Grassland ecosystems

A word document on grassland ecosystem

1. ECOSYSTEM

DEFINITION:
A group of organisms interacting among themselves and with environment is known as
ecosystem. Thus, an ecosystem is a community of different species interacting with one another
and with their non-living environment exchanging energy and matter.
TYPES OF ECOSYSTEMS:

NATURAL ECOSYSTEM:
Natural ecosystems operate themselves under natural condition. It is a community of living and
non-living organisms that exists in nature; through physical, chemical, and biological processes,
each component interacts as a single unit.
Soil, sunshine, air, water, plants, animals, and microorganisms are all components of natural
ecosystems that cause these interactions.

2. TERESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM
Terrestrial ecosystems are ecosystems that are found on land.
Example: Tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, tropical rainforest, grassland, deserts
The terrestrial ecosystem is further classified into three types, they are;
 FOREST ECOSYSTEM
 GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
 DESERT ECOSYSTEM
GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
Grassland Ecosystem is defined as the region where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and
other herbaceous plants i.e. non-woody plants. It is also called transitional landscape because
grassland ecosystems are dominated by the grass with few or no trees in the area, which is not
enough for forest.
Based on the climate conditions grasslands are classified into three types, namely;
 TROPICAL GRASSLANDS
 TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS
 POLAR GRASSLANDS

3. TROPICAL GRASSLANDS
The tropical grasslands are found near the borders of tropical rain forests, they are characterized
by high temperature and moderate rainfall (40 to 100 cm). It is also known as Savanna-type.
They have tall grasses with scattered shrubs and stunted trees and animals like zebras, giraffes,
antelopes, etc.,
TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS
The temperate grasslands are usually found in the centers of continents, on flat sloped hills. They
are characterized by very cold winters and hot summers. Intense grazing and summer fires, do
not shrubs or trees to grow.
POLAR GRASSLANDS
They are found in arctic polar regions. They are characterized by severe cold and strong winds
along with ice and snow. In summers several small annual plants grow. They are animals like
arctic wolf, weasel, arctic fox, etc.,
COMPONENTS OF GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
The non-living components of grassland ecosystem are called as abiotic components.
Examples: Nutrients, C, H, O, N, P, S, etc.,
BIOTIC COMPONENTS
PRODUCERS: They produce food.
Example: Grasses, forbs and shrubs.
CONSUMERS:
Primary consumers (herbivores): They depend on grasses for their food.
Examples: Cows, buffaloes, deer, sheep, etc.,
Secondary consumers (carnivores): They feed on herbivores.
Examples: Snakes, lizards, birds, Jackals, fox, etc.,
Tertiary consumers: They feed on secondary consumers.
Examples: Hawks, eagle, etc.,

4. Decomposers:
They decompose the dead organic matter.
Examples: Fungi and bacteria.
ADAPTIONS OF ABIOTIC COMPONENTS:
There are four major abiotic components that affects the nature of grassland ecosystem, they
are:
 Soil
 Temperature
 Topography
 Rainfall
SOIL
The soil of this ecosystem is very fertile as it contains carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, etc.
Tropical grassland ecosystems are mainly found in chernozem soils. The laterite soils are found
in river valley areas and the temperate grassland soils are rich in organic matter. Chernozem and
chestnut soils can be observed in this temperate region. And in the Polar grassland ecosystem
most of the time there is snowfall.

TEMPERATURE
Temperatures in some grassland ecosystems are often very high with an annual average
temperature of -20°c to 30°c. Tropical grassland ecosystems are both dry and humid in nature.
Therefore, they are hot all the time. The temperate grassland is cold in winter and hot in
summer. And in the polar grassland, cold weather prevails throughout the year.
RAINFALL
The annual average rainfall of grassland ecosystems is about 40 to 100 cm. Tropical grassland
ecosystems receive the highest amount of rainfall. The amount of rainfall in the temperate
grassland ecosystem is not very high. This ecosystem usually receives rainfall in summer. The
amount of rainfall in the polar grassland ecosystem is very low (less than 25 cm).
TOPOGRAPHY
The Topography refers to the height of a region. The height of the tropical grassland ecosystem
is very high in some places and very low in some places. Temperate grassland ecosystems are
usually located on flat land. And polar grassland ecosystems are observed at high altitudes.

