Page 20 - The World About Us

The Steppes
1.1.1
2.1.2

What is the fauna and flora of temperate grasslands?

The vegeta on of the temperate
grasslands is dominated, as the name
suggests, by grasses. The low annual
rainfall means that trees struggle to
grow. However, where river valleys
snake through the grasslands, trees
such as willows and oak grow where
water is more available.
Grasses can grow in tussocks or
clumps with some species reaching
heights above two metres. Other
grasses grow in dense 'swards' inter-
spaced with wild flowers.
The absence of many trees, except
where they follow rivers, means that
grasses have the upper hand in
compe on between different plants.

As with the savannah, grasslands
encourage grazing animals. The
dominance of grasses means that large fig.51 North American bison, perfectly adapted to life in the grasslands.
grazing herbivores are o en common.
These will o en migrate over large
distances in search of fresh grass. The Caspian ger and Asia c cheetah
Bison, growing on the prairies of North are now almost certainly ex nct.
America, were thought to number in In North America, the grey wolf has
excess of 40 million before the arrival fared be er, but its former range has
of humans to the con nent. These been reduced. The prairie, and its
were reduced to the verge of ex nc on grazing animals, have been replaced
th
by hun ng during the 19 Century.
with cereal crops and tractors.
Un l recently, across the Steppes
There were once vast herds of
of central Asia, horses and antelope
Siberian and Mongolian antelopes on
migrated in vast herds. In many cases the Steppes of central Asia. The large
these species too have been driven grazers would have been predated on
fig.52 American prairie gopher. close to ex nc on.
by packs of wolves.
In recent years Przewalski's horses Today these animals have suffered
have been reintroduced to reserves in
1. What is meant by China and Mongolia, a er the wild catastrophic declines as the grasslands
the term temperate? (1) have been ploughed up for agriculture.
stock was hunted to ex nc on.
2. Describe how temperate climate Smaller burrowing rodents have coped
If hun ng and habitat loss has be er with human interference, with
patterns are affected by the
continentality of a location. (4) decimated local popula ons of wild rabbits and gophers s ll very
herbivores, the effect on large common. These in turn are hunted by
3. Outline the distribution of predators is even more devasta ng. eagles and hawks.
temperate grasslands in the
Northern Hemisphere. (3)
fig.53 Przewalski's horse, slowly being returned to the Steppes of Asia.
4. Describe how some temperate
biome trees have adapted to cope
with a cold winter season. (3)
5. Describe how human activity
has affected the biodiversity of
many temperate regions. (4)
6. Outline the role earthworms
play in deciduous forests. (3)

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Ecosystems have distinct distributions and characteristics.