Species Of Animals In The Grasslands example essay topic

The Grasslands Picture yourself being able to see from horizon to horizon. The land is flat, and covered with different kinds of crops and small bunches of trees. You can see a village near the river. Most houses are made of brick, with some being wood.

Power lines run up and down the street. Close your eyes and the scene changes to a less familiar place. The land is flat with some steep hills nearby. In this scene, instead of brick and woodhouse's you see houses made out of dung. The ground is dry and barely alive. Now close your eyes and imagine yet another scene.

The sky is almost the only thing you see with gentle rolling hills all around you. Even rows of wheat stretch into the distance. You are near a white picket fenced farm with big cottonwoods shading it from the scorching sun. You have just visited a collective farm in the Soviet Union, a Masai village in Africa and Abilene, Kansas, which is located in the U.S. These three places are part of the world's mid-latitude grassland region. Grasslands are usually found in the interior parts of most continents. The world's grasslands are vast areas covered with grass and leafy plants.

They generally have a dry climate, little vegetation, and most grasslands receive only about twenty to thirty inches of rain each year, with most of it coming in the same season. Some grasslands may even receive up to thirty to forty inches of rain a year! For example, since the grasslands of the United States have hot summers and mild winters, most of the rain comes from the summer thunderstorms. With this limited amount of rain, only grasses and shrubs can grow.

But some grassland areas have enough rain to support some trees such as cottonwood. With this kind of climate and vegetation, it is no wonder that they have low human population densities. Because there are not that many people living in this kind of environment, a person traveling from one part of the grassland to another is very time consuming as well as difficult. The wildlife in the grasslands is diversified and plentiful. Since the grasslands are full of grasses and shrubs, countless animals inhabit the grasslands to graze on the dense foliage. Some animals also migrate to the grasslands for temporary lodgings.

The resident wildlife in the grasslands must be adapted to distinct wet and dry seasons, temperature extremes, drying winds and prolonged droughts. These wildlife usually migrate in search of food and water. These animals include: 1. Pronghorn 2. Rabbits 3. Rodents 4.

Coyotes 5. Bobcats 6. Badgers 7. Snakes 8. Lark Bunting 9.

Meadowlarks 10. Plovers 11. Hawks 12. Owls 13. Ducks 14. Geese 15.

Coots 16. Bison 17. Elk 18. Mountain Lions 19. Wolves 20. Prairie Dogs To be able to stay in the grasslands for any period of time, these animals will have had to go through some adaptations.

Here are just a few adaptations some of these animals have had to go through: 1. Prairie Dogs- Very small, living in burrows, prairie dogs often travel in large groups, so as to defend one another from and the threat of invaders entering the burrows. 2. Mountain Lions- The mountain lion has learned to hunt at night.

It has learned to climb well, is an excellent jumper, and has learned the technique of surprising prey by dropping from tree limbs onto its prey. 3. Bobcats- Learned to live on rodents and rabbits, which thrive in the grasslands. Are small, so that they can have long periods after only one meal, since meat in the grasslands is competition.

4. Pronghorn- Their brownish fur lies flat as an insulator in cold weather and springs erect to cool the skin in summer. One of the fastest of New World mammals, it can run up to 72 km / h (45 mph), which is essential for evading predators. 5. Rodents- Learn to live in burrows and search for food at night during hot summers, search for food daytime during mild winters. Learntostay hidden in shrubs, in fear of air predators.

6. Plovers- These birds have stout bodies with a short neck and tail. Bills in most species are short and stout and are swollen at the tip. Many species also have bands or rings around the neck. Plovers are swift in flight and forage actively on the ground or in shallow water for insects. And while there are many species of animals in the grasslands, there is even a greater abundance of, of course, grasses.

Here are just a few types of grasses: 1. In the wetter plains: Blue Stems, Indian grass, S witchgrass, Needle grass 2. In the drier plains: Grama Grasses, Buffalo grass While the grasses of the grasslands are the dominant plant life, there are some flowers about in the grasslands, although they are few and far between. Members of the sunflower and legume plant families provide the grasslands with the largest number of colorful flowers.

Although the grasslands are beautiful and abound with wildlife, human influence has lessened some of the beauty and tranquillity that was there before humans decided to settle in the grasslands. Since humans occupied some of these grasslands, several species of plants and animals have been threatened with extinction. Their once abundant habitat is being used for cropland, grazing of livestock, and living space, which has put considerable pressure on grassland life. This overgrazing reduces vegetative cover and with the prolonged drought, desert conditions are easily formed and spread.

This overgrazing also permits unpalatable species and nonnative weeds. As grazers avoid these, they begin to dominate the area and wipe out the original species. Many once fertile grasslands are being wiped out. The grasslands are one of the many biome's of our Earth's biosphere.

Itis beautiful in it's own way, and the wildlife that is contained therein help to magnify the beauty of the rich grasslands. These grasslands are teeming with animals and with plants. The soil is very rich and fertile. This, unfortunately, is what draws humans to inhabit the grasslands. Humans are slowly destroying the grasslands, and all of the wildlife contained therein.

If the grasslands are destroyed, a whole chunk of the Earth will go with it. So, in closing, you must remember to keep the beautiful grasslands alive. If they go, we will soon be next.