Temperate Grasslands
Published on Nov 19, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS
DIEGO SANCHEZ AND FAITH SAUCIER
Temperate grasslands are located north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn. The major temperate grasslands include the veldts of Africa, the pampas of South America, the steppes of Eurasia, and the plains of North America. Grasses are the dominant vegetation. Trees and large shrubs are largely absent. The various species of grasses include purple needlegrass, blue grama, buffalo grass, and galleta.
Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Summer temperatures can be well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while winter temperatures can be as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. They typically have between 10 and 35 inches of precipitation a year, much of it occurring in the late spring and early summer. Temperate grasslands have soils that are nutrient-rich from the growth and decay of deep, many-branched grass roots. The rotted roots hold the soil together and provide a food source for living plants.
BIOTIC COMPONENTS
- zebras, lions, prarie dogs
- osterich, buffalo, wildflowers
- shrubs, little trees, tall grass
- wheat and corn (sometimes)
ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
- the sun, rocks, soil
- water from streams
- wind, rain, wildfires
- heat or cold
SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE PRESERVATION
- Continue education efforts on how to protect the soil and prevent soil erosion.
- Protect and restore wetlands, which are very important to grasslands.
- Rotate agricultural crops to prevent the sapping of nutrients.
- Plant trees as windbreaks.
Due to conservation efforts, mountain lion populations in the western United States are stable, although far lower than they were historically.
Mountain lions are an 'umbrella species' for conservation because their conservation depends on the preservation of large amounts of habitat. A mountain lion usually requires about 13 times as much area as a black bear or 40 times as much area as a bobcat to thrive. By preserving enough wilderness to support a stable mountain lion population, countless other species of plants and animals that share mountain lion habitat benefit.
DIAGRAM AND GRAPH
- food web: in pictures
- graph: in pictures
