Chapter 1 : Savanna Food Chain - Rickett Food Chain & Webs Site The food chain throughout the African savanna is shown on the left here. Plants and trees are the producers who photosynthesize, creating macromolecules which primary consumers such as zebras, steenbok, or elephants use to gain energy. Analysis Food chain In this food chain the carnivore Secondary consumer ; Cheetah is chasing the herbivores Primary consumer; Zebra and will probably kill one of the herbivores. Also in this picture there is a herbivore Elephant eating the producers Tree. There is also a decomposer on the ground and in and in dirt wall Termites, it could be doing something like eating leftovers from the scavengers Hyena and Vultures. There are no omnivores in this picture but if there is than it will probably be eating a plant or another animal, or chasing another animal. The producer is eaten by the herbivore and grows like plants, they need sun and rain. A Primary Consumers Herbivores: Herbivores are eaten by the secondary consumers, or carnivores. Herbivores mainly eat the producers. They are basically like vegetarians. A Secondary consumers Carnivores: Cheetah, lions, snakes, and lemurs Carnivores eat herbivores, like a zebra,elephant, or antelope. They basically eat only meat. Chimpanzee, all monkeys, and lions Omnivores eats both plants and animals. For example a monkey eats plants but also eats other animals. Most humans are omnivores too. We eat fruit and some animals too. Mushrooms, insects, and microorganisms Decomposers use what the scavengers left over. Scavengers are the type of animal that eats dead things like termites, vultures, hyena, ants, and crickets, but when they are eating a dead animal they leave some meat stuck to the bone, and so the decomposer uses the meat and the bone. They mainly eat the producers. Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Page 1
Chapter 2 : Tropical Grassland/Savanna The savanna, or African grassland, is a diverse food chain reliant on migration patterns that follow water and food sources. One direct food chain may go as follows: a zebra eats grass and then gets eaten by a lion, which is consumed by vultures and hyenas when it dies. Food chains, or food webs, as they are sometimes called in recognition of their complexity, are part of life in the African savanna, just as they are in every biome on Earth. The African savanna is a mixture of grassland and sparse trees that begins south of the Sahara Desert and stretches to the northern border of South Africa, not including the portion of central Africa that consists of tropical rainforest. It is home to some of the largest animals on Earth, including the African elephant, giraffe and African lion. But it is also home to some notable smaller creatures, too, and each animal on the savanna is part of an intricate web of producers and consumers. African Lions African lions can grow quite large with adults reaching weights between and pounds. African lions are apex predators, much like crocodiles and killer whales, meaning they are at the top of their food chain. That does not mean lions can attack and eat everything in sight any more than an orca would chase down a blue whale. A full-grown African elephant, for example, has little to fear even from the king of beasts. But their status as apex predators means that lions are free from being hunted, except by man. At the top of the food chain, lions play a vital role in thinning herds of older and weaker animals that would otherwise be consuming scarce resources healthier animals need to stay strong. The big cats work in prides to hunt a territory up to square miles, preying on antelope, zebra and wildebeest, among other animals of the savanna. Wildebeests Wildebeests and zebras share a place on the savanna food chain as the hunted. Known in Africa as wildebeests, due to their formidable appearance, these large mammals are often labeled gnus elsewhere in the world. Their large numbers provide a steady supply of food for predators of the African savanna, including lions and cheetahs. Wildebeests and other herd mammals are the most numerous of the animals that call the African savanna home. They live in herds numbering in the thousands, compared to prides of a dozen or so lions, and feed on producers -- the grasses, roots and trees that dot the plains. Although wildebeests are common prey for lions, a herd of these animals is a formidable target, which is why lions typically work together when hunting. Spotted Hyenas Though known as a scavenger, the spotted hyena is also a skilled, intelligent hunter. Hyenas are common scavengers on the African savanna, gathering the bulk of their food from the work of larger predators. At the same time, these and other scavengers are performing a valuable service to the ecosystem by speeding the breakdown of dead creatures as they pick at the meat and spread the bones. Although some of the native people actually leave their dead for hyenas to consume, these animals are also labeled a menace and have been blamed for taking out livestock, breaking into human food supplies and even attacking humans. Because of this, they have been heavily hunted in some areas. Termites Termite hills often reach heights of 10 feet or more in the African savanna. Termites, beetles, fungi and other decomposers act as a valuable link in the food chain, returning dead animals to the soil and also breaking down animal waste. Decomposition is vital to a healthy ecosystem. The decomposed animal and waste material feeds the soil, and allows for continued growth of the grasses and trees that feed the large herbivores. These expansive herds of mammals can then continue to serve as meals for the large carnivores, with leftovers providing plenty to eat for the scavengers. Page 2
