North American Grassland Food Chain

Indian Grass

(Sorghastrum nutans)

Burrowing Owl

(Athene cunicularia)

Red Shouldered Hawk

(Buteo lineatus)

General Information:

-This grass usually grows in the prairie

-Grows the best with wet soil, but can survive easily during droughts

Identification:

-Autotroph (gets energy from the sun): Photoautotroph

-Primary producer

Interesting Facts:

-Changes colors after the seeds are shed

-Is very invasive (will spread onto roads and into cracks of cement)

-Grows in small bunches and can grow to about 10 to 24 inches tall

General Information:

-This owl is small, so it can fit into abandoned burrows of badgers, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs

-Lives in sparsely covered terrain (prairie)

-It eats indian grass and field rodents to obtain energy

Identification:

-Omnivore

-Heterotroph

-Primary consumer

Interesting Facts:

-This owl is smaller than a pigeon

-In the summer, it hunts as much in the day as at night

-It can mimic the hiss of a rattlesnake

General Information:

-A red shouldered hawk has dark brown upper half of wings and white, grey, or red-barred lower half of body

-The coloring is used to blend into surroundings in order to sneak up to and attack prey

-It eats grey wolf pups (easy and defenseless prey) to obtain energy

Identification:

-Carnivore

-Heterotroph

-Tertiary consumer

Interesting Facts:

-The red shouldered hawk adapts it's diet to the availability of food and environmental changes (seasons) in the region

-This animal can live up to 19 years

-It has a quick and choppy wing beats. While is is flying, the wings are bowed based on how it is flying (soaring or gliding)

Western Grey Wolf

(Canis lupus)

Limiting Factors and Human Impacts

General Information:

-A grey wolves ranges from grizzled gray, black, or all white

-They resemble the German Shepherd

-They travel and hunt in packs usually with an alpha male and female leading the way

-It eats small animals like the burrowing owl and larger animals like elk to obtain energy

Identification:

-Carnivore and scavenger

-Heterotroph

-Secondary consumer

Interesting Facts:

-The grey wolf population was once almost extinct in the lower 48 states

-The grey wolf's communication system ranges from barks and whines to growls and howls

-Grey Wolves don't actually howl at the moon, but they tend to be more active when it is lighter outside (sometimes when the moon is out)

Limiting Factors:

-Food supply (growth of the indian grass)

-Water supply (droughts or floods)

-Climate change (dramatic changes could wipe out indian grass and have domino affect)

Human Impacts:

-Urbanization -the expansion of civilization could kill off the indian grass and has domino affect

-Prairie fires -setting fire to grasslands in order to create more urbanized towns can have domino affect

*Domino Affect: when one part of the food chain is affected and can cause a ripple affect for all of the other animals in the food chain

Habitat/Location of Ecosystem

This ecosystem is located in the grasslands of the North American Prairie

North American Grassland Food Chain

By: Rachel Velderman