Tropical Savanna

Question 1

What are tropical savannas?

Answer 1

a transition zone between TRF and subtropical deserts

Question 2

what is the geography of tropical savannas?

Answer 2

Poleward of tropical rainforest, in bands

Question 3

What is the weather like in tropical savannas?

Answer 3

1. Warm all months,
2. moderate rainfall totals, far lower than TRF or Trop Monsoon. Typically 40-50 in/yr
3. seasonal precipitation

Question 4

What are the summers and winters like in tropical savannas

Answer 4

Wet summers, VERY dry winters

Question 5

What are some key characteristics of tropical savanna climates?

Answer 5

1. longer dry season than tropical monsoon

2. lower total annual rainfall

Question 6

What is a savanna anyway?

Answer 6

Vegetation dominated by grass

Question 7

Are there trees in savannas?

Answer 7

Yes, scattered trees are common in savanna biomes, but they are NOT closed canopy

Question 8

Why is the african savanna biome called the “big game” capital of the world?

Answer 8

Because of a high abundance and diversity of large animals, especially grazers, browsers, and predators.

Question 9

What kind of animals are very common in savannas and what do they eat?

Answer 9

Grazers ,and they eat grass

Question 10

What do browsers eat?

Answer 10

browsers, like elephants and giraffes, eat shrubs, trees, and foliage

Question 11

what is a common plant adaptation in tropical savannas and why?

Answer 11

To have thorns, so browsers don’t eat you!

Question 12

When are waterholes important?

Answer 12

during the dry season, lots of wildlife congregate there

Question 13

Because there is an abundance or grazers and browsers, what other animals are abundant?

Answer 13

Predators and scavengers

Question 14

What kind of vegetation can tropical savannas climates also support?

Answer 14

vegetation is sometimes grass and shrubs, sometimes deciduous forests, and sometimes woodland (open forest)

Question 15

What are some characteristics of tropical deciduous forests?

Answer 15

Tropical deciduous forests have trees shorter in height than tropical rain forests, many are deciduous in dry season, fewer forest strata

Question 16

What are 3 plant adaptations in seasonally dry tropical climates?

Answer 16

1. 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)
2. Photosynthetic bark
3. succulence - store water for extremely dry season

Question 17

What factors influence whether seasonally dry tropical savanna climate zones are covered by forest or grassland?

Answer 17

1. Amount rainfall

2. history of disturbance - such as fire, browsing, and grazing. human impacts as well!

Question 18

What does frequent fire do to vegetation?

Answer 18

It reduces trees and favors grass

Question 19

What does browsing do to vegetation?

Answer 19

it reduces trees and favors grass

Question 20

Why do many scientists believe Africa’s forests are expanding and savannas are shrinking?

Answer 20

It is due to decline in browsers by hunting and habitat loss

Question 21

What are the most threatened of all tropical vegetation types?

Answer 21

Tropical deciduous forests

Question 22

Why are tropical deciduous forests so vulnerable?

Answer 22

because they are dry. fire can easily destroy them

Question 23

how does grazing affect vegetation?

Answer 23

causes decline in woody species and tends to favor grass