Tim MartinSuydan

* Temperature- temperatures vary based on the location of the grassland. For example, tropical grasslands have high temps year round whereas Montane grasslands which are located in mountain regions have temps based on seasons. * Humidity- Some of the grasslands have high humidity while others can be very arid. * Topography- Grasslands can be anywhere from flat to very uneven. * Precipitation- Precipitation can be from <30 inches per year to 60 inches per year.

* Plants- Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, Blazing Star, Queen Anne’s Lace, Common Sagebrush, Wild Indigo, Buffalo Grass to name a few. * Animals- Grant’s Zebra, Bison, Przewalski’s horse, Kangaroo, Southern White Rhino, Cheetah, African Elephant, Black Rhino, Black Footed Ferret, Brown Hyena, Giraffe, Greater Prairie Chicken, Lion, Ostrich, etc.

* Many of the animals found in the grasslands are herbivores because of the fact that there aren’t many trees in the grasslands. * The plants found in the grasslands have deep root systems that ensure that if an animal eats the top of he plant it will re-sprout seeds. * The plants also don’t germinate in the spring but instead germinate in the fall due to the long dry season in the summer. * Fires are a common occurrence in the grasslands. Some of the plants require fires to start germination.

* Species interactions are largely based on climate fluctuations. The seasons also effect the interactions between the animals, if it is a hard winter then the animals will start to scavenge and the interactions will start to become more numerous.

* Because of the locations of the grasslands and the soil being as fertile as it is the human interactions with animals are many. Many farms can be found on the grasslands especially in the United States. In the US the grasslands are called the “bread basket”.

* grassland-biome.html grassland-biome.html * * temperate-grasslands.html temperate-grasslands.html * adaptations.html adaptations.html * t t