5. ADAPTIONS OF BIOTIC COMPONENTS:
PLANTS:
 The plants of grassland ecosystem have an extensive root system which penetrates
deep into the ground and absorbs water even during a drought.
 The extensive root system of pants ensures that the roots of these plants and grasses
are not harmed in case of a wildfire.
 They have long narrow leaves which minimize heat loss during the day.
 The colorful flowers that grow on the shrubs and grass attract insects which help them
to pollinate. Other than insects, even wind acts as a major pollinating agent for
grassland plants.
 The plants have secondary roots that help hold the soil together, which reduces
erosion caused by rain or wind.










The plants of grasslands having long
deep root system to prevent from
overgrazing, wildfire and to absorb
water during drought period.
Example: lupines, sunflowers,
clovers.


The plants of grassland ecosystem
have narrow leaves to prevent
moisture loss. Example: Elephant
grass, Feather grass, June grass

The plants of grassland ecosystem are
gifted with vibrant coloured flowers to
improve pollination by means of insects.
Example: Sunflower, Wild indigos, Asters

6. ANIMALS
 The small animals can easily hide in the tall grass for protection against predators
as well as for hunting. Example: various species of insects, jack rabbits, snakes,
Prairie dogs etc.,
 The large animals are gifted with adaptations like camouflage and speed to
facilitate the protection against predators as well as for hunting. Furthermore,
when it comes to self-defense, their size itself is one of the best adaptations for
large animals. Example: African elephant, rhino, lion etc.,
 The height plays a crucial role in ensuring that there is no competition for food in
grassland biome. While small antelope species feed on grass and leaves of short
plants. Example: Giraffes feed on leaves at a considerable height on the trees,
while deers feed on leaves of short plants.
 Some of the animals are armed with strong front legs with sharp claws to help
them burrow in the ground, wherein they are safe from large predators with
whom they share their natural habitat. Example: Prairie dogs
 Camouflage is yet another adaptation that many of these animals resort to when
it comes to defense against predators. Similarly, quite a few Prairie animals are
nocturnal in nature. Like camouflage, even their nocturnal nature helps them to
stay off the predator’s radar. Example: Owls.
 The bovine animals have flat-topped teeth, which makes it easier for them to feed
on grass and the digestive system of herbivorous species is adapted for the
digestion of grass. Example: Bison and deer.
 The ability of the animals to migrate thousands of miles from one part of the
biome to the other part helps them survive during food crisis.
 The animals in Prairie grasslands of North America and Steppes of Eurasia have
the ability to survive the extremely cold winter, with temperature falling below
the freezing point at times.



The small animals of grassland ecosystem
can hide under ground to protect from
predators and to attack its prey.
Example: Prairie dogs, rats, snakes

7. FOOD CHAIN
The food chain is defined as the path by which the energy flows from one level to another level
in the eco-system.

The predators of grassland ecosystem can
camouflage with surroundings and are
gifted with strong front legs for fast
running. Example: Tiger, Cheetah, Lion

The herbivores of grassland ecosystem are
gifted with flat top-teeth to feed on grass.
Example: Zebra, Bison, Deer

8. FOOD WEB
The food web is defined as the interlinked food chain.

9. CONSERVATION OF GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
 Improvement of the level of education and the eco-environmental awareness of the
peasants and herdsmen.
 Restricting the number of animal carrying capacity of the grassland in order to avoid
overgrazing.
 Sensible utilization of the grassland resource. This includes the development of regional
plans and the establishment of rotation grazing.
 Increased economic input and improved grassland management. The input should be
increased to improve the management of the grassland where the grassland is poor with
overuse and little input. Here the term input includes many aspects such as funds,
manpower, materials and science-techniques etc.
 Improvement of the degraded grassland is an important task for management of the
degraded grasslands. Measures for improvement include the development of grass cover
through closure, soil aeration, reseeding, irrigation and fertilizer application, but the
measures used should be adapted to the different characteristics and underlying causes
of the degraded grassland.
 Prevention and cure of rodent-insect infestations. Such infestations have major influence
on the degradation of grassland. Control measures include the use of pesticides and the
protection of natural predators.