THE SAVANNAThe Tropical Grasslands

TO THE SERENGETI•18 hour flight across land and ocean to Tanzania, Central Africa… so much ocean•Lots of time for a movie marathon and card games

Watching the Lion King to

prep for our big trip

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SERIOUS BUSINESS• We went to the remote Western Serengeti

with a team of zoologists led by a man named Alex

• Our mission was to observe the wildlife in the region and how the climate affects their behavior

• We were thrilled but we didn’t realize that the climate would also affect us…

WEATHER SHOCK• We went in May when the temperature

could reach a high of 30°C• This is the dry season, so there was

absolutely no rain while we were researching

THE LAND• As we drive we notice that the Savanna on

the Serengeti is mostly flat except for a few hills and rising Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance

• The leader of our convoy, Alex, told us that the ground is full of nutrients due to decaying roots from the grasses and the Grumeti River waters the land

• Although there are no forests like in B.C. we spot a few scattered trees such as Sausage trees, Umbrella trees, and the occasional shrub

HOW ARE SAVANNAS CREATED?

• Climate is the most important factor in creating savannas

• Temperatures range from hot to warm

• 50 to 130cm of precipitation annually

• Precipitation takes place between 6 or 8 months during the year. During this period thunderstorms are common

LEARNING ABOUT THE DRY SEASON

• The lack of precipitation during the remainder of the year creates an extremely dry period

• Grassfires are common during the dry season

• These fires are necessary for the growth of the plants that occupy this region.

SPOTTING SPROUTING GRASS

• The ash left over from the grassfires provides a source of nutrients for the new sprouting grasses

• Alex explains that as the grasses have deep roots, when the rainy season begins, plants grow rapidly, as fast as 1 inch a day

• He mentioned some grasses found in the Serengeti are Red Grass, Pan Dropseed, and Red Dropseed

ANIMALS SPOTTED!!!!

WILDEBEESTS•We saw one of the massive herd in migration as they moved to find water and fresh grass

ELEPHANTS•The elephants reminded us why we were here on a research mission•This colossal creature is endangered

ZEBRAS•Similar to wildebeests, zebras travel in herds

COLOBUS•Extremely rare, we were overjoyed to have seen it •It is found no where else in the Serengeti, except in the trees banking the Grumeti River

CROCODILES •Big•Scary•Deadly

LEOPARDS•Solitary animals that hunt alone

BACK TO CAMP

BACK AT CAMP ITS OUR TURN TO BE THE TEACHER

THE PRAIRIES• It can be hot or cold

depending on the season

• Agriculture on an industrial scale takes place

• The plants are lush and green

• The animals have learned to survive not only Summer but also winter

SAVANNA• Generally warm or hot• To dry for large scale

agriculture• The plants are

unfriendly looking with twisted branches, thorns, and brambles

• The animals are adaptable to the hot climate

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FAIRWELL ALEX, THE ANIMALS, AND SERENGETI! THANKS FOR A WONDERFUL

LEARNING EXPERIENCE!

BibliographyAllaby, Michael. Biomes of the Earth,

Grasslands. Chelsea House, 2006. Print.

Sandner, Lionel et al. BC Science 10. Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2008. Print.

National Park’s Official Site: Serengeti. 2000. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.

Webber, Charles. University of California Museum of Paleontology. Charles Webber, 2002. Web. 7 Feb. 2013