0ross Iond ecosysfem

Presenfofion
by
Jhonsironi.P AP/ECE
Grass |and ecosystem
Grass lands are dominant by grass
species
Sometimes allows the growth of few trees
and shrubs
Rainfall is average but erratic (25-75)cm
Limited grazing helps to improve primary
production off grassland
Overgrazing leads to degradation resulting
in desertification
1vpes of arasslands
Based on different climatic regions
grasslands are of types
%ropical grasslands
%emperate grasslands
Polar grasslands (arctic tundra)
@rop|ca| grass|ands
%hey are near the borders of tropical rain
forest
Found in region of high average
temperature
Rain fall is low to moderate
n Africa they are known as Savannas
%hey have tall grasses with scattered
shrubs and stunted trees
avanna
avanna
Savanna have wide diversity of animals
Zebras, Giraffes, Gazelle, Antelopes etc.,
During dry season fires are quite common
%ermite mounds are very common here.
%ermites gather the detritus containing a lot of
cellulose and build up a mound
On %op of the mound fungi are found to grow
which feed upon this dead matter including
cellulose and in turn release methane, a
greenhouse gas.
1ermlLe mound
@rop|ca| savanna
%ropical savanna have a highly efficient
system of photosynthesis.
Most of the carbon assimilated by them in
the form of carbohydrates is in the
perennating bulbs, rhizomes, runners etc.,
which are present underground
Burning of these grasslands can release
huge quantity of CO2, a green house gas,
responsible for global warming.
1rees of savanna
Baobab
Acacia
CandeIabra
@emperate grass|and
%hey are found on flat, gentle sloped hills
Winters are very cold
Summers are hot and dry
ntense grazing and summer fires do not
allow shrubs are trees to grow
n U.S & Canada Prairies
n south America Pampas
n Africa Velds
n Central Europe & Asia - Steppes
@emperate grass|and
9ralrle ln Lfflav Mounds naLlonal
MonumenL lowa unlLed SLaLes
9ampas Argent|na
Ie|ds Afr|ca
SLeppes Monaolla
@emperate grass|and
Winds keep blowing
Evaporation rate is very high
Favors rapid fires in summer
Soil is quite fertile and therefore, often
these grasslands are cleared for
agriculture.
Animals like Deer, Bison, Saiga, Jlld
horses CovoLes ecL are found here
9olar arassland (arcLlc 1undra)
%hey are found in arctic polar region
Severe cold & strong, frigid winds along with ice and
snow create too harsh a climate for trees to grow
n summer sunshine's hence several small annual
plants grow in summer
Animals include arctic wolf, weasel, arctic fox, reindeer
A thick layer of ice remains frozen under the soil
surface throughout the year is known as permafrost.
n summer it appears like shallow lakes, bogs etc.,
Where mosquitoes, insects and migratory birds
appear.
9olar arassland
eserL ecosvsLem
eserL ecosvsLem
%hey occur in regions where evaporation
exceeds precipitation
Rainfall is less than 25cm/year
About 1/3
rd
of our worlds land area is covered by
deserts
Deserts have little species diversity
t consist of drought resistance or drought
avoiding plants
Atmosphere is very dry, hence a poor insulator
%hat's why in deserts soil gets cooled up quickly
making the nights cool.
1vpes of deserLs
Based on different climatic conditions
deserts are of 3 major types
%ropical deserts
%emperate deserts
Cold deserts
@rop|ca| deserts
Sahara and Namibia in Africa
%har desert, Rajasthan, ndia
%hese are the driest of all with only few
species
Wind blown sand dunes are very common
Camel Armadlllo 8andlcooL 8aL 8lack wldow
splder eserL 1orLolse splnvLalled llzard
scorplons snakes are found here
9lanLs llke CacLus !oshua Lree 9alm Lree arow
here
1roplcal deserL (1har) lndla
@emperate deserts
Monjave in south California
Day time temperature is very hot in
summer but cool in winter
Has a variety of different animals including
different types of mammals, birds and
reptiles.
1emperaLe deserL (Cobl) ln lnner Monaolla
Cold deserLs
Gobi desert in china has cold winters and
warm summers
1he maln planLs are declduous mosL havlna
splnv leaves
Jldelv dlsLrlbuLed anlmals are [ack rabblLs
kanaaroo raLs kanaaroo mlce pockeL mlce
arasshopper mlce and anLelope around
squlrrels
1 Antarctic Desert Polar Antarctica
2 Sahara Subtropical Africa
3 Arctic Polar Alaska . Canada. Greenland (Denmark). Iceland and Russia
4 Arabian Desert Subtropical Saudi Arabia. 1ordan. Iraq. Kuwait. Qatar. UAE. Oman. Yemen
5 Gobi Desert Cold Winter Mongolia and China
6 Kalahari Desert Subtropical Angola. Botswana. Namibia and South Africa
7 Patagonian Desert Cold Winter Argentina and Chile
8 Great Victoria Desert Subtropical Australia
9 Syrian Desert Subtropical Syria. 1ordan and Iraq
10 Great Basin Desert Cold Winter United States
11 Chihuahuan Desert Subtropical Mexico and United States
12 Great Sandy Desert Subtropical Australia
13 Karakum Desert Cold Winter Turkmenistan
14 Colorado Plateau Cold Winter United States
15 Sonoran Desert Subtropical Mexico and United States
16 Kyzyl Kum Cold Winter Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
17 Taklamakan Desert Cold Winter China
18 Thar Desert Subtropical India and Pakistan
19 Gibson Desert Subtropical Australia
20 Simpson Desert Subtropical Australia
21 Atacama Desert Cool Coastal Chile and Peru
22 Namib Desert Cool Coastal Angola and Namibia
23 Dasht-e Kavir Cold Winter Iran
24 Mojave Desert Subtropical United States
25 Dasht-e Lut Cold Winter Iran
eserL planLs
Desert plants and animals has most typical
adaptations for conservation of water
Many desert plants have reduced scaly
leaves to cut down loss of water due to
transpiration
%hey may have succulent leaves to store
water
%heir stems get flattened and develop
chlorophyll for photosynthesis
eserL planLs
Some have deep roots to tap ground water
Many plants have waxy, thick cuticle over
the leaf to reduce loss of water
Due to low species diversity, shortage of
water and slow growth rate, desert plants
if face with sever stress takes long time to
recover.
eserL 9lanLs
Many plants are found in the desert.
%hey usually grow close to the ground.
%hick stem, shallow and wide roots, and
thick skin covered with spines instead of
leaves.
eserL Anlmals
1here are manv anlmals ln Lhe deserL
1hev can survlve bv eaLlna oLher anlmals or bv eaLlna
planLs LhaL sLore waLer
1o proLecL Lhem from Lhe hoL sun Lhev sLav ln Lhe
shade or ln Lhelr shelLer
1hev usuallv llve lnslde burrows where humldlLv ls
beLLer and heaL ls less
Anlmals mav bulld Lhelr shelLers lnslde planLs
Some anlmals sleep durlna Lhe dav and are acLlve aL
nlahL
Some anlmals have hard shells Lo proLecL Lhem from
loslna much waLer
eserL soll ls rlch ln nuLrlenLs buL deflclenL ln waLer
Roadrunner
Anteater
Scorpion
Gila monster (lizard)
Camel