Download GRASSLANDS

GRASSLANDS
GRASSLANDS, TUNDRA AND
CHAPARRAL BIOMES
GRASSLANDS
 REGIONS WITH ENOUGH AVERAGE
ANNUAL PRECIPITATION TO ALLOW
GRASS (AND IN SOME AREAS, A FEW
TREES) TO PROSPER BUT WITH
PRECIPITATION SO ERRATIC THAT
DROUGHT AND FIRE PREVENT
LARGE STANDS OF TREES FROM
GROWING
GRASSLANDS
 MOST GRASSLANDS ARE FOUND IN
THE INTERIORS OF CONTINENTS
 GRASSLANDS PERSIST BECAUSE OF
A COMBINATION OF
 SEASONAL DROUGHT
 GRAZING BY LARGE HERBIVORES
 PERIODIC FIRES
GRASSLANDS
 THESE 3 FACTORS KEEP LARGE
TREES AND SHRUBS FROM
GROWING
 MANY GRASSES ARE PERENNIALS
 STEMS GROW OUT FROM BOTTOM,
ALLOWING PLANT TO GROW AFTER
TOP IS EATEN
TROPICAL GRASSLANDS
 FOUND IN AREAS WITH HIGH
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
 LOW TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION
 PRLONGED DRY SEASON
 OCCUR IN A WIDE BELT ON EITHER
SIDE OF THE EQUATOR
TROPICAL GRASSLANDS





SAVANNAS
WARM TEMPEATURES YEAR ROUND
TWO PRLONGED DRY SEASONS
ABUNDANT RAIN THE REST OF THE YEAR
LARGEST SAVANNAS IN CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN AFRICA
 ALSO IN CENTRAL SOUTH AMERICA,
AUSTRALIA AND S.E. ASIA
SAVANNAS
 PREDOMINANT VEGETATION:
 AFRICAN SAVANNA- ACACIA TREE
 AUSTRALIA SAVANNA-EUCALYPTUS
TREE
AFRICAN SAVANNAS
 CONTAIN ENORMOUS HERDS OF
GRAZING AND BROWSING HOOFED
ANIMALS (WILDEBEESTS, GAZELLES,
ZEBRAS, GIRAFFES, ANTELOPES)
 HERBIVORES HAVE SPECIALIZED
FEEDING HABITS THAT MINIMIZE
COMPETITION
AFRICAN SAVANNAS
 GIRAFFES EAT LEAVES AND SHOOTS
FROM THE TOPS OF TREES
 ELEPHANTS EAT LEAVES AND BRANCHES
LOWER DOWN
 THOMPSON’S GAZELLES AND
WILDEBEESTS PREFER SHORT GRASS
 ZEBRAS GRAZE ON LONGER GRASS AND
STEMS
TEMPERATE
GRASSLANDS
 COVERS VAST EXPANSES OF PLAINS AND
GENTLY ROLLING HILLS IN THE INTERIORS
OF N. AND S. AMERICA, EUROPE AND
ASIA.
 NO TREES
 SEASONAL EXTREMES OF HOT AND COLD
 WINTERS BITTERLY COLD
 SUMMERS ARE HOT AND DRY
TEMPERATE
GRASSLANDS
 ANNUAL PRECIPITATION AVERAGES
10-39 INCHES
 RECURRENT FIRES – PLANTS HAVE
ADAPTED THE ABILITY TO GROW
BACK RAPIDLY AFTER A FIRE
 DEEP, FERTILE SOIL FROM GRASSES
DYING AND DECOMPOSING
TYPES OF TEMPERATE
GRASSLANDS
 TALL GRASS PRAIRIES & SHORT
GRASS PRAIRIES OF THE
MIDWESTERN AND WESTERN U.S. &
CANADA
 SOUTH AMERICAN PAMPAS
 AFRICAN VELDT
 STEPPS OF CENTRAL EUROPE AND
ASIA
POLAR GRASSLANDS
ARCTIC TUNDRA – COVERS 10% OF
EARTH’S SURFACE;
OCCURS JUST SOUTH OF THE POLAR
ICE CAP
BITTERLY COLD, COVERED WITH ICE
AND SNOW
WINTERS ARE LONG AND DARK
MOST PRECIPITATION FALLS AS SNOW
TUNDRA PLANTS
 GROW CLOSE TO GROUND
 LEATHERY EVERGREEN LEAVES
COATED BY WAXES THAT REDUCE
HEAT LOSS
 OTHER PLANTS SURVIVE AS ROOTS,
STEMS, BULBS
 SOME DEHYDRATE TO AVOID FROST
DAMAGE(LICHENS)
PERMAFROST
 A PERENNIALLY FROZEN LAYER OF
THE SOIL THAT FORMS WHEN THE
WATER THERE FREEZES.
 IN SUMMER SOIL IS WATERLOGGED,
FORMING SHALLOW LAKES,
MARSHES, BOGS, PONDS
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
 THICK FUR COATS
 FEATHERS
 COMPACT BODIES TO EXPOSE AS
LITTLE SURFACE AS POSSIBLE
 LIVING UNDERGROUND
TUNDRA
 DECOMPOSITION IS SLOW DUE TO
THE COLD
 PARTIALLY DECOMPOSED ORGANIC
MATTER FORMS SOGGY PEAT BOGS
ALPINE TUNDRA
 OCCURS ABOVE THE LIMIT OF TREE
GROWTH BUT BELOW THE
PERMANENT SNOW LINE ON HIGH
MOUNTAINS
 NO PERMAFROST
 MORE SUNLIGHT
IMPACT OF HUMAN
ACTIVITIES ON
GRASSLANDS
 CONVERTING SOME AREAS OF SAVANNA
INTO CROPLAND
 RELEASES LARGE AMOUNTS OF CO2 INTO
ATMOSPHERE
 OVERGRAZING BY LIVESTOCK – TURNS
GRASSLANDS INTO DESERTS AND
SEMIDESERT
 CULTIVATING TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS
CAN CAUSE SOIL EROSION
 DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC TUNDRA
CHAPARRAL
 TEMPERATE SHRUBLAND
 OCCURS ALONG COASTAL AREAS
WITH A MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE
 LOCATED IN:
 PARTS OF PACIFIC COAST OF N.A.
 S. TEXAS AND N.E. MEXICO
 COASTAL HILLS OF CHILE, S.W.
AFRICA, S.W. AUSTRALIA & THE MED.
CHAPARRAL
 FIRES A YEARLY PROBLEM
 CHAPARRAL IS ADAPTED TO AND
MAINTAINED BY PERIODIC FIRES