LIFE SCIENCES GRADE 10: BIOMES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
BIOME DESCRIPTION/AREA TEMPERATURE,RAINFALL & VEGETATION ANIMAL LIFE
SOIL
- “savanna” describes a - Summer: hot & wet - Grasses, large shrubs, & trees. - Mammals: “Big 5” (Lion,
vegetation type with well- - Winter: Cool with little or no - Low rainfall & fires prevent the trees leopard, elephant, buffalo &
developed grassy layer rain. from dominating. rhino)
and upper layer of woody - Soil: Is sandy with moderate - Savanna plants are ideal for grazing - Large birds that prey
Savanna plants. amounts of nutrients, although animals e.g. Cattle & Buck. - Tourists & hunters visit game
- Southern Africa’s some parts have much richer - In bushveld sub-biome, the marula farms and game parks in this
largest Biome soil. tree grows. biome.
- Occurs in Mpumalanga, - These trees grow up to 12m &
Limpopo produce yellow fruits size of plum
- Coastal KZN and Eastern
Cape
Occurs in: - Summer: Hot & high rainfall. - Dominated by grasses - Large herds of blesbok, black
- Major parts of Gauteng, - Winter: Cold& frost - Some which grow on very fertile soil wildebeest & Springbok occur
Mpumalanga, KZN, - Have high humus content and are preferred by animals - You find rich variety of birds
Eastern Cape, Free - In the high rainfall, areas of (because they have good food including the blue crane.
Grassland State, Lesotho & the soil are easily leached and value throughout the year) - Sungazer lizards are one of
Swaziland. become acidic. - They are referred to as “sweet” the strangest animals found
- Also the Southern grasses. on the grasslands ( they have
Eastern parts of North- - The “sour” grasses grow on infertile very rough & spiny scales
West Province. soil and are avoided by animals giving them the appearance of
because they lose much of their miniature dragons)
food value in winter
- The 2nd largest biome in - Regarded as a semi-desert - Dominated by grasses and dwarf - Animals can survive extremes
SA. area, receiving very little rain. shrubs in temperature and very little
Nama-Karoo - Regarded as semi-desert - Summer: very hot - Some plants, e.g. Stone plant, water.
area - Winter: very cold make use of camouflage. - These include; foxes, jackals,
- Forms major part of the - Soil: rich in nutrients - It looks like the pebbles around it. dassies and hares.
Northern Cape Province.
- Occurs in the west coast - Summer: Hot - Dominated by dwarf shrubs - The animal life is not as rich
of Northern Cape - Winter: Cold - 40% of plant species that are as the plant life.
Succulent Karoo Province - Very low rainfall endemic e.g. Namaqualand - Examples; bat eared fox, the
- And Northern parts of - In some parts the soil is very - Has Annual plants meerkat & common barking
BIOME DESCRIPTION/AREA TEMPERATURE,RAINFALL & VEGETATION ANIMAL LIFE
SOIL
- “savanna” describes a - Summer: hot & wet - Grasses, large shrubs, & trees. - Mammals: “Big 5” (Lion,
vegetation type with well- - Winter: Cool with little or no - Low rainfall & fires prevent the trees leopard, elephant, buffalo &
developed grassy layer rain. from dominating. rhino)
and upper layer of woody - Soil: Is sandy with moderate - Savanna plants are ideal for grazing - Large birds that prey
Savanna plants. amounts of nutrients, although animals e.g. Cattle & Buck. - Tourists & hunters visit game
- Southern Africa’s some parts have much richer - In bushveld sub-biome, the marula farms and game parks in this
largest Biome soil. tree grows. biome.
- Occurs in Mpumalanga, - These trees grow up to 12m &
Limpopo produce yellow fruits size of plum
- Coastal KZN and Eastern
Cape
Occurs in: - Summer: Hot & high rainfall. - Dominated by grasses - Large herds of blesbok, black
- Major parts of Gauteng, - Winter: Cold& frost - Some which grow on very fertile soil wildebeest & Springbok occur
Mpumalanga, KZN, - Have high humus content and are preferred by animals - You find rich variety of birds
Eastern Cape, Free - In the high rainfall, areas of (because they have good food including the blue crane.
Grassland State, Lesotho & the soil are easily leached and value throughout the year) - Sungazer lizards are one of
Swaziland. become acidic. - They are referred to as “sweet” the strangest animals found
- Also the Southern grasses. on the grasslands ( they have
Eastern parts of North- - The “sour” grasses grow on infertile very rough & spiny scales
West Province. soil and are avoided by animals giving them the appearance of
because they lose much of their miniature dragons)
food value in winter
- The 2nd largest biome in - Regarded as a semi-desert - Dominated by grasses and dwarf - Animals can survive extremes
SA. area, receiving very little rain. shrubs in temperature and very little
Nama-Karoo - Regarded as semi-desert - Summer: very hot - Some plants, e.g. Stone plant, water.
area - Winter: very cold make use of camouflage. - These include; foxes, jackals,
- Forms major part of the - Soil: rich in nutrients - It looks like the pebbles around it. dassies and hares.
Northern Cape Province.
- Occurs in the west coast - Summer: Hot - Dominated by dwarf shrubs - The animal life is not as rich
of Northern Cape - Winter: Cold - 40% of plant species that are as the plant life.
Succulent Karoo Province - Very low rainfall endemic e.g. Namaqualand - Examples; bat eared fox, the
- And Northern parts of - In some parts the soil is very - Has Annual plants meerkat & common barking
