Grasslands and Prairies

Grasslands and PrairiesAshley GoscheyChristine ChoVince ChangVeldts, Pampas, Steppes, Puszta, and Plains

LocationEnough 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 GrasslandsTropicalTemperate

ClimateEither have moist continental or dry subtropical climatesTemperatures 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 inchesTropical/Subtropical: 25-30 inchesPlant AdaptationsGrasses 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)

Animal AdaptationsBison 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)

Soil and Chemical CyclingGrassland soil often contains large portions of clay, retains nutrients and moisture better than clayEasily 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

Economic ValueGrasslands used to provide grazing for sheep and bisonSustaining wool and meat industry

When grasses grow too tall, they are cut:HayProducts based on cultureHuman DisturbancesConversion of grasslands to agricultureDriving out natural animals Destroying soil, causing erosion

Use of land for rearing cattleLeads to overgrazing of grasses

Animal depletion due to huntingBison meat, rodent fur

*Only 1% of grasslands are protected today*

CheetahAcinonyx jubatus

Key CharacteristicsIsolated 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

Distribution of CheetahManda National Park, Chad*Key CharacteristicsMales and females only get together to breed males live and hunt in coalitions, females solitarySeek out areas with many elevated points to look for prey from

Causes of EndangermentExcessive hunting for their skinsSeverely 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 Level of EndangermentOn 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 1995A decline of nearly 90% over the centuryHave become extinct in 13 countries over the last 50 yearsEstimated present global population is less than 15,000Conclusion SlideInterspecific competition helps regulate the population and maintain and ecological balanceDecline factors manageable if the resources are made availableManagement techniques: reducing livestock losses, proper maintenance of fencing, stocking native game species, manage overgrazing, trapped animals re-released

July 1, 1975175 (80) Countries

ProvisionsAppendix I Threatened with extinctionTrade of wild-caught illegalArticle II Threatened withextinction by tradingSubject to strict regulation with permitArticle III Not globally threatenedExports allowed by permit

EnforcementCITES offices in all countriesNational laws prohibiting CITES-violating tradeAfter Secretariat investigation, suspension from CITESSuspension of CITES related tradeChangesGaborone Amendment of 1983Allow regional economic blocs to join treatyTrade with non-member states allowedReservations member says it will not be boundApplicationCheetah is Appendix I speciesReservations from certain countriesVarying amounts of export quotasBotswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe

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