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8-3 Ecosystems    3  Savannas

 

 

Geog123   book 2      

                                              pages 54-55   3.7 The savanna

                                              pages 56-57   3.8 Farming in the fragile savanna

                                              pages 58-59   3.9 The Machakos miracle

 

savanna,  deciduous, adapted, wet season, growing season, dry season,

 tap roots, acacia tree, baobab tree, pastoralists; famine, gully;

terraces, manure, compost,

cash crop

 

 

 

A baobab tree - highly adapted to its environment.

 

 

The acacia tree uses survival tactics

against both climate and local  animals.

 

 

The climate of the savanna has been

getting drier

 

 

 

The savanna ecosystem

  1. From the information on page 54, the climate graph on page 49, describe the climate of the savanna zone.

  2.  Geog2 page 55. Qn.2. For either the acacia or baobab tree: make a sketch of the tree and label how it has adapted to the climate

  3. What is especially bad about the soils in the savanna, that stop plants growing properly? ... this feature is called a hardpan.

Farming the savanna and desertification

  1. Geog2 page 57 Qn.2 This question on a sheet: Savanna erosion.

 

Desertification is the word given to the process by which an area loses its cover of vegetation and is attacked by wind and water erosion. The land becomes useless for growing things.

 

The reasons for desertification can include purely natural events, such as drought, but usually are produced by man. Over-grazing, firewood collection and ploughing the soil for crops, all expose the surface to the winds and rains, and erosion.

  1. Gullying can happen anywhere, not just in the tropics. This one is in Washbrook, near Ipswich!

 

Sketch and describe a gully, and how it is formed .. information page 57.

 

soil erosion

 

 
   
 

 

Machakos case study

 

 

 

Above and below -  terraced hillsides in the Machakos district

 

 

Machakos pdf - the file on Machakos

 

internetgeography

 

The Machakos miracle

  1. From the divided bar charts on page 58, and shown below, answer qn.2.

 

 

  1. From page 59 make a list of the ways in which the Machakos farmers have tried to protect their land, and increase their income... and next to each idea write how they have put their idea into action.

plant hedges around the fields

..helps stop the wind blowing the soil away

  

 

 

  

Seeds and fertiliser for Machakos District, Kenya, after 3 years of drought, November 2000

 
   

 

A man who is blind from oncho, with the milky white eyes from the dead embryos.

 

 

Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa

 

 

 

Onchocerciasis

 

 

 

The 11 countries of the programme.

 

 

Adult worms from a nodule.

 

 

 

 

1 Ecosystem Food Webs

2 Rainforests

3 Savannas

 

Year 8 work

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