Temperate Grassland

1. Temperate Grassland Andrew & Jordan

2. Temperate Grassland • Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters, while rainfall is moderate. • In the summer temperatures can be well over 38 degrees Celsius. • In the winter temperatures can be as low as -40 degrees Celsius. • The annual amount of rainfall is 10 to 30 inches.

3. Animal adaptations • Most temperate grasslands are inhabited by hares, mice, and other small rodents. • Smaller rodents defend themselves from predators by living underground or by having camouflaged fur. • Most of the larger animals stay in large, intimidating packs, or escape their predators by running. • In the winter, rodents store food in their underground tunnels and keep out of the cold or hibernate. • Bigger animals survive the winter by growing a thicker coat and scavenging for food.

5. Threats • Poaching, overgrazing and clearing of the land for crops are the main threats. • About 16 percent of tropical grasslands have been converted for agriculture or urban development. • If global temperatures rise, it is predicted that some current grasslands will become desserts as rainfall patterns change.

6. Plant Adaptation • During a fire, while above-ground portions of grasses may perish, the root portions survive to sprout again. • Some prairie trees have thick bark to resist fire. • Prairie shrubs readily resprout after fire. • Roots of prairie grasses extend deep into the ground to absorb as much moisture as they can. • Extensive root systems prevent grazing animals from pulling roots out of the ground. • Prairie grasses have narrow leaves which lose less water than broad leaves. • Grasses grow from near their base, not from tip, thus are not permanently damaged from grazing animals or fire. • Many grasses take advantage of exposed, windy conditions and are wind pollinated. • Soft stems enable prairie grasses to bend in the wind.

7. Defining Features • There is a grassland biome on every continent except for Antarctica. • About one quarter of the land on earth is made up of grasslands. • Most of the fertile agricultural land in the US and Canada were originally temperate grasslands. • Grasslands supply ¾ of the energy that the world needs

8. http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.grassland.temperate.animals.htmlhttp://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.grassland.temperate.animals.html • http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/adapt.html • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKozAsNlymU&feature=related