Temperate Grass Lands

Temperate Grasslands

Temperate Grasslands • Temperate Grasslands are made up of a rich mixture of grasses, forbs (grass like plant with thick leaves) and growing in some of the world's most fertile soils. Since the invention and development of the steel plow most grasslands have been converted to agricultural land.

Climate •

The temperate grassland's climate depends greatly on how close it is to the equator or oceans. In the Northern Hemisphere the grasslands are inland and unaffected by the oceans; they are very hot and can rise to temperatures above 100° F. They can also be very cold in the winter. Grasslands receive from around 12 to 20 inches of rainfall annually. Most precipitation falls in the summer in the form of hail and thunderstorms. Any remaining moisture from the clouds forms into light snow. During the winter the steppes and prairies remain dry. Southern temperate grasslands, which are closer to the ocean than steppes and prairies, have mild winters and more evenly spread rainfall throughout the year.

Animals in the Grasslands •

Temperate grasslands have all sorts of different animals living there. Rodents like Susliks, marmots, and prairie dogs live there. Common animals are like deer, saiga antelopes, pronghorns, gophers, prairie dogs, bison, grasshoppers, caterpillars, wild boar, sharp-tailed

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grouses and prairie chickens also live there Small animals survive well because they can easily chew the grass with their sharp teeth. Many rodent species on the grasslands survive winter by tunneling into the soft, dry soil, where they hibernate and store food.

Plants in the Grassland •

Plants in temperate grasslands need to adapt to cold winters, hot summers, and drying winds. Since plant dryness is always a factor in every temperate grassland, plants have adapted ways to conserve water. Seventy percent of a grassland plant is underground, avoiding sun and wind. Some grasses even slow their respiratory rate so less water is lost to the sun. Grass in the grasslands are almost impossible to kill, they have roots that make it hard for animals to pull them from the ground. Since grass grows upward from its base, it is less likely to be damaged by fires, animals, and humans than most other plants; this is why all grass grows back after it has been mowed.

Micro Climates • Around steppes and prairies there is less rainfall and it is more dry because they are further from the ocean.

Location of Temperate Grasslands •

Temperate grasslands are found mainly outside of the tropics. In most areas, short, thick, green spots of grass cover treeless, and what seems like endless, hills and plains.

Bibliography •

http://library.thinkquest.org/26634/grass/Temperate/animal.htm

• http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biom • http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/G • Google Image