GRASSLAND BIOME
BY JORDY BARNETT
WHAT ARE GRASSLANDS?
- Grassland biomes are large, rolling terrains of grasses, flowers and herbs. Grasses and shrubs with the occasional tree dominate grasslands. There are not many trees because trees need bucket loads of rain, which doesn't always happen in grasslands
DIFFERENT TERMS FOR SAYING GRASSLANDS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
RUSSIA
In Russia, they call grasslands "Steppes". It extends from Ukraine in the west all the way across Russia, Siberia and into Mongolia and Northern China
USA
In the USA the grasslands are referred to as the prairie
SOUTH AMERICA
In South America the grasslands are known as the pampas
AFRICA
In africa the grasslands are called savannas
AUSTRALIA
In Australia we call our grasslands, grasslands or savannah
WORLD MAP OF GRASSLANDS
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
The main type of plants that grow in grasslands are obviously the different types of grasses. The grasses that grow are; Big Bluestem grass, Blue Grama grass, Buffalo grass, June grass and Indian grass. Grasslands are mainly grasses with small bushes and the occasional tree. Some flower plant species are; Fleabane, Milkweed, Purple coneflower and Stinging Nettle.
CLIMATE CHARACTERISTICS
The temperature in most grasslands is moist and humid. Summers are warm and humid. Winters are cold but not to the extreme. This is just the general description of all grasslands.
ANIMAL CHARACTERISTICS
The animals that live in grasslands are mainly large mammals like the; Bison, Przewalski's horse, Kangaroo, The Zebra and the rhinoceros. Some birds also live in the grasslands like; Bobwhite Quail, Cattle egret, Killdeer and the Sandhill crane.
HUMAN RESOURCES
The soil of the grasslands are usually nutrient-rich, largely because of the amount of grasses and animal material that is decomposed and returned to the soil. This helps people to plant crops and grow healthy food products. There are also a lot of livestock, they are then used for milk and their meat.
THREATS
The major threat to grasslands is the farms that have now taken over a large area of the grassland. This has resulted in a widespread loss of wildlife habitat. Because there are so many farms, this is destroying the soil. Also global warming can cut down our grassland biome because the rainfall patterns could turn our grasslands into desert.
FUN FACTS
- Twenty-five percent of the Earth is covered by the grassland biome.
- There is a grassland biome on each continent with the exception of Antarctica.
- Periodic fires, whether they are human induced or occur spontaneously, are very important to the grassland to ensure that invasive plants do not take over.
- There is only 2% of the original grassland left in North America.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BISON?
The bison used to rule the grasslands but when people took over, the number of bisons started to drop. The reason for this is because the bison was killed for food but mainly for fun. They killed the bison for recreational matters.