Grassland biomes are large, rolling terrains of grasses, flowers and herbs.

Latitude, soil and local

climates for the most part determine what kinds of plants grow in a particular grassland. A grassland
is a region where the average annual precipitation is great enough to support grasses, and in some
areas a few trees. The precipitation is so eratic that drought and fire prevent large forests from
growing. Grasses can survive fires because they grow from the bottom instead of the top. Their
stems can grow again after being burned off. The soil of most grasslands is also too thin and dry for
trees to survive.

[Link]

Grassland Biome

[Link]

Acocks, J.P.H. 1988. Veld Types of South Africa Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa 57:
1-146.

Cowling, R.M., Richardson, D.M. & Pierce, S.M. 1997, Vegetation of Southern Africa. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, UK

Low, A.B. & Rebelo,A.G. (eds.) 1996, Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Pretoria:
DEAT. This publication is available online at
[Link]

Mucina, L. and Rutherford, M.C. (eds.). 2006. The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Strelitizia19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. (808 pp with CD
GIS-database)

Rutherford, M.C. & Westfall, R.H. 1994. Biomes of southern Africa: an objective
[Link] of theBotanical Survey of South Africa 54:1 -98

HUMAN IMPACTS
[Link]

Population growth among humans negatively impacts biomes around the world. Expanding human
civilization affects grassland biomes – characterized by large areas of land where grasses are the
primary form of plant life – in specific ways. The grazing land for many species of animals, which in
turn provide a food source for larger predators, is often at risk because of human expansion into
these areas.

Urban Development

The biggest impact that humans have on grasslands is by developing open areas for farming or urban
development. Such development is prevalent because grasslands are generally level areas with little
need for major work to develop the land. Land development drives animals away from populated
areas and changes the conditions of the environment.

Agriculture and Farming: Grasslands covered to cropland or farms reduces the food source for many
wild animals. In this case, the animals are considered pests by the farmers when they feed on the
crops or attack domestic herds. This can lead to migration or possibly the wildlife starvation.

Not only does the conversion of land into crops change the ecosystem, but so does the farming of
livestock. If livestock can graze in areas where wild animals live, they compete for the food source
and can deplete it. This overgrazing is a problem especially in the drier grassland regions, where the
grass resources can be depleted. Over-ploughed land strips rich nutrients from oil. Salts from
irrigation waters damage soil, resulting in dust bowls, similar to what happened in the 1930s
American West.

Hunting to Extinction

Hunting presents a serious impact on grassland biomes. European settlers devastated the American
bison population which almost became extinct because of over hunting for the fur and meat.
Poachers likewise kill rhinoceroses for their tusks, and elephants for their ivory on Africa savannas
without any regard to protection of the species.

Global Warming

As the Earth’s climate changes in response to human involvement, the grasslands become
vulnerable. Climate change causes ecological succession, in which the ecosystem of an area develops
into another. Changing temperatures, weather patterns and water availability can throw an area of
grassland out of balance and change it forever.

Drier Climates and Fires

Because grasslands are typically found in drier climates, the plant life is susceptible to fire. Wildfires
occur as a natural process within an ecosystem and play a critical role in replenishing the land. But
fires tend to originate more frequently near human populations, particularly in drier months.

Positive Impacts

Humans do not have only a negative impact on grasslands. Some humans do their part to preserve
the land and restore it. National parks have been developed around grasslands, and some
organizations replant depleted areas. Governments have enacted laws against the hunting of
endangered animals. The U.S. National Parks Service has preserved land to foster the American
bison population. While poaching still exists in many areas, there are efforts to stop it.

References

University of California Museaum of Paleontology: The World's Biomes

University of California Museaum of Paleontology: The Grassland Biome

Oregon State University: Important Issues Affecting Grasslands and Their Forages

About the Author

Kevin Carr has been writing for a variety of outlets and companies since 1991. He has contributed to
McGraw-Hill textbooks for middle school and high school, written for the Newspaper Network of
Central Ohio and has been a featured film critic for online publications including 7M Pictures and
Film School Rejects. Carr holds a Bachelor of Science in education.

plants

[Link]

Grasslands all over the world have experienced dramatic habitat destruction because of
anthropogenic changes. The Highveld Grassland is no exception, with agriculture severely
fragmenting this once-expansive region. This biome now provides the last remaining stronghold of
several grassland species that have suffered major reductions in the grassland biome, and which are
being threatened with extinction e.g. the blue crane

Location and General Description

The ecoregion draws its name from the high interior plateau known as the Highveld, and the
expansive cover of species-rich communities of grasses. The ecoregion is bordered by the
Drakensberg in the east, the arid Karoo and Kalahari in the west, and the low-lying bushveld to the
north.
Rauri Bowie, Aliette Frank

[Link]

Grassland

Prairies and plains are grassland ecosystems. Grasslands receive more rainfall than the desert, but
less rainfall than the chaparral. Light rains allow minerals to remain in surface soil, rather than being
washed deeper into the soil; shallow-rooted grasses grow well, while deep-rooted trees are unable
to establish themselves. Mammals tend to be swift moving herbivores, such as antelopes and
giraffes, or predators, such as lions. The Midwestern United States and much of central Africa are
grassland ecosystems.

