What Animals Live in Short Grass Prairies
What Animals Live in Short Grass Prairies
NPS photograph
The prairie ecosystem is like a puzzle. When parts of the puzzle get missing, information technology is difficult to understand the consummate film. At Wind Cave, every bit many parts of this puzzle are preserved as is possible. Every bit a result, this park is a refuge for prairie plants and animals, and a slap-up place to see a remnant of the N American grasslands.
At one time, a third of the Due north American continent was covered by grasslands. French explorers named it the "prairie" which translates from French to "meadow". Many explorers saw desolation when they arrived on the Cracking Plains, a feeling that even so takes hold of many travelers today. To the untrained eye, the prairie seems like a barren wasteland, devoid of life. But the prairie is far from barren. Information technology is 1 of the virtually various environments in plant and animal life in N America, and its unique life forms are well adjusted to the harsh interior continent climate.
NPS Photo
The prairie is divided into the eastern tall grass prairie, the cardinal mixed grass prairie, and the western short grass prairie. Tall grass prairies receive 30 or more inches of rain per year, while short grass prairies receive about 12 inches of pelting. Mixed grass prairie receives rainfall between these amounts. The species composition is adamant by the climate, fire frequency, and the degree and frequency of grazing. The mixed grass prairie is an ecotone that results where species composition is constantly shifting between the tall and brusk grass prairies.
To understand life on the prairie, i needs to understand the climate extremes withstood by prairie dwellers. Yearly fluctuations in temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit are mutual. Some years may bring intense drought. Intense weather events such as hail, tornadoes and wildfires occur periodically.
NPS Photo
Grass
With such an extreme environment, it is a wonder that annihilation can survive. But there is one type of organism that dominates the prairie—grass. Grass provides food and habitat for many species, and covers the prairie.
Grasses are able to maximize their growth and production, even in constantly changing environments. More than half of their mass is below the ground, in the form of roots. This helps build and hold soil and creates a food store that the plants use during winter or during droughts. Grasses have too adapted to pressure from grazing. Silica, a hard mineral constitute in soil, is incorporated into the constitute'southward cells. This makes the leaves fibroid and less palatable to grazers. The growing parts are located at the base of the plant, then animals similar bison do not kill the plant when grazing. When the photosynthesizing tissue is removed by grazing, the rate of photosynthesis within the uneaten tissue is increased.
In response to wide temperature fluctuations, grasses have evolved to absurd- and warm-flavor species. Absurd-season grasses, such as needle-and-thread grass, abound well in the spring and fall when the temperatures are cooler and more h2o is available. Warm-season grasses, such as blue grama, await the summertime months. They grow best in loftier temperatures.
By winter, the surface portions of grasses have died and most of the plants' energy has been transferred to the root system. What remains is the dry carpeting of grass that crunches underfoot. This dead material is an of import source of food for the grazing animals throughout the wintertime.
NPS Photo
Animals
Many prairie animals rely on prairie grasses for survival. Mammals like prairie dogs, bison, elk, deer, and pronghorns graze on the grasses and other plants that grow on the prairie. Predators like birds of prey, mount lions, coyotes, and black footed ferrets depend on the affluence of wildlife to hunt for prey.
Fire
To the states humans, fire is oft seen as a threat. Simply fire tin be constructive and is a natural role of the prairie surroundings. In fact, the survival of the prairie depends upon fire.
When fires are suppressed, tree saplings are able to sprout on the prairie. Over time, these saplings mature into larger trees, and forest takes over the prairie. Additionally, dead plants build upwardly over the soil, acting like natural mulch and blocking new plants from growing.
NPS photo
Fires burn the layers of dead fabric from previous years. Fire as well helps shape the grassland community by killing competing trees and shrubs, maintaining the residual between the wood and prairie. During a fire, well-nigh of the grass remains unharmed in the footing. After the fire, grasses benefit every bit more space, light and water become available for more growth.
The suppression of fires in the Black Hills, the area in which Wind Cave is located, has led to higher forest density. This has contributed to the decline in plant diverseness, and also contributes to more intense fires when they do occur. Wind Cave National Park routinely conducts prescribed fires. These fires are closely monitored to ensure the wellness of the environment, but also ensures that human lives and property are protected.
NPS Photo / Abby Rimstidt
Conservation
Few ecosystems accept seen the destruction endured by the prairie. Prior to European settlement, the prairie was a vast, unbroken stretch of plant and animal communities. With the advent of agriculture in the American westward, the prairie became fragmented. Widespread brute and constitute declines, and the introduction of invasive species, led to a sharp reject in biodiversity. I instance of this is the turn down and virtually extinction of the bison.
Many scientists approximate that at that place has been a 99% reduction in tallgrass prairie, and a 75% reduction in shortgrass prairie. Many native prairie plants and animals struggle to survive without the prairie. The first footstep to saving and rebuilding this ecosystem is to learn how to appreciate it. Wind Cave National Park is a great place to start.
Though this park was created to protect a cavern system, its national park condition was saved from an uncertain future by incorporating a game preserve on the park'due south surface. Since 1912, the park'due south dual mission was to ensure the survival and health of the prairie habitat which information technology occupies.
Today, it is 1 of the all-time places on the continent to experience the mixed-grass prairie. Bison are a mutual sight here, grazing and wallowing amidst prairie dog towns. From up high, one can view the mosaic of prairie grasses and wildflowers waving in the wind. One tin can close their optics, listening to the wild sounds of the prairie, and imagine that nix'due south changed here for hundreds of years. Solitude is found amongst the wind rushing, birds chattering, bison bellowing, and insects clicking. Here, the pieces of the prairie puzzle are intact.
Learn more from other parks...
What Animals Live in Short Grass Prairies
Source: https://www.nps.gov/wica/learn/nature/prairies.htm
Comments
Post a Comment