Explain How The Climate And Soil Affect Farming In Savannah Biome In The Sahel

Year 9 Biomes and Food Security

Data Response Task

Source: http://www.whiteband.org/it/readings/oxfam-great-britain/10-03-29/gao-askias’-city-under-sieged-food-insecurity

It has been estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations that 16 million people are currently at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition in the Sahel region of Northern Africa. This situation has arisen as a result of a range of factors including the environmental constraints and challenges of the savannah biome for food production and the increasing population of the Sahel. Addressing the issue of food security requires action on a

number of fronts, including sustainable agricultural innovation.
In this data response exercise you will:
• Interpret and analyse a variety of geographical information about the savannah biome
• Analyse interconnections between people and the environment of the Sahel
• Propose and evaluate responses to the issue of food insecurity in the Sahel
• Present ideas using appropriate geographical terminology

Students are to complete and submit research notes, including a correctly formatted reference list on the biophysical functioning of the savannah biome and the use of this ecosystem for food production in the Sahel region of North Africa.
They will use the research notes to complete an in-class data response task.
Your research notes should be:
• Written as dot points in your own words
• Include facts and figures to support your ideas
• From a wide range of sources

Websites
The following websites should help you to complete the research table.
You should also find your own sources.
http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/schools/blythebridge/gcseecosystemsavanna.htm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/african_savanna.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahel/sahel_vegetation_lo.html
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/africa-physical-geography/?ar_a=1
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/grasslands.php
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/525656/savanna/70797/Population-and-community-development-and-structure
http://www.irinnews.org/report/78514/sahel-backgrounder-on-the-sahel-west-africa-s-poorest-region
http://worldagroforestry.org/sites/default/files/Annex%203.2%20Technical%20Brief%20Farmer%20Managed%20Natural%20Regeneration.pdf
http://www.dw.de/drip-irrigation-in-burkina-faso/a-16703073
http://www.voanews.com/content/world-bank-aims-to-double-irrigated-land-in-sahel/1781438.html
http://www.gdn.int/admin/uploads/editor/files/SSA_4_PolicyBrief_Irrigation_Use.pdf
http://www.sdc.admin.ch/en/Home/Projects/Selected_projects/Waterdrops_in_the_Sahel_Irrigation_for_family_farms
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/environment-book/desertificationinsahel.html
http://www.irinnews.org/report/95258/is-sustainable-agriculture-possible-in-the-sahel
http://www.wri.org/blog/2014/02/improving-food-security-sahel-difficult-achievable

Research Notes – write your research notes using dot points

The climate of the savannah biome of the Sahel region of North Africa

Describe the climate of the savannah biome in the Sahel region of North Africa using figures for temperatures and rainfall

- It is a semi-arid climate.
- Tropical, hot steppe climate.
- Mainly hot, sunny and dry and windy all year long. Wet conditions between June – September.

Average Rainfall: 200-600mm per year
Max Temp: 33-36 degrees
Min temp: 18-21 degrees

Describe variations in temperatures and rainfall that occur in different seasons throughout the year as well as how rainfall totals may vary from year to year

- Warm all year around.
- There is a drought every 2 to 5 years.
- The wet season is mainly during summer.
- Long dry season during winter.

The vegetation of the savannah biome of the Sahel region of North Africa

Describe the type of plants that grow in the savannah biome of the Sahel region.

- Acacia
- Grewia
- Cram-Cram
- Baobab
- Jujube
- Ileta

Explain how the climate of the Sahel region influences plant growth in the savannah biome.

You should consider how climate influences the types of plants that grow in the savannah biome, when the plants can grow and the ways that the plants are adapted to the climate

(4-pathway crops)

- Infertile soil.

- The constant heat makes the soil very dry.

- Plants that use less water normally survive because there isn’t enough water.

-

Types of agriculture in the Savannah biome of the Sahel region

Describe the types of farming that occur in the savannah biome in the Sahel region.

- Nomadic

- Mostly Cattle Farms

- Low Productivity

Explain how the climate and soil affect farming in the in the savannah biome of the Sahel.

- The Soil is mostly dry

- The soil differs

- Very few crops can crow the very dry soil in this environment.

- There are limited water sources; this is the key factor, which affects farming in the biome.

- Rising sea-level

- Temperature boasts production rates

Impact of overgrazing and overcropping on the functioning of the savannah biome

Explain the terms overgrazing and overcropping.

- The definition of overgrazing is when you graze too much on one place of land so much that the soil is not good enough to regenerate plants and crops.

