Name: Jethro Gervin P.

Geriane Section: Emerald

Name of Biome: Picture/Image of the Biome:

Grasslands

Description of Biome:

Grasslands are characterized as lands dominated by

grasses rather than large shrubs or trees. In the Miocene
and Pliocene Epochs, which spanned a period of about 25
million years, mountains rose in western North America
and created a continental climate favorable to grasslands.
Ancient forests declined and grasslands became
widespread. Following the Pleistocene Ice Ages,
grasslands expanded in range as hotter and drier climates
prevailed worldwide. There are two main divisions of
grasslands:

Tropical grasslands or savannas

Temperate grasslands Locations around the World:

Tropical grasslands are found mainly in the Sahel south of the Sahara, in East
Africa, and in Australia. Temperate grasslands principally occur in North
America, Argentina, and across a broad band from Ukraine to China, but in
most of these regions they have been substantially altered by agricultural
activities.

Amount of Precipitation: Temperature range: Type of Soil:

In general, temperate grasslands receive 20 to 35 inches
of rain a year. While seasonal droughts play less of a role
in this biome than tropical savannas, rain usually falls
seasonally, mostly in late spring and early summer.
Describe the topography of your Biome:
The average annual The soil of the temperate grasslands is deep and dark,
temperature in with fertile upper layers. It is nutrient-rich from the
Grassland is 1.4 °C | growth and decay of deep, many-branched grass
34.6 °F. roots. The rotted roots hold the soil together and
provide a food source for living plants.

Tropical grasslands vary widely in topography, with some in areas of high elevation and some in areas of very low elevation. They also
generally occur in very hilly, uneven landscapes. Temperate grasslands are usually more flat and occur in areas of mid-to-low elevation.
Flooded grasslands are almost all flat and in areas of low elevation. Montane grasslands are usually in areas of high elevation.
 ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE BIOME BIOTIC FACTORS OF THE BIOME
humidity Prairie dog
temperature Bison
sunlight African elephant
heat Purple needlegrass
rocks Wild oats
precipitation Buffalo grass

Interesting Facts about the Biome: Does your Biome has any endangered animals? If so, what kind?

 Grasslands are also known as prairies, pampas, steppes, and  Prairie dogs
savannas.  Black-footed ferret
 Grassland biomes are normally situated between a forest and  Burrowing owl
a desert. In fact, grasslands surround every desert in Asia.  American burying beetle
 Twenty-five percent of the Earth is covered by the grassland  Whooping crane
biome.  Sandhill dunnart
 There is a grassland biome on each continent with the  Numbat
exception of Antarctica.
 Tropical and temperate are the two kinds of grasslands.
Tropical grasslands experience warm weather all year long
while temperate grasslands are warm part of the year and
very cold during the other part.
 Grasslands are perfect for cropping and pasturing because its
soil runs deep and is extremely fertile.
 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.
 Tropical grassland biomes are located in the Southern
Hemisphere while temperate grassland biomes are located in
the Northern Hemisphere.

Animal adaptations for Biome and why animals need the adaptation Plant adaptations for Biome and why plants need to survive in
to survive in that Biome: that Biome:

 Some animals, such as bison, have broad, flat-topped teeth
and digestive systems especially adapted to feed on grasses.
 Many prairie animals have front legs and paws that allow
them to burrow into the ground, where they are protected
from predators.
 Many prairie animals are adapted for nocturnal life; that is,
they are active at night, which helps conceal their presence
from predators.
 The color of many prairie animals blends in with the plant
life, which also helps them hide from predators.
 During a fire, while above-ground portions of grasses
may perish, the root portions survive to sprout again
 Some prairie trees have thick bark to resist fire
 Prairie shrubs readily resprout after fire
 Roots of prairie grasses extend deep into the ground to
absorb as much moisture as they can
 Extensive root systems prevent grazing animals from
pulling roots out of the ground
 Prairie grasses have narrow leaves which lose less water
than broad leaves
 Grasses grow from near their base, not from tip, thus are
not permanently damaged from grazing animals or fire
 Many grasses take advantage of exposed, windy
conditions and are wind pollinated
 Soft stems enable prairie grasses to bend in the wind