Welcome to the Savanna

By Emma Hofmann

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Table of Contents

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A Savanna’s Key Characteristics…………………..2
Producers in the Savanna…………………………….4
What is Photosynthesis?……………………………..5
Savanna Grasses………………………………………..6
Consumers in the Savanna…………………………..8
Decomposers……………………………………………12
Energy Pyramids……………………………………….14
Food Webs……………………………………………….16
Food Chains……………………………………………..18
The Earth’s Spheres………………………………….20
Geosphere……………………………………………….22
Biosphere………………………………………………..23
Hydrosphere……………………………………………24
Atmosphere…………………………………………….25
Global Warming……………………………………….26
Deforestation in the Savanna…………………….28
Fun Facts………………………………………………..30
Glossary…………………………………………………32
Index……………………………………………………..34
Learn More……………………………………………..35
About the Author……………………………………..36

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Table of Contents

Loading...

A Savanna’s Key Characteristics…………………..2
Producers in the Savanna…………………………….4
What is Photosynthesis?……………………………..5
Savanna Grasses………………………………………..6
Consumers in the Savanna…………………………..8
Decomposers……………………………………………12
Energy Pyramids……………………………………….14
Food Webs……………………………………………….16
Food Chains……………………………………………..18
The Earth’s Spheres………………………………….20
Geosphere……………………………………………….22
Biosphere………………………………………………..23
Hydrosphere……………………………………………24
Atmosphere…………………………………………….25
Global Warming……………………………………….26
Deforestation in the Savanna…………………….28
Fun Facts………………………………………………..30
Glossary…………………………………………………32
Index……………………………………………………..34
Learn More……………………………………………..35
About the Author……………………………………..36

A Savanna’s

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Plants

Read on to find out a lot of amazing facts about the key characteristics of the savanna!

Climate

Have you ever wondered about the savanna’s climate? No? If you have, you have come to the right place! A savanna’s average temperature is 70˚F (21˚C). The average rainfall per year is 30-40 inches (76-102 cm). That’s a lot of rain! There are only 2 seasons in the savanna. The dry (winter) season and the wet (summer) season. In the wet season, thunderstorms occur often. There are also very strong winds called monsoons.

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Geography

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Did you know that savannas can thrive all around the world? They are on all but three continents. Also, if you didn’t know, savannas are grasslands. You can find savannas in Africa, Australia, South America, and Southeast Asia. You will most likely see plains and rivers in a savanna. If there are trees around, that is not a plain. If you are in a prairie savanna, you will most likely see a prairie pothole. Prairie potholes are small bodies of water that are shallow with grass growing in and around it.

Plants

There are some cool plants all over the savanna! Some of the most common plants in a savanna are lemon grass and some other grasses. In a prairie savanna, you will probably see yellow daisies and purple cornflowers. Some of the adaptations of these plants is that in the dry season, they can store water to stay alive. In the wet season, they grow very quickly because it rains frequently.

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Purple cornflowers

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Yellow daisies

Animals

There are a wide variety of animals in the savanna. There are so many that there’s only room for a few! Some of the most common animals are lions, zebras, elephants and cheetahs. Some of the adaptations of these animals are camouflage and long legs or wings to travel long distances.

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Producers in the Savanna

What is Photosynthesis?

Acacia Tree

Photosynthesis is a process where plants get their food and energy. First, plants suck up water in the soil. That water goes to the leaves. While the water is going to the leaves, cells called stomata absorb CO2 (carbon dioxide). While the stomata are absorbing the CO2, guard cells open and close the stomata. Next, different cells called chloroplasts store chlorophyll and that’s where photosynthesis takes place. The chlorophyll absorbs the sunlight and uses that to cook the water and CO2. When the process is complete, the plant has made O2(oxygen) and glucose (sugar). The plant lets out the O2 and also uses 10% of the glucose and stores the rest as starch.

Acacia trees are pretty cool. For example, their roots can reach 115 ft. underground! That’s how they get water during droughts. There is also another way that they get water. They can store water in their leaves. This way, when it is really dry, they won’t die. Did you know that acacia trees can survive temperatures up to 122˚F (50˚C)? They really can! When an animal, like a giraffe, eats the leaves, that acacia tree releases a chemical that tastes bad. The reason why acacia trees do that is so the giraffe that is eating the tree will stop eating the tree. That signals the other trees around that tree to release theirs, too. The way that acacia trees get their energy and food is photosynthesis.

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What is Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is a process where plants get their food and energy. First, plants suck up water in the soil. That water goes to the leaves. While the water is going to the leaves, cells called stomata absorb CO2 (carbon dioxide). While the stomata are absorbing the CO2, guard cells open and close the stomata. Next, different cells called chloroplasts store chlorophyll and that’s where photosynthesis takes place. The chlorophyll absorbs the sunlight and uses that to cook the water and CO2. When the process is complete, the plant has made O2(oxygen) and glucose (sugar). The plant lets out the O2 and also uses 10% of the glucose and stores the rest as starch.

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Savanna Grasses

Savanna grasses get their food the same way that acacia trees do. If you forgot, it’s called photosynthesis. There is a paragraph explaining what photosynthesis is on pg. 5. One cool adaptation that elephant grass has, like the acacia tree, is long roots to reach the water that is deep underground. Elephant grass is really tall and strong (hence the name).

Elephant grass compared to a human!

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