Transcript Prairies are generally more humid

Grassland biomes are unaltered areas of
land where grass is the dominant plant life.
• Grassland are found around the globe and
have served as grazing areas for a large
number of animals.
• Because of the incredibly fertile earth,
grasslands have been exploited as farming
grounds or plantations by humans for
millennia. Of all biomes, grasslands have the
most fertile soil!
•
What would a
grassland become if
it received less
rainfall?
What would a
grassland become if
it received more
rainfall?
Which biome receives a similar amount of
rainfall to the grassland?
farther from the
equator -- such as the
U.S. prairies -- they
have both hot summers
and cold winters
Savannas develop in
regions closer to the
equator, and so are
generally warm all year
long.
Grasslands are generally semi-arid areas with little or no
trees, and are inhabited by grazing mammals, groundnesting birds, insects, and a few species of reptiles. Where
there are grazing mammals, there are always the predators
who feed on them.
There are generally two seasons in grassland
biomes: The wet season and the dry season
• Grassland are found on every continent
except Antarctica. Here’s how they’re
classified:
Prairies are generally more humid than other grasslands, and
are densely covered in tall, or short grass. There are very
few trees on prairies, most of them usually found on hill
slopes or more humid near springs and rivulets.
The prairie soil is rich in
nutrients. Grazing
animals such as oxen and
bison who fed on the
prairie grass were also
exploited by humans,
with the bison being
driven to near extinction
by white hunters in the
19th Century. Bison were vital to the prairie biome, and
Keystone
without them, a cascade effect occurred.
Where do birds build their nests in the
grasslands?
This little burrowing
owl nests in
subterranean areas.
It can dig its own
burrow, but many
times claims an
abandoned burrow
of a prairie dog, or
gopher.
While this is an owl, it
is active both day and
night. It will nest in
pairs and colonies.
They feed on insects, reptiles, and rodents.
The steppe grassland is usually found in areas of the world
which are less prone to moisture. Steppe vegetation is well
suited to this drier climate, and the grass is generally
shorter than that which is found on prairie grasslands.
Animal life on the steppe is comprised of grazing mammals
such as the antelope, and a wide variety of burrowing
mammals such as ground squirrels and ferrets.
All these little grazers, of course
attract the attention of the
Steppe predators, such as the
Corsac Fox, and the Steppe
Eagle.
Savanna biomes are distinguished by their warmer drier
climates, and their seasonal droughts.
Savanna plant life is highly adapted to the hot and dry
climate, with trunks that can store water for days, or
special built-in mechanisms allowing the plant to lie dormant
during periods of drought.
They have long taproots that can reach
the deep water table, thick bark to resist
annual fires, and adaptations that
discourage animals from grazing on them.
• sharp bitter taste
• storage organs called bulbs
and corms
The Tropical Savanna is perhaps the most ecologically
diverse of the grasslands.
Several species of animals including birds, mammals,
reptiles, and insects congregate and feed upon the few
trees and grass or each other.
One good example of the tropical savanna is found in
Africa, where lions, elephants and warthogs make their
home. This savanna is known as the Serengeti.
Many savannas are
transitional between
grasslands and forests.
They are often
described as
“woodlands” because
trees and shrubs are
scattered through
these grasslands.
The Sahel is
another African
savanna worth
mentioning.
The Serengeti
Plains of
Tanzania
Savannas also exist in the other places around the
world.
They are known as Llanos in Venezuela, Pampas in
Argentina, and Cerrado in Brazil
World famous gauchos, or cowboys
raise thousands of cattle each year.
• Brazil’s Cerrado is an open area of short twisted trees,
grasslands, and savannas. The diversity of faunal life is very
high.
• Because of this biodiversity, it is a global hot spot as there
is an increased danger of extinction.
• This area claims
Giant Anteater
some of Brazil’s and
indeed the World’s
most rare and
endangered species.
Pampas Deer
Maned Wolf
There is also a savanna in northern Australia.
Eucalyptus trees and kangaroos are among the
flora and fauna in this less biologically diverse area.
• Up to 16 different
species of browsers
and grazers can
coexist in one area.
• Different herbivores
provide a wide range
of food for
carnivores, like lions,
leopards, cheetahs,
jackals and hyenas.
Besides grasses and trees there are also flowering
perennials. The flowers arrive when the season's
rainy weather kicks in. Some examples of the
flowers that grow in the grasslands are milkweeds,
goldenrods, asters, the blazing star, sweet
coneflower, and purple coneflower.
Again, humans have exploited many of the animals of the
savanna biome, either for sport, fur, or illegal poaching.
Rhinos and elephants have become endangered species due
to the illegal trading of their horns and tusks.
Frequent fires have also contributed to the diminishing
savanna biome, and though most occur because of the dry
heat, they are more frequent in areas populated by humans.
Conservationists
estimate that
there are nearly
37,000 African
elephants
poached each
year.
Their ivory is
traded in China,
where it is legal.
•In many parts of the savannas of Africa,
people have started to exploit the grasslands
to graze their cattle and goats.
•These peoples are sedentary, as opposed
to nomadic, so soon the grasses are
completely eaten up.
•With no vegetation, the
savanna turns into a
desert. Huge areas of the
Sahel region are lost to the
Sahara Desert every year
because of overgrazing and
farming in a process called
desertification.