cottonwoods, oaks, and willows grow in river valleys with some species of
flowers growing among the grasses.
Animals (which do not all occur in the same temperate grassland) include
gazelles, zebras, rhinoceroses, wild horses, lions, wolves, prairie dogs, jack
rabbits, deer, mice, coyotes, foxes, skunks, badgers, blackbirds, grouses,
meadowlarks, quails, sparrows, hawks, owls, snakes, grasshoppers, leafhoppers,
and spiders.
Major Environmental Threats
■ Continued global warming could turn current marginal grasslands into
deserts as rainfall patterns change.
■ Soil compaction produced by overgrazing.
■ Soil salinization and desertification.
■ The conversion of natural grassland for agricultural purposes (e.g.,
plowing, which results in wind blowing away topsoil).
■ An increase in row-cropping.
■ Development of urban areas which cut into grassland habitat.
■ Drought-hardy, cold-resistant, and herbicide-tolerant varieties of
soybeans, wheat, and corn allow crops to expand into native grassland.
■ Where only one crop is grown, pests and disease can spread easily,
creating the need for potentially toxic pesticides.SOLUTIONS
– Continue education efforts on how to protect the soil and prevent soil
erosion.
– Protect and restore wetlands, which are an important part of grassland
ecology.
– Rotate agricultural crops to prevent the extraction of nutrients.
– Plant trees as windbreaks.
– Conduct dry-season burning to obtain fresh growth and to restore
calcium to the soil that builds up in the dry grasses.