Temperate Grassland
By: Cate Cushing
Location
The major places where the temperate grassland is located include, the veldts of Africa, the pampas of South America, the steppes of Eurasia, and the plains of North America.
Weather
Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters, temperatures ranging from above 100 to below 40 degrees fahrenheit. Usually the grasslands get about 20-35 inches of precipitation a year. Snow adds moisture for the beginning of the year, and drought helps to maintain the grasslands. Fires set by lightning are also common in this environment.
Adaptations
The grassland is home to many different type of grasses that include purple needlegrass, wild oats, foxtail, ryegrass, and buffalo grass. Since many species of animals eat grass, the grass survives because the growth point on the grasses is very close to the ground. These grasses also have underground stems and buds, and because of this they are not easily destroyed by fire.
Variations
Ungulates are mammals with hoofs, and they are a variation of temperate grassland. Their long legs help them fun fast from the predators of the grassland. The ungulates of the grassland are bison, antelope, and tarpan (wild horse in the steppes of Russia).
Interdependancy Between Organisms
All of the herbivorious animals depend on the grass as a food source, and need this to survive. Usually all the grass in these praries have a low growth point so they can be eaten over and over again. In return for eating the grass, the animal's waste provides nutrients to the soil so the grass and other plants can grow with nutrients.
Food Web
Food Pyramid
Parrots Added
Effects
If parrots were added to the ecosystem, they would be able to find food such as seeds from grass, and insects but would not get the native fruits of the rainforest. Their bright colors would also stand out to predators and make them easy prey to find in the bleak landscape of the prairies. And with not as many trees or branches to sit on, they would have to adapt to the treeless landscape.
Fox Removed
Effects
WIth the fox removed, there would not be enough predators to contain the populations of the rabbit, deer mouse, and groundhog. This would mean that there would be extensive overgrazing and insects would become extinct because the organisms that eat the insects would overpopulate. SInce the snake would be the only tertiary consumer, they would be the only predators to contain the secondary consumers.