- The definition off overcropping is when the land is too exhausted to grow more crops because the person has continuously grown crops on

it.

Explain how overgrazing and overcropping affect the flows of nutrients and energy in the savannah biome.

- By exhausting the land, and the nutrients are constantly being used by animals for by other crops.
- It disrupts the flow of the nutrients.

What other impacts occur in the savannah biome when the land is used for farming?

- The land would be cleared of the vegetation that is around, they do this so they can make the surrounding areas more user friendly.

Methods of improving agricultural production in the Sahel

Describe each of the following methods that are used to improve farming in the Sahel.

• Drip irrigation

• Planting pits

• Stone contour bunds

• Increasing the number of on-farm trees

WHAT DOESS IT DO AND DESCRIBE EACH METHOD.

Select TWO of the methods:

• Drip irrigation

• Planting pits

• Stone contour bunds

• Increasing the number of on-farm trees

Describe the benefits and problems of each method on the people, the economy and the environment.

Use facts and figures in your notes.

Drip irrigation

- It allows the water the slowly drip onto the plants needing the water,.
- Drip irrigation uses less water meaning they do not waste as much.
- More water is kept due to evaporation not being able to take place

Planting pits

- improves the soil fetitlity
- it helps keep all of the crops safe
- helps catch quite a bit of rain water.
- Protection of crops from bugs and dieseas.

Stone contour bunds

- lots of soil and water is conserved due to the stone contour bunds.
- Protects the crops
Increasing the number of on-farm trees

- a lot more fertalizers can be produced.
- The farm would be home to more animals which could produce manure to help the soil get more nugriets and become richer

Method: ____Drip Irrigation_______________________________

Benefits Problems
Impacts on people

(How will it be good fro the people)

- Provide more food

- They can use less water and still get a better harvest.

- stops fertalizers flowing into rivers

- They do not have to stay up as late due to the water being able to pump itself.
- More expensive

- need more equiptment

- They might not have the money afterwards to afford education.

Impacts on the economy

- saves water
- helps in the middle of a drought so they can continue to water their crops
- they can contro the areas water use - More expensive
- The constantly need water if not enough
Impacts on the environment

- Saves quite a lot of water.
- The soil will become in better condition
- Reduce the weed growth in the area. - Requires more equipment which can destroy some of the natural environment in the area.

Method _______Stone Condour Buds______________________

Benefits Problems
Impacts on people

- They have to do less work due to the rocks helping.
-
Impacts on the economy

- Family’s can save money due to it being cheaper and it is more effective.
- More crops can be produced.
Impacts on the environment

- The land can be more stable.
- The soil will be richer - They lose a lot of the surrounding rocks form the environments.
- Can be to much water in one area.

References
Provide a correctly formatted list of references used in your research

AFRICA - Explore the Regions - Sahel.

2015. AFRICA - Explore the Regions - Sahel. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahel/sahel_vegetation_lo.html. [Accessed 11 August 2015].

Africa: Physical Geography - National Geographic Education. 2015. Africa: Physical Geography - National Geographic Education. [ONLINE] Available at: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/africa-physical-geography/. [Accessed 11 August 2015].

Drip irrigation in Burkina Faso | Africa | DW.COM | 28.03.2013. 2015. Drip irrigation in Burkina Faso | Africa | DW.COM | 28.03.2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dw.de/drip-irrigation-in-burkina-faso/a-16703073. [Accessed 11 August 2015].

GCSE Ecosystem Savanna Grasslands. 2015. GCSE Ecosystem Savanna Grasslands. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/schools/blythebridge/gcseecosystemsavanna.htm. [Accessed 11 August 2015].

IRIN Africa | Is sustainable agriculture possible in the Sahel? | Niger | Chad | Education | Food Security | Governance | Health & Nutrition | Migration | Natural Disasters . 2015. IRIN Africa | Is sustainable agriculture possible in the Sahel? | Niger | Chad | Education | Food Security | Governance | Health & Nutrition | Migration | Natural Disasters . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.irinnews.org/report/95258/is-sustainable-agriculture-possible-in-the-sahel. [Accessed 11 August

2015].

Stone bunds as soil and water conservation measures in Sahelian countries | Farming First. 2015. Stone bunds as soil and water conservation measures in Sahelian countries | Farming First. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.farmingfirst.org/2012/09/stone-bunds-as-soil-and-water-conservation-measures-in-sahelian-countries/. [Accessed 17 August 2015]

The grassland biome. 2015. The grassland biome. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/grasslands.php.