Grasslands
Ecology 2nd Period
Mrs. Dunnavant
Brian Childers & Andŕea Greene
Location
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Grassland are located in every continent except Antarctica.
Grassland are found around the globe and have served as grazing
areas for a big number of animals, and have been oppressed as
farming grounds or plantations by humans.
About one quarter of the earth is grasslands.
The grassland consist of grasses, flowers, and herbs.
Grasslands Animals
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The grasslands are home to many creatures because of the
open landscape and wide spaced trees.
But most animals are active during the rainy season
Some animal that live in the grasslands are.
African elephants, black footed ferret, brown hyena, prairie
dog, and ostrich.
The insect prairie mole cricket
The Blanding's turtle
Characteristics & Population
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The grasslands are composed of Prairies, Steppe,
and Savannas.
Grasslands are extremely hot in summer time and
are very cold during the winter.
Grasslands receive between 10 and 30 inches of
rainfall a year
Because the grassland soil is so nutrient most
grasslands have been turned into commercial
farms
Grassland Plants and Trees
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Although trees can not grow
well in temperate grasslands
due to the lack of moisture,
crops and flowers can grow
because of the relatively
rapid decomposition of
humus, which releases
nutrients for them to grow.
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PLANTS :
African Daisy
Aloe
Bermuda grass
Canary Grass
Glory Lily
Switch Grass
Milk Weed
Sweet Cone Flower
Stinging Nettle
Balsam Root
TREES:
Acacia
Boababs
Snappy Gums
Ponderosa Pines
Box Elder
Silver Maple
Red Bud
Glossy Privet
Siberian Elm
Russian olive
Interesting Facts
• In Asia and Europe grasslands are known as
Steppes.
• Pampas are what grasslands are called in South
America.
• Grasslands are called Savannas in Africa.
• In North America, we call grasslands Prairies.
• Many grassland animals are becoming extinct.
• Savannah's have two seasons, a dry season
and a wet season.
The Human Influence
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Humans have made more croplands and fewer
grasslands.
Positive Human Influence
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In some places, national parks are set up to
preserve the grasslands and grasses are replanted
in some other places where grasses have been
cleared for farming.
This increasing awareness is certainly necessary
in protecting the grassland biomes.
Today, only about 1% of grasslands is officially
protected but governments are now more aware
of this issue.
Animal Adaptations in the Grasslands:
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The animals that live in grasslands have adapted
to:
Dry, windy conditions.
There are grazing animals (that eat the grass),
burrowing animals, and their predators; insects
are abundant.
A moderate of level species diversity exists on a
grassland.
Examples Of Adaptations
The Grassland’s Food Web
Links
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Links Biomes of the World - Tropical Savanna
http://www.snowcrest.net/geography/slides/bio
mes/savannah.htm
Tropical Savannah
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsy
sflr/savannah.html
Grasslands
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/grasslnd/index.ht
m
Grasslands
http://www.panda.org/kids/wildlife/idxgrsmn.ht
m