Ecosystems

1. Ecosystems Exploring Desert, Grassland, and Water Ecosystems

2. DESERT ECOSYSTEMS • A desert is an ecosystem that receives very little rainfall. • Most deserts get less than 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) of rain each year. • In the summertime, hot deserts can have a temperature of over 43 degrees Celsius (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit) • There are also cool deserts that have freezing temperatures and blizzards in the winter. But, in the hotter months, they are as hot as hot deserts.

3. DESERT PLANTS • Because of the limited rainfall, plants that grow in deserts have parts that help them save water • Many desert plants grow low to the ground, where it is coolest. • Most desert plants have thick stems that store water. • Some desert plants, such as the barrel cactus, have spiny leaves that protect the plant from losing water.

4. DESERT ANIMALS • Desert animals get most of their water by eating other animals. • Reptiles and Insects: lizards, snakes, scorpions • Stay in the shade during the day. • During cold nights, they keep warm near rocks that were heated by the sun during the day. • Have dry, scaly skin that helps keep water inside their body.

5. DESERT ANIMALS • Small mammals: bats, rabbits, squirrels • Sleep in shelters during the day that shade them from the sun. • Jackrabbits: Have large ears that help them hear enemies and rid extra heat from their body. • Birds • Birds that live in the desert have beaks that help them get water from the stems of cactus.

6. GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS • A grassland is an ecosystem made up of large, flat areas of land that are covered with grass. • Grasslands have conditions where there is not enough rain for most trees to grow, but too much rain for a desert to form. There is just enough rain for grasses. • Grasslands average 30 to 60 centimeters (12 to 24 in) of rain per year. However, rain does not fall evenly all year long. More rain falls in the spring and summer then in the fall and winter.

7. GRASSLANDS OF THE WORLD Temperate Grasslands • North America- prairies • Stretch from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains • Southern South America- pampas • Around central Argentina • Europe and Asia- steppes • Stretch across the Ukraine Tropical- hot all year round • Africa, India, Australia, and Northern South America- savannas

8. GRASSLAND ANIMALS Some prairie grassland animals include: pronghorn antelope, rabbits, deer, mice, prairie dogs, foxes, coyotes, badgers, rattlesnakes, grasshoppers, and hawks.

9. GRASSLAND ANIMALS • In an open prairie, there is no place to hide. Small animals, such as prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets, and rattlesnakes live underground in burrows. • Burrows make good hiding places, and are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. • Many animals that live in the grasslands have legs build for running fast. This ether helps animals run from predators, or catch their prey. • Some animals have antlers or horns to help them fight off predators. • Grassland animals are born with special eye sight that ether helps them keep a look out for danger or spot their prey.

10. GRASSLAND PLANTS • Soft stems enable prairie grasses to bend in the wind. • Narrow leaves minimize water loss. • Grasses have deep roots in order to absorb as much moisture as possible. This also prevents grazing animals from pulling the roots out of the ground, and provides re-growth after prairie fires.

11. WATER ECOSYSTEMS • Most of the water that covers the Earth is in oceans and seas. Oceans and seas contain salt water, or water that has a lot of salt in it. These ecosystems are called saltwater ecosystems • Fresh water is water that has very little salt in it. Lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, and some marshes are freshwater ecosystems.

12. SALTWATER ECOSYSTEMS • The ocean is Earth’s largest ecosystem; its characteristics are not the same in all places. • The amount of salt in ocean water is different in different places. • Some parts of the ocean are deeper than other parts. • How deep the water affects the amount of sunlight that is present. • Ocean water near that is near shore or at the surface is often warmer then water deep in the ocean. • All of these things affect the kinds of living things that are found in different parts of the ocean

13. OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS • Areas that get the most sunlight usually have the warmest temperature and more plant and animal life. Areas that receive little sunlight are dark, cold, and have few animals and very few plants

14. OCEAN ANIMALS • All the animals that live in the ocean are able to tolerate the salty conditions of the water. • Many ocean animals have special camouflage that helps them blend in with their environment in order to hide from predators or help them sneak up on prey. • Many deep-sea animals have parts that are bioluminescent, which means they can glow to attract prey or scare off predators.

15. FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS • The main kinds if freshwater ecosystems include rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. • Many plants and animals live in or around rivers and streams that have moving water. How fast the water moves helps determine what living things can survive in the water. • The water in lakes and ponds is still. Lakes are usually larger and have deeper water than ponds.

16. FRESHWATER ANIMALS and PLANTS • A river otter has webbed feet and a strong tail that helps it swim, but it also has strong legs to help it run on land. • Frogs live in freshwater. They are amphibians, which are animals that have adapted to live on land and water. They have lungs and special skin that help them breath underwater. • Plants that grow in river habitats have thick, strong roots so they don’t wash away.