Tropical grassland presentation

Tropical Grassland

1. Tropical Grasslands By Antion Emini

2. Tropical Grassland Characteristics . Tropical grasslands are found in tropical wet and dry climates. These areas are hot year-round, usually never dropping under 18 degrees Celsius. Although these areas are overall very dry, they do have a season of heavy rain. Annual rainfall is from 50-120 cm per year. It is crucial that the rainfall is concentrated in six or eight months of the year, followed by a long period of drought when fires can occur. If the rain were well distributed throughout the year, many such areas would become tropical forest. Soil The soil of tropical grasslands is porous, with rapid drainage of water. It has only a thin layer of humus (the organic portion of the soil created by partial decomposition of plant or animal matter), which provides vegetation with nutrients.

3. Animals Found in Tropical Grasslands ANIMALS Tropical grassland animals (which do not all occur in the same area) include giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, kangaroos, mice, moles, gophers, ground squirrels, snakes, worms, termites, beetles, lions, leopards, hyenas, and elephants. The world's greatest diversity of ungulates (hoofed mammals) is found on the savannas of Africa. The antelopes are especially diverse and include eland, impalas, gazelles oryx, gerenuk and kudu. Buffalo, wildebeest, plains zebra, rhinos, giraffes, elephants and warthogs are among other herbivores of the African savanna. Carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, wild dogs and hyenas. Termites are especially abundant in the tropical grasslands of the world.

4. Plants Tropical grasslands are dominated by grasses, often 3 to 6 feet tall at maturity. They may have some drought-resistant, fire-resistant or browse-resistant trees, or they may have an open shrub layer. They develop in regions where the climax community should be forest, but drought and fire prevent the establishment of many trees. Grasses  dominate temperate grasslands.  Trees  and large  shrubs  are rarely found in grassland areas. There are many species of  grasses  that live in this biome, including, purple needle grass, wild oats, foxtail, ryegrass, and buffalo grass

5. Location Tropical grasslands are located near the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. They cover much of Africa as well as large areas of Australia, South America, and India.

6. Threats This threat to a savanna ecosystem include effects caused by climate change, farming practices, overgrazing, aggressive agricultural irrigation, which lowers the level of the water table away from plant roots, deforestation and erosion. Each year, over 46,000 square kilometers of African savanna becomes desert.

7. Managing The Tropical Grasslands Continue education efforts on how to protect the soil and prevent soil erosion. Protect and restore wetlands, which are an important part of grassland ecology. Rotate agricultural crops to prevent the sapping of nutrients. Plant trees as windbreaks. Conduct dry season burning to obtain fresh growth and to restore calcium to the soil that builds up in the dry grasses.