Grasslands Biome

• Mozambique - South Africa
• 6/8 major African vegetation types present
• 5 types grassland exclusively found here, "subtropical thicket"
• "Big 5" African animals
• Threats of development
• South Africa's natural forest-600 tree species

African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus):

• ~6600 individuals and declining
• Dying from disease, loss of habitat, conflict with farmers
• Predators (esp. antelope)
• Large reserves containing wild dogs

Grasslands Biome

Elizabeth Greenfield & Raina Yusufova

C Period APES

Works Cited

Information

Images

Endangered Species

• Amsel, S. (2005-2013). Environmental Issues: Keystone Species - The African Elephant. Exploring Nature Educational Resource. Retrieved October 06, 2013, from http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=7
• Benders-Hyde, E. (2010, September 23). Blue Planet Biomes - World Biomes. Blue Planet Biomes - World Biomes. Retrieved October 06, 2013, from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
• Botkin, D. B., & Keller, E. A. (2009). Temperate Grasslands. In Environmental science: Earth as a living planet (Seventh ed., pp. 158-159). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
• Goedeke, T., Sharma, J., & Marshall Mattson, K. (2008). Platanthera praeclara. (Western Prairie Fringed Orchid). Retrieved October 5, 2013, from http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/132834/0
• The Grassland Biome(s). (n.d.). Grasslands. Retrieved October 06, 2013, from http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/grass.htm
• Grasslands. (2013, April). Grasslands. Retrieved October 5, 2013, from http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomegrass2.htm
• Grasslands Plant Adaptations. (2002 - 2009). MBGnet. Retrieved October 5, 2013, from http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/grass.html
• Prairie:Ecosystems:Animals:Adaptations. (2006, April 11). Prairie:Ecosystems:Animals:Adaptations. Retrieved October 5, 2013, from http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/prairie/htmls/eco_an_adapt.html
• Woodroffe, R., & Sillero-Zubiri, C. (2012). Lycaon pictus. (African Wild Dog, Cape Hunting Dog, Painted Hunting Dog). Retrieved October 5, 2013, from http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12436/0

• http://ecologyprojectbio.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/7/5/10758783/269661_orig.jpeg?359

• http://www.bozeman-magpie.com/article_images/embedded/images/bison21.jpg

• http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/images/grassland_map_big2.jpg

• http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/images/grassland/whittaker_grassland.jpg

• http://www.wildcard.co.za/blog.htm?action=view-post&id=2211

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MAP_Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany.png

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Fire-sav-S-slope-3720.jpg

• http://biomesfourth09.wikispaces.com/file/view/winter.jpg/96442736/329x219/winter.jpg

• http://biomesfourth09.wikispaces.com/file/view/sunner.jpg/96444622/302x228/sunner.jpg

• http://morriscourse.com/elements_of_ecology/images/prairie.jpg

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Grasslands-menggu.JPG/800px-Grasslands-menggu.JPG

• http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/000/cache/acacia-tree-africa_41_600x450.jpg

• http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y8344e/y8344e4z.jpg

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/adonis_vernalis.jpg

• http://kendallrosie.edublogs.org/files/2010/05/indiangrass.jpg

• http://www.buzzle.com/images/pampas-grass/pampas-grass1.jpg

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/flower_kangaroopaw.jpg

• http://0.tqn.com/d/goafrica/1/7/u/Q/IMG_3543.JPG

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/saiga.jpg

• http://ww2.valdosta.edu/~mccrews/kangaroo-joey%20background.jpg

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/black_mamba2.jpg

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/greater_rhea.jpg

• http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5489/9710749056_522b644f49_m.jpg

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wax_cap_-_geograph.org.uk_-_510103.jpg

• http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/images/grassland/corn_6915.jpg

• http://images.joelsartore.com/preview/A/ANI082-00179.jpg

• http://birds.audubon.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/bird-full/species_images/Prairie_Falcon_v11-18-009_l.jpg

• http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/4219749060_449e4aba36.jpg

• http://wijkmark.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/dsc5952.jpg

• http://www.kidcyber.com.au/IMAGES/lioningrass.jpg

• http://www.earthrangers.com/content/wildwire/bison_herd_old_man_on_his_back_prairie_heritage_and_conservation_area.jpg

• http://www.african-safari-pictures.com/image-files/wild-dog-picture.jpg

• http://iucnredlist-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/medium/523629496.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJIJQNN2N2SMHLZJA&Expires=1412613681&Signature=MLvhT5QwGXIPeqMv3CK7PM%2BC9SE%3D

IUCN Redlist Endangered Species

Maputaland Pondoland Albany Hotspot

Adaptations

Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera praeclara):

• ~1000 flowering plants in 2006
• Dying from habitat --> agriculture, grazing, use of pesticides
• Pollinated flower
• Protect existing species, state conservation measures

Animals

Plants

• Small enough to hide in grasses (mice, snakes)
• Camouflage skin, speed for protection (large animals)
• Herds
• Burrowing (prairie dogs)
• Nocturnal

Organism Interactions in Plains of Eastern and Southern Africa

• Grasses survive harsh weather
• Root systems spread deep and wide to find & save water
• Narrow leaves lose less water
• New leaves sprout from base after being grazed or trampled
• Few shrubs & trees
• Wind pollination & bend in wind

Keystone Species

Competition

Commensalism

Food Web

Same Species

Predator-Predator

serval & caracal

lions

Savanna Elephant

Biome

Lions & Hyenas

Major Types and Locations

Mutualism

Predation

Parasitism

Conditions and Climate

oxpecker & large mammals (ex. wildebeest, zebra, elephant, etc.)

Distribution around Earth

Ticks on mammals (ex. lions, zebra, elephant, etc.)

Climatogram

• Major Types - tropical or savanna, temperate
• Locations - North American prairies, steppes of Eurasia, plains of eastern and southern Africa, and pampas of South America

Cheetah and Impala

• Temperate to subtropical areas
• Terrain: grasses, flowers, herbs
• Drought, fire prevent large forests
• Precipitation unpredictable: 20-100 cm rainfall/yr
• Summer temperatures 38° C
• Winter temperatures -40° C
• Soil has thick organic layer, very fertile
• Limiting Factors: little rainfall creates hot & dry summers

Latitude - 30° to 60° (temperate) 0° to 23° (tropical)

Longitude - not relevant

Altitude - near sea level to 2850 above

Depth - over 1 m

Threats

Types of Organisms

Plants

Fungi & Bacteria

• Conversion to agriculture
• Global warming
• Hunting
• Changes in species composition
• Competition with domestic livestock
• Development of urban area

Fringed Sagebrush & Sweet Vernal (Eurasia), Big Bluestem Grass, Buffalo Grass, & Indian Grass (North America), Pampas Grass (Argentina), Kangaroo Paw (Australia), Baobab & Umbrella Thorn Acacia (Africa)

Fungi - Waxcaps, Entolomas, Clavarioids, Earth Tongues

Ecosystem Functions

Grassland turned Cornfield in Indiana

• Grazing for livestock and insect herbivores
• Support for livelihoods
• Water production & wetland functioning
• Good quality soil & erosion regulation
• Breeding grounds for thousands of bird species

Bacteria - Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Glomus intraradices, Rhizobium bacteria, Escherichia coli

Animals

Mongolian Gerbil & Saiga Antelope (Eurasia), Bison, Bald Eagle, & Prairie Dog (North America), Rhea (Argentina), Emu & Kangaroo (Australia), Elephant, Lion, Black Mamba (Africa) and many others