The Grasslands
By Ben Moore, CJ Purse, Ryland
Valley, Lauren Church
What is a Grassland?
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Have an average of 10-40 inches of
rainfall per year
Wetter then deserts but too dry to
support forest life
Usually have flat and rolling
topography
Grasslands vary greatly between each
other because of different rainfall
amounts and temperature
Common types of grasslands include:
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Short grass prairies
Tall grass prairies
Savanna’s
Veldt
Pampas
Steppes
The Savanna
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Occurs at the edges of tropical deciduous
forests
Characterized by less than 12 inches of rain
per year, most of which falls during a short
rainy season
South American and Australian Savannas
vary in their vegetation based on the
amount of rainfall
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With the lowest possible rainfall, rapidly growing
grasses dominate the landscape
With a greater rainfall, acacia and other shrubs
grow in patches
With the greatest possible rainfall, savanna’s
become tropical woodlands with tall, coarse
grasses, shrubs, and low trees.
Savanna grasses can grow from three to
twelve feet tall!
Biodiversity of the
Savanna
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Species diversity is considerably
less in a Savanna in comparison
to a rainforest
Species in a Savanna form
packs, herds, flocks, and prides
and are characterized best by
their high density
Termites and insects are
elaborate architects
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They build elaborately raised
shelters/nests reaching in size 3-4
meters across and 7 meters in
height
Construct by fastening together soil
with excrement's or saliva
•Animals of the savanna: warthogs,
zebras, lions, cheetahs, giraffes,
elephants, guinea-fowls, ostriches, and
innumerable other vertebrates and
invertebrates
•Animals of the savanna have
developed definite specialization in
the use of the feeding base
For example, warthogs feed on
underground parts of the plants (roots,
rhizomes, tubers). Large grazing animals
(like a zebra) use the herbaceous level (the
portion of the grasses and other plants
above the earth). The lovers of leaves and
brunches "carefully" prune shrubs and
trees of different layers. Cheetah’s mainly
attacks herbivorous animals. Hyenas and
vultures feed on carrions and the remains
of the meal of the predators.
The Arctic Tundra
Biodiversity
Reindeer Moss
• Low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses,
liverworts, and grasses
• Flowers
• Crustose and foliose lichen
• Mammals
• Birds
• Insects
• Fish
Liverworts
Climate and Location
• Location
• Coldest biome
• -30°F - winter
• 45°F – summer
• Low precipitation
• Permafrost
• Wind
Short Grass Prairie
-Strong winds, light/infrequent rainfall, rapid evaporation.
-10 to 12 inches of precipitation per year
-Has become the western “wheat-belt” for farming
Farmers have used the prairie to grow canola, the tiny seeds
are crushed to make canola oil
With all of this planting, less than 5% of the short grass
prairie remains
-Relatively treeless, uplands dominated by blue grama and
buffalo grass, warm-season grasses that flourish under
intensive grazing
-Animals: pronghorn antelope, elk, wild horses, mule deer
Biodiversity
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Birds endemic to the short-grass prairie express life-history characteristics and
habitat use in response to grazing
Loss of biodiversity caused by human activities Scientists have concluded that
grasslands are the most imperiled major ecological regions worldwide. The
shortgrass prairie may be moving closer to ecological collapse, given dramatic
alterations of the plains by human agriculture/development.
Scientists link the reduction of prairie dogs, destruction of habitat, and loss of
biodiversity. This biological imperilment has manifested itself: there are 55
grassland species listed as endangered/threatened
THE PAMPAS
Pampas are flat, fertile plains
The Grassy plains of southern America, especially in
Argentina
The pampas are located just below Buenos Aires, between
34° and 30° south latitude, and 57° and 63° west latitude.
The word Pampa comes from the Guarani Indian word for
“Level Plain”
Climate
 The climate in the pampas is humid and
warm
- Average temp is between 40 -77 degrees
Fahrenheit)
- Winds from the Atlantic ocean affect climate
- Average precipitation is about 10-20 inches a
year
Plant Life
 Various kinds of plant life
 Main plant is Pampas Grass
 Can grow from 8-12 feet tall
 Native plants
 Water lilies
 Reeds
 These plants are usually wetland plants but have
adapted to dry land conditions
 Scarce amounts of trees
Plant life
 Fires don’t kill the grasses
 They have root crowns
 They kill trees
 Because trees have shallow roots
Except for the Ombu, which has made adaptations
to protect itself from fires
Animals
 Many mammals can be found in the pampas
 Geoffrey's cat
 gray coat and black striped legs (mostly invisible in the
mesquite of bunchgrass)
 Animals include
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double collared seedeater
The great pampas finch
The grass land yellow finch
Long tailed red finch
Human Effects on
Grasslands
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Large areas of grasslands, especially in
Mid-West U.S, have been turned into
farmlands for growing crops or rearing
cattle
Sometimes we start fires and they
spread quickly through grasses and
damage the soil (dry lightning)
Oil mining in tundra and contaminates
ground water for us and animals
Fertilizer and overgrazing are serious
threats to pampas
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Pampas are to be on of the most endangered
habitats today
Many animals have been hunted for
valuable body parts
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Elephants for their tusks
Lions for their fur
Bison for their meat
Solutions
• Hunting of bison and buffalo
has been banned
• Although only 1% of
grasslands are protected,
governments are now more
aware of the issue.
• Grasses have been replanted
in other areas to make up for
land cleared for farming
Bibliography
• http://www.darwin.museum.ru/expos/bio/savanee.htm
• http://library.thinkquest.org/26634/grass/impact.htm
• "Grasslands." World of Biology. Gale, 2010. Gale Science In Context. Web.
17 Oct. 2011.
• http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcp/wildnotes/winter06/images/bryo1.jpg
• http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/interesting/lichens/images/cladina_arb
uscula_gaustin_lg.jpg
• http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=tundra&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=782l1
286l0l1426l6l3l0l1l1l0l172l345l2.1l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw
=1920&bih=933&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi
• http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/tundra.php