Temperate Grasslands
By: Nichole,Kelly
Grasslands Climate
Temperate has hot summers and cold winters. Summer temperatures call be well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While winter temperatures can be well under -40 degrees Fahrenheit. They have between 10-35 inches of precipitation a year, much of it occurring in the late spring and early summer.
Vegitation
Grass is the dominate vegetation for the grasslands. Tree's and large shrubs are barely there. Shrubs grow after a fire.
Grasses grow from near their base, not from tip, so they are not damaged from grazing animals or fire
Description of Grasslands
They have rich soil, it is deep and dark. The upper layers are most fertile.
Animals in the Temperate Grasslands
Tropical grasslands provide food for a variety of large mammals such as the duikers, antelopes and gazelles. All of them belong to the cattle family.
They have a four chamber stomach and can digest grass and other tough plant material.
Human Impacts to Temperate Grasslands
They are disappearing due to dividing up the land for farming and urban development. 25% of grasslands have disappeared because of people building power plants, cities, schools, roads, and permanent homes.
Interesting Information
~ Less than 8% of the grasslands worldwide are protected.
~Grasslands are also known as prairies, pampas, steppes, and savannas.
~25% of the Earth is covered by the Grassland biome.
Work cited
- Biomes of the world, Michael Allaby -1999
Temperate Grassland