over half of Africa is covered in Savanna eg. Sudan and Madagscar
located in North of India and North West of Australia
What is vegetation like
ecosystem is dominated by grass with varying amounts of scattered trees and shrubs
all plants have adapted to cope with long periods of little/no rain
Examples of vegetation
acacia trees, baobab tree. eucalyptus tree, grass
How has acacia trees adapted
long tap roots to reach deep ground water and fire resistant trunk
long thorns to prevent animal grazing - ants live there so if eaten animals have stining ants
giraffes eat leaves so tree pumps poisonous alkalised in leaves, which makes them taste bad
shade encourages animals to have droppings - nitrogen
How has baobab tree adapted
thick bark to prevent water loss
water stored in trunk to use in dry season
but elephants can break into trunk to get water supply
leaves only grow in wet season to reduce water loss in transpiration = leaves are too small to reduce transpiration
How has eucalyptus tree adapted
leaves hang down to reduce transpiration
trees lose leaves in dry season to reduce transpiration
longtap root to reach water deep underground
trees can withstand fire - fire triggers release of seeds to encourage regrowth
How has grass adapted
stores water and nutrients in its roots which can survive fire
can grow quickly to over a metre in height in wet seasons
goes brown and dyes back during dry season to limit water loss
How has zebras adapted
a migatory animal so moves to freshest grass - moves quite quickly + good stamina
has stripes = lion (main predator) is colourblind so zebra blends in when they stand in tall grass, live in herds so makes it confusing for lion when they run around (disorganised )
How has giraffes adapted
reach leaves on acacia trees - long neck
camouflage coat which helps stay hidden
hoofs = tough to protect feet
tough lips = protects skin from thorns
long tongue = tip of leaves from treeshorms to spare against other giraffes
How has lions adapted
territorial animal - don't migrate out of territory
big noses to smell prey
manes - protects neck in fights - intimidate opponent
light brown fur to blend with the grass - to camouflage as less prey in driermonths so they need food
soft paws to sneak
when grown = have 3 inchlong fangs
Where is the Serengeti
located in Eastern Africa, just South of equator
North East of Tanzania and South West of Kenya
also located to the East of Lake Victoria
What is the Serengeti National Park
a UNESCO conservation and world heritage site
it covers over 2 million acres and it's known for its vast array of animals including wildebeast, lions, elephants
the Massai Tribe on the Kenyan Serengeti and they are nomadic farmers - this means that they move around with their animals to allow vegetation to recover
Uses of Serengeti: How do the Massai use the land
they undertake a traditional form of farming where they graze animals and then move them on to allow the vegetation to recover
How could the Maasai's activities lead to desertification
Maasai cut down the trees for fuel for cookers and to provide heat to their homes at night when it's cold
deforestation -> soil erosion -> desertification
Why's collecting firewood a problem
when collecting firewood, trees/vegetations are removed as so there's more soil erosion, leading to desertification
no more food for animals eg/ giraffes eat bark
Uses: why do tourists visit the Serengeti
people go to see safaris (National Park)
provides education for tourists
Uses: what problems do tourists cause
increase in people has environmental impacts - more vehicles on road, causing air and noise pollution
local water supplies can also be drained as water is diverted to hotels and safari lodges - takes water away from locals
traditional culture could be lost as Maasai can be reliant on tourism rather than nomadic lifestyle
occasionally, tourist hotels dump waste in rivers - no sewage treatment
Uses: what is poaching and problem?
poaching = illegal killing of animals
increased demand (dramatic fall in wildebeast pop.) meaning that food that wildebeest eats will be more abundant and predators will have to adapt or eat another prey
animals close to extinction - white rhino (horns worth lots of money and used in Chinese medicine)
Why has an increased population led to poaching
increased population = increased demand for meat poaching
Which animal species has dramatically decreased
wildebeest = killing around 150k a year
How is farming leading to desertification
when a lot of same crop has been planted, nutrients aren't being cycled through soil as much and so it's always the same nutrients instead of vital new ones for healthy soil
when land has lost nutrients, farmers will move on, leaving nothing planted in soil, which causes soil to blow away in wind - leading to desertification
How is the Serengeti area managed and conserved
National Park:
tourism = provides valuable revenue used to support conservation of park, wildlife research, education and livelihood of local communities
comitted to low impact, sustainable tourism and human activity is closely monitored - buildings must be unobtrusive
Frankhurt Zoological Society helps coordinate anti-poaching patrols and there are aircraft which reports incidents back to a control centre so that poaching can be stopped
Why and How do people managing semi-arid grasslands
fragile ecosytem:
without careful management, there will be further soil erosion and this will lead to widespread desertification
part of savanna are already at risk of becoming desert or already
can be managed by = drip irrigation schemes, planting acacia trees, bunds