Chapter 3 : Food Chain of The African Savannah by Arvin Arvin on Prezi Cheetah. As the sun starts to come up the Cheetah stretches after a long rest then climbs the closest termite hill to look for breakfast. A Cheetah has long legs and can cover 20 feet in one running leap. Its diverse species play specific and important roles. Food chains trace the transfer of energy from one organism to another in an ecosystem. They are simple and linear, whereas food webs include all of the interconnected food chains in an ecosystem. Food webs must strike a delicate balance to ensure that no one organism becomes overpopulated within an ecosystem. Producers Producers, or autotrophs, make up the base of any food web, providing energy, both directly and indirectly, for all organisms within the savanna ecosystem. Producers are often plants that use photosynthesis to produce energy for themselves and for the consumers that eat them. In the African savanna ecosystem, producers include plants such as star grass, lemon grass, acacia trees, red oat grass and jackalberry trees. In many parts of the African savanna, the soil is too thin to support producers other than grasses. In these areas, trees grow on termite mounds instead of soil. Primary Consumers Primary consumers get their energy from the producers of the African savanna. Zebras, antelopes, gazelles, gnus, elephants, giraffes and many species of insects are herbivores, meaning that they eat plants exclusively. These grazers and other plant-eaters make up the second tier of the food chain in African grasslands. Occasionally, primary consumers may be omnivores as well. These organisms, including aardvarks, consume plant life just as herbivores do, but they also sometimes eat meat or insects as well. Secondary Consumers Secondary consumers are the omnivores and carnivores, or meat-eaters, that receive their energy by preying on the primary consumers of the African savanna. The grassland is also home to a class of animals known as scavengers. Scavengers receive energy from freshly dead or rotting organisms that have been killed by secondary consumers or that have died from other circumstances. Scavengers of the African savanna include vultures, jackals and hyenas. These animals provide an essential service in reducing animal waste by consuming animal carcasses and recycling their nutrients back into the environment. Decomposers Decomposers have the job of breaking down and returning inorganic nutrients into the ecosystem. These organisms, including fungi, termites and bacteria, consume dead matter from plants and animals, as well as waste matter, and release it back into the environment as inorganic nutrients, including carbon dioxide, which is in turn made available to producers. Any remaining energy at this stage goes to the decomposers, and inorganic matter is returned to the nutrient pool. Page 3
Chapter 4 : BBC Bitesize - Food chain challenge - Savannah An example of parasitism in the African Savanna is ticks on lions. The tick will drink the blood of the lion, and possibly give it disease. An example of mutualism in the African Savanna is with grazing animals such as Gazelle. Biomes Savanna Grasslands The savanna is a type of grasslands biome. The savanna is sometimes called the tropical grasslands. To learn about the other major type of grasslands biome, go to our temperate grasslands page. Characteristics of the Savanna Grasses and trees - The savanna is a rolling grassland with scattered trees and shrubs. Rainy and dry seasons - Savannas have two distinct seasons in regards to precipitation. There is a rainy season in the summer with around 15 to 25 inches of rain and a dry season in the winter when only a couple of inches of rain may fall. Large herds of animals - There are often large herds of grazing animals on the savanna that thrive on the abundance of grass and trees. Warm - The savanna stays pretty warm all year. It cools down some during the dry season, but stays warm and humid during the rainy season. Where are the major savanna biomes? Savannas are generally found between the desert biome and the rainforest biome. They are mostly located near the equator. The largest savanna is located in Africa. Nearly half of the continent of Africa is covered with savanna grasslands. Other major savannas are located in South America, India, and northern Australia. Animals in the Savanna One of the more spectacular sights in nature is the animals of the African Savanna. Because the savanna is so rich in grasses and tree life, many large herbivores plant eaters live here and congregate in large herds. These include zebras, wildebeests, elephants, giraffes, ostriches, gazelles, and buffalo. Of course, where you have lots of herbivores, there must be predators. There are many powerful predators roaming the savanna including lions, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, black mambas, and wild dogs. The plant eating animals have developed ways at avoiding predators. Some animals like the gazelle and ostrich use speed to try and outrun predators. The giraffe uses its height to spot predators from far off and the elephant uses its shear size and strength to keep predators away. At the same time predators of the savanna have adapted their own special skills. The cheetah is the fastest land animal and can run in bursts of 70 miles per hour to catch its prey. Other animals, like lions and hyenas, hunt in groups and trap the weaker animals away from the protection of the herd. One reason that so many different kinds of plant eating animals can live on the savanna is that different species have adapted to eat different plants. This may be a different type of plant or even plants at different heights. Some animals are built to eat low