Biome(biogeography) - Essay Example

Number of the Biome: Tropical Savanna 2. Characteristics of Physical Environment: Climate: A tropical wet and dry climate predominates. Mean monthly temperatures are at or above 64° F and annual precipitation averages between 30 and 50 inches. During the dry season, less than 4 inches a month are received. The dry season is associated with the low sun period. Soil: Soils vary according to bedrock and edaphic conditions. In general, however, laterization is the dominant soil-forming process and low fertility oxisols can be expected.

Landforms: Savannas exist in all tropical climatic regions. They cover some 20% of the worlds land surface and most of the savanna regions are less than 500 m above sea level. There are 3 kinds of landforms namely, flat to hilly savanna woodlands, those consisting of rocky escarpments, slopes and plateaus and the black soil plains. The savanna includes a variety of soil types that include sands, loam and clay.3. Walter Climatic Diagram: 4. Dominant processes/paradigms: Laterization is the dominant soil- forming process.

Herbivory has important effects on soil nitrogen cycling. Grazer induced increases in N mineralization have generally been observed resulting in increased N availability to plants.Elephant population at high densities can have significant impact on the dynamics and functioning of savanna ecosystems. They have the capacity to transform habitats which results in consequences like reduced population of some species of mammals, birds and plants. The other processes include strong to weak fluvial action and moderate wind action.5. Family, genus and species names for significant organisms:Plant: Acacia SenegalFamily: Fabaceae – Mimosoideae, Genus: Acacia, Species: senegalImportance: They can sustain long periods of drought and grow in sandy places where there is only between 12 to 15 inches of rain a year.

In addition these provide shade for animals, its leaves are edible and are consumed by the animals and its branches are used to make nests and are also used as perches.Animal: African elephantFamily: Elephantidae, Genus: Loxodonta, Species: AfricanaImportance: These are herbivores, and feed on grasses, fruits, tree leaves, bark, shrubs, and vines. They help to keep the savannas clear by eating shrubs and trees which helps the grass grow. This in turn helps in the survival of other grazing animals.6. Key References:Susan L.

Woodward, 2003, Biomes of Earth, Terrestrial, Aquatic and Human dominated. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31977-4.Alan S. Collinson, 1988, Introduction to World Vegetation, Springer. ISBN 0045810311Richard J. Chorley, Robert Percy Beckinsale, 1991,The History of the Study of Landforms Or the Development of Geomorphology, Routledge. ISBN 0415056268.Luc. Abbadie, 2006, Lamto: Structure, Functioning, and Dynamics of a Savanna Ecosystem, Springer, ISBN 0387948449 LexHes,M.G.L. Mills, 1997, The Complete Book of Southern African Mammals, New Holland Publishers, ISBN 0947430555.

http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/plot/ta-arush.htm.