Savannahahahahahas :)
Hello everyone, this is Jerry Mcdonalds here, the world's most famous savannah expert in the world as well as the heir to the popular fast food chain, burger king. I've been called many bad words and insults but recently I had a friend called me a savannah dummy. WELL THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. JERRY MCDONALDS IS A 100 PERCENT GENUINE SAVANNAH EXPERT. HE WILL SHOW YOU ALL. HE WILL PROVE THAT HE IS AN EXPERT. I WILL TRAVEL TO AFRICA'S SERENGETI PLAINS AND SURVIVE FOR MANY WEEKS TO PROVE TO YOU ALL.
October 1,2014
There are many different kinds of savannas that are found throughout the world. Especially in Africa, where Savannas cover nearly half of the continent's surface. Rainfall ranges from 50.8 to 127 cm per year and rainfall is concentrated within six to eight months of a year and then a period of drought. I am here during thunderstorm season, so i'm prepared to encounter lots of natural occurring brush fires because of the presence of sever thunderstorms and dry winds. Actually, fires are helpful because they are small enough to let larger animals escape while killing small insects with short life spans. This creates a feast for birds and lizards after the fires die off. Fires also cause a layer of fine ash to cover the floor. This creates a nutrient rich area that allows shrubs to grow rapidly during the spring seasons when rain is plentiful. It's blazing hot here too, every day ranges between 78° to 86° F(I live in Russia so 86° F is very hot). I've managed to come at a good time because the temperatures are falling while October still has summer rains. I'm lucky because when Savannas have their dry seasons(winter) grasses shrivel and rivers dry up so many animals migrate out and leave the Savanna so I won't be able to see nearly as many animals. I haven't seen much so far but i'll keep looking. I'm totally a savanna expert.
Savannah's have very porous soil that drains extremely rapidly. It also has a very thin layer of humus which is organic material created from the decomposition of plant or animal matter.
FIRE
Man, this place is simply beautiful. However, i've been thinking about it and it really makes me sad what we do to the beautiful Savanna. Farmers grazing their livestock in the same place tears the roots out of most of the grass that holds dirt and humus together. What this causes is loose dirt that is then blown away by the dry winds which cause deserts. Every year, hundreds of acres of savanna are destroyed and turned into deserts because of this.There is also a severe problem with poaching. Although there are many laws created to prevent poaching such as CITES which states the trading of endangered animals illegal, poaching still continues. Many poachers often set fires themselves to savanna brushes in order to clear the brushes and gain more vision. They also disrupt the food chain with their poaching. This poaching is a result of the great value of ivory and pelts.
October 4, 2014
It really is amazing seeing some of the ways animals are able survive. Giraffes with their long necks are able to reach the leaves other animals can't, ants instead of living underground live in whistling thorn acacia trees and protect themselves from other ant colonies by trimming stems and biting giraffes who come to close. Zebras with their stripes often are able to confuse their predators so they won't know where individual zebras are. It's all such a great intricate process. An amazing thing whistling thorn acacias do are how they conserve moisture. Their leaves have tiny leaflets called pinnae that selectively absorb sunlight and help continue photosynthesis. During the dry season, the acacia drops its leaves to conserve water and during the rainy season, they bloom flowers which have logn seed pods that are delicious for both animals and humans! Man they sure taste good.
October 5, 2014
I hate this place, I can't stand the everything. The Savanna sucks. I'm leaving now I don't care about my reputation as the most knowledgeable Savanna man. Goodbye forever.
Citations:
Pictures
Fire
http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/40/408665F6-1C14-4DE9-88BD-D813F40B2147/Presentation.Large/Grants-gazelles-near-fire-burning-of-savannah-habitat.jpg
Food Web
http://www.exploringnature.org/graphics/foodwebs/savannah_foodweb72.jpg
Savannah's have very porous soil that drains extremely rapidly. It also has a very thin layer of humus which is organic material created from the decomposition of plant or animal matter.
FIRE
 |
| Fire is an essential part of a savanna's ecosystem. It provides nutrient rich soil, delicious toasted bugs for lizards and birds to eat and does little damage to trees due to many different adaptations such as grasses with very deep roots that are unharmed even if the top parts of the grasses are burned off. |
October 2,2014
Holy crap! I am crazy lucky! I saw a herd of zebra being chased by a lion today! What's amazing about these zebras is how they fend off other animals. When encountering their lifelong enemies, hyenas and lions, they will either bunch together so as to confuse the predator or run with the strongest males in the back to defend the herd. If all else fails, they use their sharp hooves and strong teeth to fend off predators. What's amazing about animals in Savannas is how they learn to adapt and coexist without a lack of resources. Most animals have long legs or wings to migrate during the dry seasons and there are many specialized animal species so not too many species fight each other for the same grasses to eat or the same prey to hunt. The savanna is a perfect place for buzzards and hawks because of the presence of hot air drafts and a wide open view of the Savanna. Many grazer species are able to share the same grazing area because they all eat different plants. The different plants they eat differ in height, time of day, as well as different places to go for the dry season. Even top predators such as lions help others. Whenever a lion makes a kill, it leaves a carcass for many scavengers such as hyenas and vultures to enjoy. They also help trim herds to keep populations in check as well as strengthening herds by killing off the weak and injured.
October 3, 2014 |
| This is a food web of the grassland savanna that I drew all by myself because I am a Saharan Biome expert. As you can see, the producers are green plants that are consumed by primary consumers such as zebras and giraffes. Those primary consumers are then consumed by secondary consumers such as cheetahs that are not eaten by anything. The way Secondary consumers usually die is through starvation or sickness or old age and when anything dies, they are consumed by decomposers, detrivores as well as scavengers. |
Man, this place is simply beautiful. However, i've been thinking about it and it really makes me sad what we do to the beautiful Savanna. Farmers grazing their livestock in the same place tears the roots out of most of the grass that holds dirt and humus together. What this causes is loose dirt that is then blown away by the dry winds which cause deserts. Every year, hundreds of acres of savanna are destroyed and turned into deserts because of this.There is also a severe problem with poaching. Although there are many laws created to prevent poaching such as CITES which states the trading of endangered animals illegal, poaching still continues. Many poachers often set fires themselves to savanna brushes in order to clear the brushes and gain more vision. They also disrupt the food chain with their poaching. This poaching is a result of the great value of ivory and pelts.
October 4, 2014
It really is amazing seeing some of the ways animals are able survive. Giraffes with their long necks are able to reach the leaves other animals can't, ants instead of living underground live in whistling thorn acacia trees and protect themselves from other ant colonies by trimming stems and biting giraffes who come to close. Zebras with their stripes often are able to confuse their predators so they won't know where individual zebras are. It's all such a great intricate process. An amazing thing whistling thorn acacias do are how they conserve moisture. Their leaves have tiny leaflets called pinnae that selectively absorb sunlight and help continue photosynthesis. During the dry season, the acacia drops its leaves to conserve water and during the rainy season, they bloom flowers which have logn seed pods that are delicious for both animals and humans! Man they sure taste good.
October 5, 2014
I hate this place, I can't stand the everything. The Savanna sucks. I'm leaving now I don't care about my reputation as the most knowledgeable Savanna man. Goodbye forever.
Citations:
Pictures
Fire
http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/40/408665F6-1C14-4DE9-88BD-D813F40B2147/Presentation.Large/Grants-gazelles-near-fire-burning-of-savannah-habitat.jpg
Food Web
http://www.exploringnature.org/graphics/foodwebs/savannah_foodweb72.jpg
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