[Link]

Cristel Wood

Plants found in temperate grasslands include Buffalo grass, ryegrass, foxtail, wild oats and purple
needle grass. Wildflowers and a few trees and large shrubs also grow in grassland areas. Tall grasses
grow in grasslands that receive approximately 30 inches of rainfall each year. Little bluestem and
needle grass typically grow up to 4 feet high, while big bluestem and switchgrass can grow as high as
7 feet. The big bluestem grass changes from its blue-green hue to a reddish colour when the
temperature becomes colder. The purple coneflower is around 5 feet tall and commonly used in
herbal medicine. The American bison subsists on Buffalo grass and big bluestem grass, which people
also use as hay.

Some of the common flowers found in grasslands include wild indigos, clovers, sunflowers and
goldenrods. The blazing star, also called button snakeroot, is a yellow flower that blossoms from
August to September. It grows in dry areas with moist ground and lots of sunlight.

Many grassland animals feed on grasses, thriving due to the grasses’ close growth point to the
ground. These plants often survive wildfires due to fact that their stems and buds grow
underground. The few trees and shrubs that grow in temperate grasslands typically cannot
withstand flames

[Link]

[Link]

Elevation: 1574m / 5164feet

[Link]

BIOTIC FACTORS
 The biotic factors of the grassland ecosystem includes the autotrophs, and the heterotrophs, that
is the producers, pirmary consumers, secondary consumers and the tertiary consumers.

Priomary producers:The primary producers include the autotrophs that can photosynthesize and
includes the grasses, sedged, rushes, cyanobacteria. lichens, mosses, trees etc.

The primary and the secondary consumers includes the rabbits, moles , hares, elks, small deers
insome places along with the phytophagous insects , snakes, preying birds, insect feeders and in
some grassland ecosystems like in Africa where there are carnivores like the panthers. lions, foxes,
wild dogs, etc

The bacteria , fungi and other microorganisms form the detritus food chain that is involved in the
nutrient cycling of the grassland.

Abiotic Factors of Grassland Ecosystem

The abiotic factors of the grassland basically consists of the following:

Climate:

It is one of the most crucial abiotic factors that shape the ecosystem and includes rainfall,
temperature, wind flow, ground moisture etc. Natural grasslands have a precipitation of 500 -900
mm per year, whereas, the deserts have a rainfall of about 250 mm /year. This rainfall maintains the
moisture and interacts with the abiotic and biotic factors of the grassland.

The tropical rainforests, however, have rainfall of more than 2000mm per year. Grasslands can
occur in high rainfall areas where other growths are not that successful due to heavy rainfall.

The climate of the grasslands range from cool to hot summers and may even range to ice in winter
in higher latitudes.

Temperature has a wide spectrum of distribution throughout the world .the average temperature of
the grassland is form - 20°C to 30 °C.
Parental material and soil

The parental material refers to the bedrock on which the soil has been formed.

The type of he bedrock has influence on the type of soil and hence the nutrient value of the
soil..Grasslands have a thich layer of humus soil on the top layer of the surface which is a storehouse
of different minerals and is the region where the recycling of different elements take place tgrough
the detritus food chains

This layer is largely produced due to breakdown of the root structures of plants and plays its role
in as thye abiotic and biotic factors of grassland .

abiotic and biotic factors of the grasslands

C= glacial till, B= intermediate layer, A= organic rich layer

Soil layers (courtsey: [Link])

Topograpgy:

It is the variety of landscapes present and is determined by slopes, elevation and aspects.

Natural disturbances:

Natural disturbances alter the grasslands in many ways ,affect their species diversity, distribution,
community formations ,successions [Link] during havy rains, scorched conditions in high
summers or ice formation in winter all contribute to the grassland ecosystem

[Link]

Plants

Big Bluestem Grass

Blue Grama Grass

Buffalo Grass

Fleabane

Indian Grass

June Grass

Milkweed

Purple Coneflower
 Stinging Nettle

Animals

American Bald Eagle

Badger

Bobcat

Bumble Bee

Coyote

Prairie Dog

Climate

There are many types of grasslands around the world. Some of the grasslands are tropical and some
are dry grasslands. Grasslands in North America are known as Prairies, and in South America they are
known as the Pampas. Eurasia has the Steppes, and in South Africa they are called Savanna and
Veldt. The Savanna is a tropical grassland in Africa. This grassland has a very hot, wet season when
warm, moist air from the equator moves in. This is followed by a cooler dry season that can last for 8
months or more. Hot, dry air moves in from the Sahara. It is cooler by a few degrees Celsius because
there is no moisture to trap the sun's radiant energy, and most of the heat escapes into space again.
The Veldt is in South Africa and is pretty much like a savanna, except in the southern hemisphere

[Link]

How do humans impact the grassland biome?

