Grassland Description and Threats
An Overview of Grassland Biome
Grassland is one of the very important biomes. It covers an area which is mainly dominated by grasses. It has varieties of organisms that are interacting together as well as they interact with their physical environment. The grassland occupies about one-quarter of the Earth's land. It is also named as savanna, steppe, prairie or pampas. Grasses are very good soil binders due to extinction fibers roots and this contributes to reducing the soil erosion.
Each ecosystem has both biotic and abiotic components. Biotic components include the living components; producers, consumers, and decomposers. Organic compounds, inorganic nutrients, and climatic factors are the abiotic components of the grassland ecosystem.
Biotic Factors of Grassland
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| Grasses are the primary producer of Grassland biome
Primary Producer: Green grass/ plants, mosses, shrubs, lichens, algae are the primary producers of the grassland. The soil in the Grasslands is rich in nutrients and minerals. The roots are widespread making it so that the grass can withstand harsh climates. There are also different amounts of rainfall and temperatures in the grassland which determine the height of the grasses.
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| Lichens can grow on diverse types of substrates like on rocks, on bare soil, and others on the bark of tree trunks and branches Photo by: Benajil Rai Information Source: encyclopedia.com |
Consumers: Bison, Prairie dogs, grasshoppers, mice are the primary consumers. Whereas, Lion, Black-Footed Ferret, Lions, and Hawks are the tertiary consumers of the grassland. Prairie dogs are one of the important primary consumers of grassland. They only feed on grasses and plants. Prairie dogs are called an ecosystem engineer because they plow the grassland and bring the nutrients to the surface. This process fertilizes the soil which allows thriving a greater diversity of plants.
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| Prairie dogs are the primary consumers of grassland and work as the ecosystem engineers https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/8-surprising-prairie-dog-facts |
Prairie dogs live in the burrows and holes which help them to adopt in the harsh climate of grassland. The holes and burrows also aid them to stay safe from their predators. They use a complex system of communication that includes pitched warning barks which signal different types of predators like badger and coyotes. Scientists believe that prairies dogs have the most sophisticated vocal animal language ever decoded.
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| It is estimated 4,900 bison lived in the Yellowstone National Park, the largest U.S. bison population on public land Prairie dogs adaptation on grassland Prairie dogs work as an ecosystem engineers
Abiotic Factors of Grassland
Temperature: Grassland has hot summer and cold winter. The temperature ranges from 100 F to 40 F.
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Nutrients/Soil: The grassland has widely spread of grassroots. In hot weather, all the grasses become dry and mix with the soil. The decay of widely spread grassroots leads to the richness of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, the grassland is rich in mineral. The upper layer of the soil in grassland is dark due to the accumulation of the organic matter and are very fertile.
Precipitation: The grassland gets 20- 35 inches of rainfall each year. This amount of rainfall cannot support trees and does not let the land be desert. The amount of rainfall each year will determine how tall the grass gets. The normal height of grasses in the grassland is 2- 3 meters.
Net Productivity: The Net Productivity of grassland ecosystem is average as it has average rainfall which is 20 to 35 inches every year. It has hot summer and cold winter ranging the temperature from 100 F to – 40 F.
Human Threats to Grassland Ecosystem
Hunting, overgrazing, farming, global warming are some of the major human threats to this biome. Conversion of Grassland into the Agricultural land and domestication is one of the critical human threats to the grassland. It is due to the growing population, economy, and development of agriculture. According to the National Geography site, only 5 percent of the original prairie in the United States remains now. This conversion has resulted in the loss of biodiversity and has disturbed its ecosystem. Many animals living in the grassland like Bison is threatened by the conversion. According to the National Geography Site once there was about 60 million bison once grazed in Missouri National Grassland in North Dakota, only 200,000 remains today. The abiotic factors like soil and its nutrients have destroyed due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
This problem can be solved by introducing a sustainable way of agriculture and domestication. It is possible to solve from personal level by stopping food waste and consuming food at an optimum level.
This human threat is also applicable to the Desert Biome. Due to agricultural development, much of San Joaquin Valley is desert in California is being converted into agricultural land. It is also called the "The food basket of the World" because it produces diverse food and cash crops like cotton, grapes, kiwi, raisins, peaches and many more. The valley produces more than 10% of US agriculture (measured by dollar value).
Farmers have pumped groundwater for the agricultural purpose which has resulted in the sinking of the valley. According to the research from NASA, a part of the San Joaquin Valley sank 8 inches (0.20 m) in a four-month period due to the extraction of groundwater for irrigation.
On the other hand, the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers and phosphate to increase the agricultural production has resulted in the contamination of water. This has affected both the human being and the aquatic animals. The excessive use of chemical fertilizers has also destroyed the nutrients and fertility of the soil.
The role of a typical person in Keene in the threats to this biome
The U.S. being the most affluent country in the world, consumption of resources is more. While being more specific, the food waste problem at Keene State College is one of the contributing factors to the threat that I described above. According to Nepali Culture, wasting food is taken as sinful because it takes a lot of hard work, time and effort to produce food. Here at KSC, students are given various choices of food at the Dining Common. But many students take those choices as a chance to waste food. Food waste is a major problem that I have seen at KSC. Many students do not become mindful while taking food on their plate. They take more than they need, and they end up throwing food.
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| Non-Scraped plate and food waste in the Dining Common of KSC Photo by: Benajil Rai |
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| Food waste collected for compost at the Dining Common Photo by: Benajil Rai |
Recently, the Dining Common and the Sustainability Department have initiated a Compost Program at the DC. However, it is disappointing to see the non-scraped plates full of waste food. Many students do not participate in the compost program. This problem is directly or indirectly contributing to the clearance and conversion of grasslands.
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| Dining Common and the Sustainable department are working towards the Zero-Waste campus by the introducing compost program on campus Photo by: Benajil Rai |
Every student can make a difference. The first responsibility of students would be to take food as much as they need, not as much as they want. I believe, if every student consumes food without wasting and participate in the compost program, the college would not have to deal with the food waste problem.
People in Keene should support the Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA) and discourage the consumption of imported food. There is also Farmer's market every week during summer and spring in Keene, that might be a great way to support local products and local farmers. Another individual contribution to save the grassland would be to have their personal garden. In this way, they can participate to save the transformation of grassland.
Zero-waste and Compost program at KSC
Citation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassland#Climates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Joaquin_Valley
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/776974132960034818
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/grassland.html
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