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Grasslands and Prairies

Grasslands and Prairies. Veldts, Pampas, Steppes, Puszta , and Plains. Ashley Goschey Christine Cho Vince Chang. Location. Enough precipitation to support grasses (short and tall), not large trees Combine seasonal drought, herbivore grazing, and occasional fires

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Grasslands and Prairies

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  1. Grasslands and Prairies Veldts, Pampas, Steppes, Puszta, and Plains Ashley Goschey Christine Cho Vince Chang

  2. Location • Enough precipitation to support grasses (short and tall), not large trees • Combine seasonal drought, herbivore grazing, and occasional fires • Found in middle latitudes, interior of continents • Types of Grasslands” • Tropical • Temperate

  3. Climate • Either have moist continental or dry subtropical climates • Temperatures and rainfall determine grass and tree growth • Average Temperatures: • Winters: as low as -40 degrees F (dormant season) • Summer: as high as 70 degrees F (growing season) • Average Rainfall Per Year: • Temperate: 10-30 inches • Tropical/Subtropical: 25-30 inches

  4. Plant Adaptations • Grasses remain unharmed during fires, grow upward from the stem (Big Bluestem) • Colorful blossoms attract insects to pollinate (Prairie Blazing Star) • Extensive root systems allow plants to obtain water during droughts (all grasses)

  5. Animal Adaptations • Bison have flat-topped teeth and adapted digestive systems to feed on grasses • The color of coats and feathers help blend in with grasses to hide (Bobwhite Quail) • Many animals have small paws to help burrow into the ground for protection (Prairie Dogs)

  6. Soil and Chemical Cycling • Grassland soil often contains large portions of clay, retains nutrients and moisture better than clay • Easily convertible to farmland • *Good vegetative cover filters out sediment, nutrients and bacteria in streams, ponds, and lakes* • Nitrogen from organic soil matter supports grasslands and the animals that graze them

  7. Economic Value • Grasslands used to provide grazing for sheep and bison • Sustaining wool and meat industry • When grasses grow too tall, they are cut: • Hay • Products based on culture

  8. Human Disturbances • Conversion of grasslands to agriculture • Driving out natural animals • Destroying soil, causing erosion • Use of land for rearing cattle • Leads to overgrazing of grasses • Animal depletion due to hunting • Bison meat, rodent fur • *Only 1% of grasslands are protected today*

  9. Cheetah Acinonyxjubatus

  10. Key Characteristics Isolated populations found in Africa and Southwestern Asia (Namibia, Iran, India, Pakistan) – disperse Vast expanses of land: semi-desert, prairie, thick brush, grasslands, savannas, mountainous terrain Trades speed for strength and hunts during the day to avoid contact with more nocturnal predators Prefer to eat small ungulates: Thompson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, impala, rabbits

  11. Distribution of Cheetah * Manda National Park, Chad

  12. Key Characteristics Males and females only get together to breed – males live and hunt in coalitions, females solitary Seek out areas with many elevated points to look for prey from

  13. Causes of Endangerment Excessive hunting for their skins Severely inbred because of a plague that swept across Africa in last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago Low recovery rate and unable to mutate to produce more genetically stable population Lions kill adult cheetahs if caught and kill cubs when found hidden in grass Lions and hyenas steal cheetah's kills

  14. Level of Endangerment On Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Have decreased from 100,000 in 1900 to as low as 12,000 to 15,000 in 1995 A decline of nearly 90% over the century Have become extinct in 13 countries over the last 50 years Estimated present global population is less than 15,000

  15. Conclusion Slide Interspecific competition helps regulate the population and maintain and ecological balance Decline factors manageable if the resources are made available Management techniques: reducing livestock losses, proper maintenance of fencing, stocking native game species, manage overgrazing, trapped animals re-released

  16. July 1, 1975 175 (80) Countries

  17. Provisions Appendix I – Threatened with extinction Trade of wild-caught illegal Article II – Threatened with extinction by trading Subject to strict regulation with permit Article III – Not globally threatened Exports allowed by permit

  18. Enforcement CITES offices in all countries National laws prohibiting CITES-violating trade After Secretariat investigation, suspension from CITES Suspension of CITES related trade

  19. Changes Gaborone Amendment of 1983 Allow regional economic blocs to join treaty Trade with non-member states allowed Reservations – member says it will not be bound

  20. Application Cheetah is Appendix I species Reservations from certain countries Varying amounts of export quotas Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe

  21. Works Cited http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/grasses.htm http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/grasslands.php http://www.cites.org/ http://library.thinkquest.org/26634/grass/impact.htm http://www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal=44 http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/grass.htm http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Acinonyx_jubatus.html

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