There are two main types of grasslands: temperate grasslands and savannas. Temperate grasslands, also called prairies, are located in parts of North America, South America, Eurasia, South Africa, and have flat land with low rainfall. Savannas are tropical grasslands near the equator with scattered trees and distinct wet and dry seasons. Both grassland types support many herbivores and associated carnivores adapted to the open landscape.

1. There are two kinds of grasslands—temperate
grasslands and savannas.
• Temperate grasslands: called prairies
•Tropical grasslands: called savannas
By Moira Whitehouse PhD

2. The largest grassland is the savanna in Africa. There
are temperate grasslands in North America, South
America, Eurasia, South Africa and northern

3. In different parts of the world, temperate
grasslands are called by different names:
•In Eurasia --steppes.
•In South America ---pampas
•In South Africa --- veldts.
•In North America--- prairies.
But for this lesson we shall consider them all
as prairies and will notice that the plants and
animals that grow and live in each of the
temperate grasslands have much in common.

4. found the middle of North America.
As the sample for our study, let’s use
the North American Prairie:Prairie:

5. • Prairie land is usually flat.
grasses
•The most important
plants are
(would you believe?)

6. Rainfall in the prairie is typically pretty low--about 10
to 30 inches of rain per year coming more likely in the
spring. Lack of precipitation in late summer, fall and
winter along with occasional fires and grazing by large
mammals go together to make life a bit challenging for
grasses and very difficult for trees.

7. Fires used to be common in the temperate
grasslands. Before man started fighting the
fire, fire regularly swept the prairie.
Any shrubs or
trees that lived in
open temperate
grasslands are
usually destroyed
by grass fires.

8. • Trees grow
mainly along the
banks of the
rivers.
•Very few trees
or bushes grow
in the temperate
grasslands.

9. Of course, there are many different kinds of
grasses that grow in the temperate prairie.

10. Prairie grasses have some special adaptations that
allows them to survive hot dry summers.
•How? They have very
deep and extensive root
systems that can reach
deep down to get water.
•And in addition, they have
long, narrow leaves that
lose less water than larger
leaves.

11. Even after a prairie fire, native grasses and
colorful wild flowers called forbs would come
back the next year. How can they do that?

12. Prairie grasses grow from roots just underground and
are not killed when fires burns their leaves and stem.
Also these grasses survive animal’s regular munching-
- cutting the blades off just at the ground-- because of
these underground stems and buds .

13. The prairie grasses’ success, like most other
plants, is dependent on moisture. Where there
is more moisture, the prairie grasses grow very
tall.

15. Where there is less rain, the grasses are
likely to be short.

16. However some
areas are a
mixture of tall
and short
grasses.

17. Little blue stem
Canada
wild rye
Common
grasses in
the
prairies in
North
America
Big blue stem

18. barley.
Very little of the original
prairie grasses survives
today, only one to two
percent. Because prairie soil
is deep and fertile much of
the land is now used to
grow grains such as:
wheat
corn

19. Temperatures in the temperate grasslands
vary with the seasons. In some areas winter
temperatures can fall to well below 0 degrees
Fahrenheit. And in summer, temperatures can
reach above 90 degrees Fahrenheit

20. In winter, the
grasses die and snow
blankets the fields of
grass.
The grasses in the prairie
are green in spring and
turn brown in summer
and fall.

21. Winter snow cover is a good thing in the prairies --
it protects the plants from the cold and also
provides water in spring when the snow melts.

22. Grasslands don’t provide much shelter for
predators to hide, and they do provide an
abundance of grass for food, so animal
populations are similar in grasslands
throughout the world.
Mainly
herbivores.

23. Remember the prairies are large open areas with
few trees, not much shelter and lots of grass for
herbivores to eat.
Prairie Animals
The main animals in the prairies were bison and
antelope--plant eating mammals with hooves. Their
long legs helped them run fast to escape grassland
predators.

24. There were
about 50 million
bison roaming
the plains of
North America
when people
from Europe first
came to the new
world.
By 1903, most had been killed with fewer than 2,000
surviving. These were found in zoos, privately owned
or lived in the wild in Canada or western United
States. Today populations have increased somewhat
with herds living mostly in US and Canadian parks.

25. Herds of beautiful pronghorn antelope also lived
on the North American prairie. There were
about 50 million before the Europeans came;
now that number is down to about one million.

26. Although huge numbers of individual animals
lived on the prairies, there were not many
different kinds of animals. Prairie animals
other than bison and pronghorns include
rodents like as gophers and prairie dogs, as
well asrabbits, coyotes, birds and insects.

27. Most prairie animals
are herbivores,
however there are
some carnivores and
omnivores.
Red fox
coyote
garter snake

28. The Savanna is a grassland with scattered
individual trees.

29. Savannas are near the equator so their temperatures
are?
Tropical grasslands (savannas) are located near the
equator.
The
largest
savannas
are found
in Africa.
Because they are near the equator, savannas would
have definite seasons (spring, summer, fall and
winter)
a. hot to warm b. cool to cold
a. true b. false

30. Here we see a Savanna scene with tall
grasses, widely scattered acacia trees and grazing
zebras.

31. Climate is the most important factor in creating a
savanna. Savannas are always found in warm or hot
climates where the annual rainfall is from about 20-
50 inches per year
The largest part of the tropical savannas may
receive as much as 50 inches of rain during the six
months of the wet season, but as little as 4
inches during the dry season.
But, the rain does not fall evenly throughout the
year in the savanna. There is a very rainy and a
very dry season.

32. Many grasses and trees of the savanna
flourish during the sometime brief wet season
and then go into a state of dormancy when
the rains stop. Grasses turn brown and trees
lose their leaves to reduce the loss of water
by transpiration.

33. The acacia tree, shaped like an umbrella, is a notable
species of the Savanna biome. This interesting tree
uses its long tap roots to draw water from deep below
the surface during the savanna dry season.

34. Although the acacia tree leaves are leathery, they
are not too leathery for this Giraffe to munch on.
In addition, the tree's small leathery leaves reduce
water loss during the dry season.

35. The Baobab tree is another remarkable tree commonly
found in the savanna. Why do you think it has this
huge trunk?
Because...it stores
water in its trunk during the wet season and uses it
during the dry season...and it can also lose its leaves
when it’s dry to conserve moisture.

36. With lots of long grass, the savanna is a perfect place
for large grassing eating herbivores.—more than any
other biome on Earth. Here we see a few of them.
elephants giraffes
rhinoceros buffalo

37. impalas
gazelles kudus
wildebeest zebras

38. cheetahs
leopards civets
African lions
With lots of herbivores we also find lots of—guess what?
yes, carnivores.

39. hyenas jackals
African wild dog Serval

40. Many of the animals that live in savannas rely
on speed for survival, as the vast open areas
provide little means of escape from quick
predators. If the prey is too slow, it becomes
dinner. If the predator is not fast enough, it
(and maybe its family) goes hungry.

41. Camouflage is also very important to animals of the
savanna.
Predators need to blend in with their environment
in order to sneak up on unsuspecting prey.
On the other hand, prey may use camouflage as a
defense mechanism to escape predators.

42. Notice on this chart, animal
herds of the savanna migrate
each year to other areas in
search of food and water.

43. There we have the savanna, Earth’s other grassland--
home to many exotic animals seen on TV and in zoos.