Grassland LAUREN KING-NYBERG

What is a Grassland?  A grassland is a large area of land filled with low growing plants and flowers. It doesn't have enough rainfall to grow tall tree's to produce a forest, but just enough rainfall to prevent it from becoming a desert.

Location The majority of the grasslands are located between deserts and forests. The major temperate grasslands are found in Central North America, and Southeast South America, and in Asia along the Southern portion of Russia and Mongolia.

Largest Grassland  The largest temperate grassland in the world is the Eurasian steppe. It extends from Hungary to China, and reaches almost one-fifth of the way around the Earth. The Eurasian steppe is so well-known, the area is sometimes referred to as "The Steppe".

The Food chain is very important in a grassland ecosystem, without it this biome would collapse. Food Web Animals big or small, does their part in keeping the grasslands healthy. The burrowing animals help by burrowing in the soil to air it out making it better for grass to grow. Grazing animals eat the grass which allow more room for new plants to grow. Carnivores such as hawks, and coyotes eat the smaller animals so that they don't overpopulate.

Types of Temperate Grasslands  Prairie - The Grasslands in North America are called prairies. They are considered to be part of the Temperate grasslands because of their similar temperatures, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type. Some of the animals in the prairies are the American Bald Eagle, Badger, Bobcat, Coyote, Prairie Dog, Bison, Swift Fox.

Types of Temperate Grasslands  Steppes - A prairie is an example of a steppe grassland. Steppes are usually characterized by semi-arid and continental climate. It may be a semi-desert, or covered with grasses and shrubs, but normally characterized by grassland plains. Some of the animals in the steppes are the Corsac(steppe) fox, mongolian gerbil, Saiga Antelope, Northern Lynx, Saker Falcon.

Types of Temperate Grasslands  Pampas - Are fertile South American lowlands. The climate is mild, with precipitation that is more or less evenly distributed through the year, making soils appropriate for agriculture. Some of the animals located here are the rhea, the pampas deer, several species of armadillos, the pampas fox, the White-eared opossum, the Elegant Crested Tinamou, and several other species.

Types of Tropical Grasslands  Savanna - Has few trees and are usually far apart with tall grasses due to the low rainfall. It's climate provides one or two wet seasons with a long dry season between the two. Evaporation and temperature rates are high in a Savanna Grassland. Some of the herbivores in this grassland are wildebeests, zebras, rhinos, giraffes, elephants and warthogs. Some of the carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and hyenas.

Five Key kinds of Animals  Prairie Dogs - are herbivorous burrowing rodents. There are five different species of prairie dogs. There is the black-tailed, white- tailed, Gunnison's, Utah, and Mexican prairie dog. Prairie dogs eat some insects. They feed primarily on grasses and small seeds.  Some of the predators of the prairie dog is the Bobcat and coyote. To defend themselves the prairie dog will perch on large mounds at the burrowing entrances searching for danger.

Five Key kinds of Animals  Bobcats - Often prey on rabbits, hares, and rodents. The bobcat has few predators other than humans.

Five Key kinds of Animals  Foxes - Are small to medium sized omnivorous mammals. They are slightly smaller than a medium sized domestic dog.  Foxes feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game.

Five Key kinds of Animals  Rabbits - Rabbits live in groups and are herbivores. They feed on grasses, forbs, and leafy weeds. Rabbits graze heavily and rapidly for roughly the first half hour of a grazing period (usually in the late afternoon), followed by about half an hour of more selective feeding. Can be hunted by foxes, owls, and hawks

Five Key kinds of Animals  Borrowing owl - a long-legged, small owl found in the open landscapes of North and South America. They nest and roost in burrows. They hunt mostly from dusk till dawn. The highly variable diet includes invertebrates and small vertebrates.

Five Key Kinds of Plants  Buffalo grass - Is a short grass mainly found on the high plains. It is heat, drought, and cold resistant. It sends out numerous, branching stolon's. Buffalo grass roots are finer than those of most plains grasses.

Five Key Kinds of Plants  Switchgrass - a hardy, deep-rooted grass that grows in the late spring. It can grow up to 2.7m high. It is an adaptable plant. It can grow and thrive in many weather conditions, soil types, and land conditions. Switchgrass can be used as ground cover for soil conversion and to control erosion. Provides a good habitat for upland game birds.

Five Key Kinds of Plants  Milkweed - is named from its milky white sap which can be toxic. It can grow to b 2 to 3 1/2 feet. Milkweed is a native plant of the South American grasslands  It attracts bee's, butterflies, and hummingbirds.  The milkweed's root does posses properties that heal wounds.

Five Key Kinds of Plants  Sagebrush - it is a type of shrub-steppe. It comes from the most dominant plant found in the ecosystem, "Sagebrush" or "steppe", which describes a largely treeless, dry, level grassland.

Five Key Kinds of Plants  Blue Grama Grass - It's a green/greyish, low-growing, drought-tolerant grass with limited maintenance. It can grow up to 18 inches tall. It makes up to 75% to 90% of the grasses found in the prairies.  As the grass matures, it is grazed on by animals.  Blue grama is an important prairie grass because it's dense, shallow root mass holds the soil down and prevents it from blowing away.

Human Impact  Grasslands are used to grow stable crops such as wheat and corn. They are also good for grazing livestock. But, unfortunately, grasslands have been slowly disappearing due to the dividing of land for farming and urban development.

The Grassland animals have no way to move around now due to this and they lose their habitats. Lots of animals die due to this.

 Only 2% of the original prairies still exist in North America, much of it has been turned into farmland.

Farmers  Prairie dogs are becoming an endangered species because farmers find that they are pests and that their burrows can cause harm or injury to their livestock. So they kill them.

 Grasslands have a yearly average rainfall of mm, and have two distinct wet seasons and one dry season between the wet seasons. Climate

Soil Profile of the Grassland Biome

 Grasslands are adapted to the semi-arid and sub-humid climates, growing quickly, and producing seeds in the short, rainy periods.  The seeds grow when the spring moisture is available. In dry years, the seeds growth have slowed down while the upper part of the grass withers, surviving on the food that is stored in the roots, until the moisture comes back.  Long roots will reach deep into the soil to find the moisture.

 The growing of grasses varies due to the dryness of the climate. When the climate become drier, the grasses become shorter and eventually become bunched with areas of soil between.

Fires  Wildfires can often play an important role in the biodiversity of the grasslands. Some scientists say that the occasional fires can help to kill the land of old grasses so that new grass can grow, bringing new life to the area, but fires on grasslands can move as fast as 600 feet per minute. It is possible to get trapped in a fire because it can spread around you really fast before you have a chance to get out.

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