grass while others, like giraffes, are designed to eat leaves high up in trees. Plants in the Savanna The majority of the savanna is covered in different types of grasses including lemon grass, Rhodes grass, star grass, and Bermuda grass. There are also lots of trees scattered about the savanna. Some of these trees include the acacia tree, the baobab tree, and the jackalberry tree. The plants need to be able to survive the dry season and drought in the savanna. Some store water and energy in their roots, bulbs, or trunks. Others have roots that go deep into the ground to reach the low water table. The baobab tree Fires in the Savanna Fires are an important part of the savanna. During the dry season fires clear out old dead grass and make way for new growth. Most of the plants will survive because they have extensive root systems that allow them to grow back quickly after a fire. The trees have thick bark which helps them to survive. The animals generally can run to escape the fire. Some animals burrow deep into the ground to survive. Insects generally die by the millions in a fire, but this provides a feast to many birds and animals. Is the savanna in danger? Overgrazing and farming has destroyed much of the savanna. In Africa, the Sahara desert is expanding into the savanna at the rate of 30 miles per year. Facts About the Savanna Many animals of the savanna are endangered due to overhunting and loss of habitat. The grassland in Australia is called the Bush. Many animals migrate out of the savanna during the dry season. The African savanna boasts the largest land animal, the elephant, and the tallest land animal, the giraffe. The baobab tree can live for thousands of years. The savanna has the highest biodiversity of herbivore animals of any biome. Many of the animals in the savanna have long legs which helps them when migrating long distances. Activities Take a ten question quiz about this page. More ecosystem and biome subjects: Page 4
Chapter 5 : Food Chain - Savanna The Savannah Food web. The savannah's source of main energy is the grass and the tree's. The savanna is a delicate biome if the numbers of one thing grow to much the balance of the savanna would be thrown out of order, like if the lion population grew too much there would be little antelope or gazelles because the demand for food would be to high for the environment to control, but the. A food web is like a food chain a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten but more complex. The energy in a food web goes from the producers plants that make food for consumers which is the trees, shrubs, and grass to the consumers animals that eat the producers. There are different levels of consumers. The first level is the primary consumers such as the zebra, giraffe, elephant, and gazelle. They feed upon the trees, shrubs, and grass. They are all considered herbivores eats only plants, no meat. After the primary consumers, there are secondary consumers. Secondary consumers eat the primary consumers. Examples include cheetahs, hyenas, and vultures. They eat the zebras, giraffes, elephants, and gazelles which transfers the energy from the producers. Finally, there is the lion which is considered a tertiary the third degree of consumers. The lion eats the secondary consumers: This concludes the food web and the transfering of energy. In a food web, predator-prey relationships are key. An example would be a gazelle and a cheetah. If the gazelle population increases, the cheetah population increases also because they have more food. The more cheetahs born, the more gazelles eaten. This makes the population decrease. Because there is less food, the cheetahs begin to die. Then the process starts all over again. This is a very important process to maintain because if species become too big for their environment, the environment will not be able to succceed. The Savanna biome would run out of resources such as water and producers. Since the environment failed, the species would all die. This means that if species grew too big, the environment would fail causing the whole Savanna biome to die off. Fortunately, there are factors that limit population growth. Density-dependent factors such as food, predators, and disease depend on the density size of the population. On the other hand, density-independent factors, including weather, fire, and pollution, do not depend on the population size. These factors help limit population growth. When the giraffe eats the leaves, they recieve 10 percent of the energy in the tree leaves. The lion only recieves 1 percent though. This free website was made using Yola. No HTML skills required. Build your website in minutes. Chapter 6 : Savanna Food Chains A food chain is a group of organisms linked in order of the food they eat, from producers to consumers, prey to predators, and scavengers to decomposers. The arrows in a food chain represent the flow of energy and matter between feeding (trophic) levels. Chapter 7 : Savanna Food Chain by Sean Borgman on Prezi Food chains, or food webs, as they are sometimes called in recognition of their complexity, are part of life in the African savanna, just as they are in every biome on Earth. The African savanna is a mixture of grassland and sparse trees that begins south of the Sahara Desert and stretches to the. Chapter 8 : Examples of the Food Chain in the African Savanna Synonym In summary, a food chain is a diagram showing how energy moves through an ecosystem between species. Producers make their own food, like plants, and the primary consumers that eat them are herbivores. Chapter 9 : Science for Kids: Savanna Grasslands Biome Page 5
Can you find the different food chains on the African savannah? Try this game and test your knowledge of food chains. Page 6