Spectacular Savannas

Open spaces and special places—that's what a savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees. is. Savannas occur where there isn’t enough rain to support a tropical rain forestA woodland that receives more than 100 inches (250 centimeters) of rain each year. Tropical rain forests are known for warm temperatures, and have evergreen trees that form a dense, continuous canopy. Temperate rain forests have evergreen and deciduous trees, with temperatures that vary greatly with the season., but there is enough to keep it from becoming a desertAn area with little rain and often with hot daytime temperatures.. The open spaces of the world’s savannas are found mostly in the tropical areas of the globe.There is usually a dry season and a rainy season in the savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees., with strong, hot winds in the dry season and enough rain in the wet season to flood low-lying areas. Some examples of savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees. habitatWhere an animal or plant normally lives and grows. are the East African plains, the South American pampas, and the open woodlands of northern Australia.

 

Who calls a savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees. home?

The savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees. is home to large herds of grazing animals, like giraffes and elephants, and the predators that follow them, like cheetahs. You'll find many animals in a savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees., from reptiles and insects to ostriches. A savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees.  is a carefully balanced ecosystemAll living things depending on one another to survive in a certain area. that can easily be disturbed by changes in climate, an imbalance in the number and type of animalAny living thing that is not a plant. Most animals can move about freely. All use plants or other animals as food. All have sensory organs. speciesA group of individuals that have many of the same characteristics, and are different from all other animals in some important way. Hamsters and mice are two different species of rodent., and human influences such as farming and cattle herding.

 

Fire also has an important role in the savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees.. It burns out old grass and new tree saplings, making way for the growth of new grasses that herbivores like gazelles depend upon. Can you think of other animals that would eat grass?

 

FUN FACT: The word "savannaIn tropical or subtropical areas, a flat, mostly open, grassland with a few scattered trees." comes from the 16th-century word zavanna, which means "treeless plain."