In physical geography, the tropical grasslands of Africa are commonly known by which name?

Introduction / Context:
Different climate regions on Earth are associated with characteristic types of vegetation, such as forests, deserts, and grasslands. The tropical grasslands of Africa are home to many famous animals and are often shown in documentaries and textbooks. Knowing the correct geographical term for these grasslands helps students link climate, vegetation, and wildlife. This question asks for the commonly used name of the tropical grassland ecosystem in Africa.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on tropical grasslands found in Africa.
• Options include savanna, tundra, steppe, and none of the above.
• We assume basic knowledge of major biome names.
• The correct answer should match common textbook terminology.

Concept / Approach:
The tropical grasslands of Africa, characterized by grasses, scattered trees, and seasonal rainfall, are known as savannas. These habitats support large herbivores such as zebras, antelopes, and elephants, as well as predators like lions and cheetahs. Tundra refers to cold, treeless plains found in high latitude polar regions, not in tropical Africa. Steppe is usually used for temperate grasslands in parts of Europe and Asia, which have different climate conditions than tropical African regions. Therefore, among the listed options, savanna is the correct term for the tropical grasslands of Africa.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognize that the question refers to a warm climate grassland region in Africa. Step 2: Recall that African wildlife documentaries often mention the African savanna. Step 3: Compare this with the tundra, which is cold and located near the Arctic, and with the steppe, which is temperate and found in Eurasia. Step 4: Eliminate tundra and steppe as mismatched terms for tropical African grasslands. Step 5: Choose savanna as the correct name for the tropical grasslands of Africa.

Verification / Alternative check:
A verification method is to think of well known African national parks such as the Serengeti and Masai Mara, often described as savanna landscapes. Textbooks on biomes and climate zones also label the tropical grassland region in Africa as savanna. In contrast, discussions of tundra focus on polar regions with permafrost, and steppe is linked with regions like Central Asia. This consistent usage across sources confirms that savanna is the proper answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Tundra is incorrect because it refers to cold, treeless regions near the poles with frozen subsoil, which is very different from warm African grasslands. Steppe is a term for temperate grasslands with a different rainfall pattern and plant community and is found in regions like Kazakhstan, not in tropical Africa. The option none of the above is also wrong because there is a correct term present in the list, namely savanna. These mismatches make options B, C, and D unsuitable.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse savanna with steppe because both describe grassland ecosystems, but they differ in climate and geographic location. Another pitfall is to pick tundra simply because it is a familiar term, without considering that the question clearly refers to tropical regions. Paying attention to key words like tropical and Africa helps guide the student toward the correct biome name.

Final Answer:
The tropical grasslands of Africa are commonly known as the Savanna.