?
Predators and scavengers
What kind of vegetation can tropical savannas climates also support?
vegetation is sometimes grass and shrubs, sometimes deciduous forests, and sometimes woodland (open forest)
What are some characteristics of tropical deciduous forests?
Tropical deciduous forests have trees shorter in height than tropical rain forests, many are deciduous in dry season, fewer forest strata
What are 3 plant adaptations in seasonally dry tropical climates?
- deciduous behavior is a common adaptation in seasonally dry climates. trees lose leaves to conserve water during dry season (or cold season in temperate areas)
- Photosynthetic bark
- succulence - store water for extremely dry season
What factors influence whether seasonally dry tropical savanna climate zones are covered by forest or grassland?
- Amount rainfall
2. history of disturbance - such as fire, browsing, and grazing. human impacts as well!
What does frequent fire do to vegetation?
It reduces trees and favors grass
What does browsing do to vegetation?
it reduces trees and favors grass
Why do many scientists believe Africa’s forests are expanding and savannas are shrinking?
It is due to decline in browsers by hunting and habitat loss
What are the most threatened of all tropical vegetation types?
Tropical deciduous forests
Why are tropical deciduous forests so vulnerable?
because they are dry. fire can easily destroy them
how does grazing affect vegetation?
causes decline in woody species and tends to favor grass