How do we use the land?

a) We maintain it. By periodically setting fires (accidentally or not), we keep it as grassland, rather
than going through succession to chaparral or forest.

b) We farm it. Wheat and a few other grains grow well in former grasslands.

c) We hunt on it. We shoot, kill, and eat such grassland denizens as bison, quail, pheasant, grouse.

d) We keep livestock on it. Some breeds of cattle and horse can graze on grasslands.
> Have we affected the biome detrimentally in any way?

Yes.

a) We set fires, and some of them are big fires. 'nuff said.

b) We fence off pieces of it, preventing natural migration of wild animals.

c) We shoot bison, and almost exterminated them.

d) We introduced non-native plants, which have displaced native plants, and which are less
nutritional to the native animals.

e) Introduction of non-native animals, some of which chew closer to the grass roots than the native
ones did.

f) Overgrazing is the first step toward dust bowl conditions and desertification.

[Link]
index;_ylt=A0LEVij0AYhaGy4ARa8PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTEyNGozbWZ1BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0
aWQDQjQxMjNfMQRzZWMDc2M-?qid=20080512115755AAFHyR2

Population growth among humans negatively impacts biomes around the world. Expanding human
civilization affects grassland biomes – characterized by large areas of land where grasses are the
primary form of plant life – in specific ways. The grazing land for many species of animals, which in
turn provide a food source for larger predators, is often at risk because of human expansion into
these areas..

Urban Development

The biggest impact that humans have on grasslands is by developing open areas for farming or urban
development. Such development is prevalent because grasslands are generally level areas with little
need for major work to develop the land. Land development drives animals away from populated
areas and changes the conditions of the environment.

Agriculture and Farming

Grasslands covered to cropland or farms reduces the food source for many wild animals. In this case,
the animals are considered pests by the farmers when they feed on the crops, or attack domestic
herds. This can lead to migration or possibly the wildlife starvation.

Not only does the conversion of land into crops change the ecosystem, but so does the farming of
livestock. If livestock can graze in areas where wild animals live, they compete for the food source
and can deplete it. This overgrazing is a problem especially in the drier grassland regions, where the
grass resources can be depleted. Over-plowed land strips rich nutrients from oil. Salts from irrigation
waters damage soil, resulting in dust bowls, similar to what happened in the 1930s American West.

Hunting to Extinction

Hunting presents a serious impact on grassland biomes. European settlers devastated the American
bison population which almost became extinct because of over hunting for the fur and meat.
Poachers likewise kill rhinoceroses for their tusks, and elephants for their ivory on Africa savannas
without any regard to protection of the species.

Global Warming

As the Earth’s climate changes in response to human involvement, the grasslands become
vulnerable. Climate change causes ecological succession, in which the ecosystem of an area develops
into another. Changing temperatures, weather patterns and water availability can throw an area of
grassland out of balance and change it forever.

Drier Climates and Fires

Because grasslands are typically found in drier climates, the plant life is susceptible to fire. Wildfires
occur as a natural process within an ecosystem and play a critical role in replenishing the land. But
fires tend to originate more frequently near human populations, particularly in drier months.

Positive Impacts

Humans do not have only a negative impact on grasslands. Some humans do their part to preserve
the land and restore it. National parks have been developed around grasslands, and some
organizations replant depleted areas. Governments have enacted laws against the hunting of
endangered animals. In particular, the U.S. National Parks Service has preserved land to foster the
American bison population. While poaching still exists in many areas, there are efforts to stop it.

Radio Islam News Team – 02/02/2016

In South Africa, wetlands are of strategic concern and are important in various sectors such as the
environmental sector, planning sector and water sector. Oupa Fats is the local wetland in Lenasia
and as water purifier, nothing can beat a wetland. Latest quality tests have proven that the condition
and quality of Oupa Fats is excellent and remarkable considering the various urban areas this water
mass travels through. The wetlands forms part of the Klipspruit-Klipriver catchment area and is a
mayoral greening priority in Soweto. These projects are just some of the seven driven by the handful
of enthusiastic and energetic individuals making up the Lenz Going Green forum. Ultimately though,
the buy-in of the community is critical to take the initiatives forward, not only in supporting the
various programmes but also in making lifestyle changes, becoming aware of pollution, littering,
recycling and energy consumption. However, nobody wants to see this beautiful piece of land turn
From Wetland to Waste Land.

28 october 2017 herman mashaba