scuola energia e ambiente
Savannah
The savannah environment is in the tropical and in the equatorial zones, which have seasonal rain that characterize two different seasons: the rainy season and the dry season.
This climate determines the ideal conditions for widespread grasslands that are typical of the savannah. The temperature is high all year round. The grass is more resistant than the trees and notwithstanding the dry winds, it looses less water than the taller plants and is the principal source of food for many animals of the savannah. In the grasslands of East Africa, the elephants, antelopes and giraffes eat only the leaves; gnus eat the higher grasses, zebras graze the low grass and the gazelles eat plants and grass that grow near the soil. Every year, at the end of the rainy season, many grazing animals start to migrate in search of water and food, and are followed by predators and “scavengers”. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and hyena attack the herds, vultures and jackals clean up the carcasses, crocodiles and catfish await near the fords where the herds gather in large numbers to cross the swollen rivers.
subjects dealt with in Savannah
Savannah biome
The savannah is a type of prairie consisting of fast-growing herbaceous and shrubby plants generally associated to groups of big…
Man and savannah
The habitat of the savannah favours farming and breeding and this is why it has been remarkably altered. The people…
Protected areas
However, in many countries even the establishment of reserves no longer offers good protection to many animals species, because of…
What to do
Equally important is the problem of elephants, hunted for their ivory tusks. The tusks are the upper incisors, which in…
special reports
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10 February 2014 / Ecosystems
Coral turns pale!
The delicate balance of the coral reef “When looking at a coral reef, we are fascinated by the enormous variety…
29 April 2013 / Ecosystems
Intruders in the Mediterranean
Mare Nostrum The Mediterranean Sea (Mare Nostrum, Latin for “Our Sea”) has always been considered of fundamental importance for the…
1 August 2012 / Ecosystems
Holidays, yes! but they must be sustainable!
Sustainable holidays Lately we have been speaking of sustainable behaviours to apply to our daily life, but what happens when…
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8 July 2011 / Ecosystems
Who's coming to dinner
A shark in my hamburger Summer is finally here! As usual, we have waited for it all year long and…
8 April 2011 / Ecosystems
Protected areas
Taking a look at the past Protecting nature, at least as a general concept, has rather old origins; in fact…
15 March 2008 / Ecosystems
Biodiversity
Defining biodiversity Much is said about biodiversity and of the need to protect it. But what is biodiversity? And why…
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1 November 2007 / Ecosystems
The environment and health
Two faces of the same coin The topic of the relationship between the environment and health is very transversal, i.e.…
13 October 2007 / Ecosystems
Environmental risk in Nepal
Institutional management The government institution in charge of management of natural resources in Nepal, is the Ministry of Population and…
1 June 2007 / Ecosystems
Nepal’s natural resources
The country Morphological characteristics Nepal is a relatively small country with a total area of little less than 150,000 square…
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10 February 2014 / Ecosystems
Coral turns pale!
The delicate balance of the coral reef “When looking at a coral reef, we are fascinated by the enormous variety…
29 April 2013 / Ecosystems
Intruders in the Mediterranean
Mare Nostrum The Mediterranean Sea (Mare Nostrum, Latin for “Our Sea”) has always been considered of fundamental importance for the…
-
1 August 2012 / Ecosystems
Holidays, yes! but they must be sustainable!
Sustainable holidays Lately we have been speaking of sustainable behaviours to apply to our daily life, but what happens when…
8 July 2011 / Ecosystems
Who's coming to dinner
A shark in my hamburger Summer is finally here! As usual, we have waited for it all year long and…
-
8 April 2011 / Ecosystems
Protected areas
Taking a look at the past Protecting nature, at least as a general concept, has rather old origins; in fact…
15 March 2008 / Ecosystems
Biodiversity
Defining biodiversity Much is said about biodiversity and of the need to protect it. But what is biodiversity? And why…
10 February 2014 / Ecosystems
Coral turns pale!
The delicate balance of the coral reef “When looking at a coral reef, we are fascinated by the enormous variety…
29 April 2013 / Ecosystems
Intruders in the Mediterranean
Mare Nostrum The Mediterranean Sea (Mare Nostrum, Latin for “Our Sea”) has always been considered of fundamental importance for the…
1 August 2012 / Ecosystems
Holidays, yes! but they must be sustainable!
Sustainable holidays Lately we have been speaking of sustainable behaviours to apply to our daily life, but what happens when…
from the Multimedia section
curiosities
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From game “preserves” to natural reserves
In the old times, parks were set up as game "preserves" for the exclusive benefit of the upper classes: game…
Eating or being eaten?
In the savannah, we can often find physiological adaptations in both the herbivores and the plants they feed on. To…
A heavenly garden
In Cornwall huge sphere greenhouses were built: huge bubbles made up of plastic hexagons with a metallic framework. Inside these…
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Why the old ladies?
Thomas Huxley (1825-1895), a famous English biologist, tried to explain the complexity of natural processes in an original way, and…
Attack and defence strategies
There is a wide range of defence and attack strategies: some animals live hidden in natural holes or other hideouts…
The concentration of elements
In nature the quantity of elements is extremely important: the substances that are necessary to living organisms are often more…
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Mediterranean diet
Since the people who live in the Mediterranean basin live to a particularly old age and are immune from degenerative…
Flour and forest perfumes
Forest produce is also quite valuable and can be picked in any season: berries in summer, mushrooms in autumn and…
Myths and legends of the forest
The dark and mysterious shadows of the forest are populated by fabulous creatures that have existed in men’s dreams for…
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From game “preserves” to natural reserves
In the old times, parks were set up as game "preserves" for the exclusive benefit of the upper classes: game…
Eating or being eaten?
In the savannah, we can often find physiological adaptations in both the herbivores and the plants they feed on. To…
-
A heavenly garden
In Cornwall huge sphere greenhouses were built: huge bubbles made up of plastic hexagons with a metallic framework. Inside these…
Why the old ladies?
Thomas Huxley (1825-1895), a famous English biologist, tried to explain the complexity of natural processes in an original way, and…
-
Attack and defence strategies
There is a wide range of defence and attack strategies: some animals live hidden in natural holes or other hideouts…
The concentration of elements
In nature the quantity of elements is extremely important: the substances that are necessary to living organisms are often more…
From game “preserves” to natural reserves
In the old times, parks were set up as game "preserves" for the exclusive benefit of the upper classes: game…
Eating or being eaten?
In the savannah, we can often find physiological adaptations in both the herbivores and the plants they feed on. To…
A heavenly garden
In Cornwall huge sphere greenhouses were built: huge bubbles made up of plastic hexagons with a metallic framework. Inside these…