Grasslands/General Terms Ecology

Most grasses possess _____ and are wind pollinated.

rhizomes

temperatures

-20 - 110 degrees fahrenheit

Precipitation

6-40 inches

Convection storms

common in summer months

Soil

generally fertile, deep and rich, variable

Growing season

150-200 days

Topography

mostly flat, cut by stream drainages where there is a river-bank habitat

Fire

major factor in maintaining biome

What are the 3 types of grasslands?

Tall-grass (eastern), mid-grass (central), and short-grass (western and largest)

Native plants are ____

perennials

Crop grains are _____

annual

3 strata in grass

roots, growth at ground level, taller foliage

Taller foliage above adapted to....

withstand strong winds, fires, extreme temperature changes

What types of animals are found here?

grazing animals, burrowing small animals, herds, and flight song birds.

Animal adaptations

long distance vision for predator and prey, eyes of grazing animals are above their snout, and many are built for speed.

perennial plants

any plant that persists for several years, usually with new herbaceous growth from a part that survives from growing season to the next

Levels of Biodiversity

genetic, species, ecological

genetic diversity

diversity in the alleles of a single gene

organismal diversity

differences in morphology, anatomy, behavior of organisms

population diversity

variations observed quantitative ecological parameters such as frequency, density, abundance

species diversity

measures the species number variations in different genera at a particular habitat

community diversity

variability among community composition of an ecosystem and variations in the ecological interactions

ecosystem diversity

deals with the variations of interdependence of biotic and abiotic factors in the ecosystem

landscape diversity

measures the species composition in different landscapes

biogeographic diversity

diversity observed in geological and geographic history over a large period of time

higher diversity means

higher stability

alpha diversity levels

refers to a group of organisms interacting and competing for the same resources or sharing the same environment. Measured as # of species within a given area.

beta diversity level

species diversity along transects and gradients - refers to the response of organisms to spatial heterogeneity.

High beta-diversity implies

low similarity between species composition of different habitats.

High beta-diversity levels indicates the number of species increases...

rapidly