grassland biomes
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GRASSLAND BIOMES
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - CHAPTER 8
GRASSLANDS
Grasses feed thousands all
over the world.
Grasses are found on every
continent on Earth, except
Antarctica.
All grains (wheat, rice,
oats) are grasses.
Grasses can survive vast
temperature changes (from
-25oC to 70oC).
GRASSLAND DEFINED
Grassland - ecosystem with
more water than a desert but
not enough to support a
forest
Found in every continent
Africa, central Asia, North
America, South America,
Australia EXCEPT
Antarctica
Desert-grassland boundary –
rainfall amount determines
whether land becomes desert
or grassland
Grassland Organisms
Most common plants are
grasses
Most of the grass plant is
underground (roots)
This protects the grasses
from fire and drought.
Ex: A single rye plant can
grow as tall as 2 meters and
have roots spread out as far
as 600 km!
GRASSLAND FACTS
•
Rainfall is the most important abiotic
limiting factor.
•
Rainfall amount determines the kinds of
grasses and how tall they will grow.
Ex: less rain = short/fine-leaf grasses (Tundra)
more rain = tall/broad-leaf grasses
(Thailand)
•
Temperature ranges from -25oC to 70oC
•
FIRES
eliminate competing trees and shrubs
clear away all dead grasses that build up
release nutrients and minerals from the soil
help some grass seeds to germinate
Grassland Facts
Biotic factors can also affect
grassland organisms.
Ex: Large populations of grazing
animals will prevent trees and
shrubs from growing around a
grassland pond
Two seasons:
Rainy seasons – short cycles of
heavy rain
Drought seasons – longer periods of
little or no rain
Ex: Savanna in Africa has both
rainy and drought seasons
Steppe Facts
Steppes –
gets less than 50 cm rain
per year -most rain
evaporates quickly
found on western and
southwestern edges of
deserts
Have high winds
Broad temperature range
from -5oC to 30oC
Steppe Plants
• Bunchgrasses are short
fine-blade grasses that
grow in a clump
Short fine blades of grass
and clumping the roots
prevent water loss
Use high winds to help
disperse plant seeds to new
growing areas
Roots can grow as deep as
50 cm
Freeze resistant
Steppe Animals
Adaptations to grassland
include migrating,
hibernating and burrowing
underground.
Graze on grass late
afternoon to early morning
(hot) .
Burrow underground
during the cold periods
Migrate with the
availability of grasses
Mongolian horse
lemming
Bactrian camel
Steppe wildcat
Prairie Facts
Grasslands characterized
by rolling hills, plains and
sod formation
Rainfall is 50-75 cm per
year
Soil holds water – grass
roots form mats with the
soil called sod
When the sod grasses die
they form high nutrient
organic material called
humus
Prairie Plants
Grasses form sod mats
Hold water well
Wind disperse grass seeds
Grasses aren’t harmed by
large populations of
herbivores because of their
adaptation of migration.
Prairie Animals
Prairies support large
populations of herbivores
Animals use migration,
hibernation and burrowing
as adaptations to the
temperature extremes
Prairie animals help the
prairie biome ecosystem.
Large populations of prairie
dogs (rodents) create
“towns”- a series of
connecting underground
burrows
Bison
Prairie chicken
Prairie fox
Prairie
dogs
Towns help aerate the soil
Black-footed ferret
AMERICAN DUST-BOWL
1934-1938 an estimated 2.5
million people were forced to
leave their farms and ranches.
Major environmental disaster
(150,000 square miles of soil
loss, dust storms )
Causes: strong winds combined
with poor farming practices and
drought
Locations: Montana, North and
South Dakota, Oklahoma,
Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New
Mexico and Mexico
Savannas
Tropical grasslands
ranging from dry
scrubland to wet, open
woodland.
Mainly in central Africa,
with small areas in India,
southeastern Asia, northern
Australia, llanos in
Venezuela and Campos in
Brazil
Short rainy seasons
followed by long periods of
drought
Savanna Plants
Plants must be resistant to heat, drought,
fires and grazing animals.
Adaptations include:
Rapid growth – savanna plants grow
quickly.
Runners – long horizontal stems above and
below the ground – plants spread quickly
and are protected from fire.
Tufts – are large clumps of tall coarse
grasses.
Thorns – trees and shrubs grow spike like
thorns or sharp leaves to prevent herbivores
from eating them.
Ex: Trees - Acacia, Baobab, Grasses - Rhodes, red
oak, elephant, star and lemon , Shrubs – aloe
candelabra tree
Baobab tree only has leaves in the short
rainy season.
Acacia trees grow leaves only at the top of
the branches and send out a chemical that
make the leaves inedible after a giraffe eats
one mouthful and one tree sends chemical
signals to warn he surrounding trees.
Savanna Animals
Must take advantage of short
rainy season
Adaptations:
Migrate with food availability
Reproduce during rainy
season
Vertical feeding pattern
animal height determines
what plants they eat this
allows many animals to
occupy smaller more specific
niches
Ex: lions, cheetah, springbok,
elephant, rhino, Weaver bird,
secretary bird