1. Tropical Grasslands Cameron V. Jessica S. 5 th hour

2. Tropical Grasslands Characteristics of grasslands: 1.Seasonal drought 2.Grazing of large herbivores 3.Periodic fires 4.High avg. temperatures 5.Low to moderate precipitation 6.Prolonged dry season (Miller, p. 136)

3. Savanna’s A tropical grassland is also know as a savanna, they are grasslands with very few individually scattered trees. The savannas are always found in warm to hot climates

4. Climate Characteristics Average annual temperature: 18c Temperature range during the year: 20-15c Average annual precipitation : ~50.8 to 127 cm The year consists of 6 to 8 months of rain and then a few months of drought

5. Monthly Average temps Jan- 125 Feb- 125 Mar- 125 Apr- 25 May- 5 Jun- 0 Jul- 5 Aug- 10 Sep- 40 Oct- 90 Nov- 120 Dec- 125

6. Geographic Location The orange areas are the Tropical Grasslands. They are found around tropical forests in Australia, India, Africa, and South America and some in North America.

7. Flora Acacia Senegal Baobab Bermuda Grass Candelabra Tree Elephant Grass Gum Tree Eucalyptus Jackalberry Tree Jarrah tree Kangaroo Paw Manketti Tree River Bushwillow Umbrella Thorn Acacia Whistling Thorn Eucalyptus Tree Grasses Shrubs

8. Fauna Koala Bears Kangaroos Rabbits Wildebeests Gazelles Zebra Giraffes Antelopes Elephants Lions Cheetahs Hyenas Eagles Hawks Vultures African Wild Dog Black Mamba Caracal Chacma Baboon Egyptian Mongoose Emu Nigriceps Ants Nile Crocodile Ostrich

9. Why these organisms + special adaptations The reason that there is such a diverse animal population because there is plenty of grass, shrubs, trees to eat, and for most of the year there is water, except for 2 dry seasons. The herbivores are very fast to escape predators and some animals like the gazelle and the ostrich can reach speeds up to 80 mph. To make up for their lack of speed (except cheetahs) predators are very cunning, strong, and a lot of them hunt in packs. The Plants like the baobab tree hold extra water in their trunk, and lose their leaves to survive the dry season, and grasses leave only their roots because they have no where to hold extra water.

10. Biomass pyramid

11. Websites Wheeling Jesuit University. Topic Overview: Grasslands. 1997. Wheeling Jesuit University. 20 Oct. 2008. Regents of the University of California. "The Grassland biiome." UCMP. 1994-2008. 20 Oct. 2008. Defenders of Wildlife. (2008). Grasslands Habitat. Retrieved 10/19/08. Website: http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/habitat/grasslands.ph p "[Biomes - Living Worlds] :: Grassland :: Tropical Grassland." [Biomes- Living Worlds]. 19 Oct. 2008. Living in the Environment. 12th ed. Belmont, CA: Jack Carey, 2002. 136-37.