Grassland Ecosystems - 13817 Words

CHAPTER 1: Grasslands COVER PHOTO CREDITS: Freshwater and pink coral, Eric Mielbrecht Portage glacier icebergs and Steller sea lions, Lynn Rosentrater Grassland and alpine meadow, Jonathan Gelbard BUYING TIME: A USERS MANUAL 15 CHAPTER 1 Grasslands Grasslands at a Crossroads: Protecting and Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change Jonathan L. Gelbard, Ph.D. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF the world’s grasslands makes them one of the most vulnerable to global climate change of any terrestrial ecosystem (Sala et al., 2000; IPCC, 2001a). The low-stature of vegetation confers high light availability, leaving many grasslands naturally vulnerable†¦show more content†¦Healthy plant cover is critical for intercepting rainfall, maximizing infiltration and soil water supply, reducing overland flow, and preventing nutrient losses due to erosion (Noss and Cooperrider, 1994). A healthy level of soil organic matter is important for soil aggregate formation, fertility, stability, water movement and holding capacity, and aeration, and therefore influences plant growth. Plant growth and vigor is largely determined by physical, biotic, and disturbance factors that limit primary productivity, including water availability (Sala et al., 1988), nutrient cycling (West, 1983; Schlesinger, 1997; Evans and Belnap, 1999), the suite of competing spec ies (Grace and Tilman, 1990), healthy soil biota (Allen et al., 1992; Belnap and Lange, 2001), and the native disturbance regime (e.g., herbivory, fire; Mack and Thompsen, 1982; Collins, 1992; D’Antonio, 2000). Soil water-holding capacity and precipitation patterns are the major determinants of water availability for plants (Jenny, 1980), which in turn is the major determinant of plant growth (Schlesinger, 1997). Abundance and relative composition of plant species are increasingly recognized to depend on various ecological processes such as herbivory and fire (Soule and Terbourgh, 1999; Ricketts and Dinerstein, 2001). Changes to the above ecosystem components due to climate change, human environmental impacts, or synergismsShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Controlled Burns On Rangelands1631 Words   |  7 Pagesreducing the number of unwanted plants can be achieved (Ledbetter, 2010). Sometimes the public’s opinion about burning rangelands and regulations can influence the ability of landowners and range managers to perform controlled burns. Many of the grasslands and areas managers wish to burn have adapted to occasional fires and native grasses can recover quite well, while unwanted woody species are reduced. Suppression of controlled burns, many times because of the public’s opinion, can lead to an increaseRead MoreThe And Its Effects On The Environment1795 Words   |  8 Pages(Cynomys spp.) colonies have unique and large influential impacts on other organisms and the ecosystem processes in North American grasslands. In this paper, it will show that moderate disturbances are an essential component to a successfully sustainable ecosystem and without them, there would be detrimental effects towards ecological processes necessary for greater biological heterogeneity within grasslands. Prairie dogs are large, herbivorous rodents that burrow and live colonially. HistoricallyRead MoreThe Black Tailed Prairie Dog1305 Words   |  6 Pagesconsidered to be Endangered from the Years of 2002 to 2010, in which during this timespan fluctuated back and forth. Habitat: These prairie dogs can be found in the plains and Grasslands of the four states of Utah, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming, meaning that these little guys can also live in the high desert. The grassland provides these prairie dogs with plenty of dirt to dig through. The holes that are dug, also known as burrows are tunnels in which are linked to each other, giving the prairieRead MorePrescribed Pasture Burning534 Words   |  2 Pages Fire! Most people are alarmed with that word. But fire is a major factor in allowing the grasslands to exist. Native Americans used to burn prairies to get rid of all of the dead grass and allow the new grass to grow for the bison to eat. Burning off grasslands in the spring permits the grass to grow without being restricted by the old, dead grass. Fire also kills the parasites and flies that bother the cattle in the summer. Invasive cedar trees overtakeRead MoreEssay on Food Web Diagram645 Words   |  3 PagesFood Web Diagram The African Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous (non-woody) plants. Grasslands cover nearly 50 percent of the land surface of the continent of Africa. While grasslands in general support diverse wildlife, given the lack of hiding places for predators, the African Savannah regions support a much greater diversity in wildlife than do temperate grasslands. The root systems of perennial grasses and forbs form complex mats thatRead MoreBurrowing owls often live in occupied prairie dog colonies. Researchers have proposed several600 Words   |  3 Pagesprairie dog call was indeed an alarm call and not chatter. The other two sounds that were played were a cow mooing and an airplane engine. The cow mooing served as a biological control variable because the burrowing owls on Pawnee National Grassland share an ecosystem with the cow, but no common predator. The airplane engine served as a non-biological control in order to show that the burrowing owls weren’t simply reacting to a loud or startling noise. The sounds were played in varying orders to burrowingRead MoreEcologists Study the Interaction of Organisms within Their Environment776 Words   |  4 PagesEcology Ecology is a biology branch which focuses on examining living organisms in their environment. Ecologist study the inactions of organisms within their environment, including ecosystems, communities and populations that influence life on earth. Economist can see the interconnection of animal and plant populations shape physical environments and the interactions of the different species.(N/A, 2014) The biota of earths process of biochemicals is four spheres whichRead MoreThe Importance of Biodiversity1521 Words   |  7 Pagessources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part ; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems’ (Hambler, C., 2004, 11). Within planet earth today Biodiversity forms the foundation for the vast array of ecosystem services that critically contribute to human well being. It is as important in human managed ecosystems as well as natural ecosystems (Hambler, C., 2004, 15). To begin to understand BiodiversityRead MoreEcological Service And Ecological Services1128 Words   |  5 PagesEcological Services Ecological services are resources that are essential to the sustainability of life on Earth and are provided to its inhabitant as long as the environment is kept in good health. These ecosystems provide vital services such as provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services to Earth’s residence. Moreover, these natural services are of vast importance in maintaining the planet’s biodiversity and are an imperative contributor in stabilizing the planet’s climate. NonethelessRead MoreDna Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesBiological diversity evolution combines the millions of species that live on our planet, and the genetic differences in those species. Biodiversity plays a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and sustaining ecosystem services to the growing human population. It also refers to the massive amount of diverse ecosystems in which species form distinctive communities that interact with each other. One example of biological diversity evolutio n is the North American Garter Snake. This snake lives primarily