Grasslands (Types and Vegetation)

Brief discussion on grasslands, flora and fauna inhabited.

1. APES GRASSLANDS

2. Types of Grasslands Tropical Grasslands Temperate Grasslands Cold (Arctic Tundra)

3. Tropical Grasslands Widely scattered trees Year round warm temperature Alternating dry and wet seasons Examples of animals: Giraffes, Zebras, Elephants, Lions etc. Savanna is one kind of tropical grassland

4. Temperate Grassland Winters are bitterly cold Summers are hot and dry Organic matter accumulates to produce a deep fertile soil Short grass (25 cm- rainfall) Long grass (88 cm- rainfall) Animals: Bison, prairie dogs, wolves, swift foxes etc.

5. Cold Grasslands South of Arctic Polar Ice Cap Tree less plains (bitterly cold, swept by frigid winds) Dark winters and low precipitation Adaptation to thick coats and fur Animals: arctic fox and wolf, musk oxen etc.

6. FACTS Grassland biomes are normally situated between a forest and a desert. In fact, grasslands surround every desert in Asia . Twenty-five percent of the Earth is covered by the grassland biome . There is a grassland biome on each continent with the exception of Antarctica . Periodic fires, whether they are human induced or occur spontaneously, are very important to the grassland to ensure that invasive plants do not take over.

7. Conversion of grasslands to farmlands, release of CO 2 – burning Overgrazing, results in depletion of soil and erosion Oil production in arctic regions, adds industrial waste in region

8. Thanks!