Topic 15 - Grassland formation and their distribution in the Earth (regarding to the major grassland types)

Question 1

Biogeography

Answer 1

Study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic scale

Question 2

Distribution of species

Answer 2

Not random → biotic and abiotic factors

Question 3

Biomes of the earth

Answer 3

A type of vegetation that covers a very large area in continents around the world

Question 4

Environmental factors of grasslands

Answer 4

Rainfall
Temperature → high annual temperature range (> 25C)
Seasonal drought

Question 5

Rainfall

Answer 5

Regular annual rainfall (200-500mm)

Annual rainfall can be higher for tropical grasslands and tall grass prairies (600-1000m)

Rainfall occurs only late spring or early summer

Question 6

Importance of grasslands

Answer 6

Provides a number of products including food crops and meat

Contributes to the provision of clean water and flood prevention

Are essential to carbon sequestration, or the storage of carbon in the soil

Question 7

Types of grasslands

Answer 7

Natural grasslands
Grasslands of europe
Artificial grasslands

Question 8

Natural grasslands

Answer 8

Precipitation inequality or low precipitation rates

Under tropical climate
Under temperate climate

Question 9

Grasslands of europe

Answer 9

semi-natural grasslands → after deforestation, maintained with mowing and grazing

Question 10

Tropical grasslands -

Answer 10

Savanna

Question 11

Savanna

Answer 11

Mixed woodland grassland ecosystem without closed canopy

Cover 20% of the world’s vegetation

Rainfall limited to a few months

Regular wildfires occurs

Large number of natural grazers

Question 12

Grasses of the savanna

Answer 12

Common finger grass - most important forage grass

Elephant grass - most important fodder crop of dairy farmers

Question 13

Thorn trees

Answer 13

Common in savanna

Digestibility of the foliage is poor compared to grasses

Question 14

Cerrado

Answer 14

Tropical savanna

Grassland occupying the drier regions - largest area is in brazil

Herbaceous layer reaches 60 cm

Soy production, low density cattle grazing

Half the natural vegetation has been lost since the late 1950s

Question 15

Grasses of the cerrado

Answer 15

Carpet grasses and bluestem grasses → most frequent

Grasses are intermixed with a diverse selection of sedges

Grazing occurs in the open and the marshy habitats

Question 16

Temperate grasslands

Answer 16

Prairie

Pampas - South American grasslands

Question 17

Prairie

Answer 17

Tallgrass 
Shortgrass prarie
Prairie hay
Velds
Steppe

Question 18

Tallgrass prairie

Answer 18

The annual rainfall averages about 700-1000 mm

Grazed by large mammals (bison, pronghorn)

Grazed during growing season, cut and baled as hay in the fall

Question 19

Major species of tallgrass prairie

Answer 19

Big bluestem
Indian grass
Switchgrass

can be used as biogfuel

Question 20

Shortgrass prairie

Answer 20

Drier climate (3-400 mm)

Cattle and sheep ranching

Short grasses (30-40 cm) are drought- and grazing tolerant

Question 21

Dominant species of shortgrass praire

Answer 21

Buffalo grass

Blue grama

Question 22

Prairie hay

Answer 22

Harvested once (twice) a year

10% priotein and 65% total digestible nutrients

High quality (early harvested) hay for young livestock, and average quality (late harvested for higher biomass) hay for dry cows

Question 23

Pampas

Answer 23

Distributed in the lowlands of Argentina and Uruguay

climate generally temperate (29-32C)

Precipitation is seasonal

Wildfires frequently occurs

Dry and humid pampas

Nutrient rich soils

Domestic livestock and farming → endangered habitats

Question 24

Pampas grass

Answer 24

Most typical species in pampas grasslands

Europe → used as an ornamental plant

Flooding pampas → average yield → 5-30 kg dry matter/ha/year

Overgrazing commonly occurs

Question 25

Velds

Answer 25

Temperate grasslands of south-Africa Occurs in plateaus (high veld) and lowlands (low velds) Sweet velds and sour velds Supplies most of South africa's dairy, beef and wool products

Question 26

Sweet velds

Answer 26

Low rainfall, low fiber, retain nutrients → palatable to livestock

Question 27

Sour velds

Answer 27

Higher rainfall → more fibers, less palatble

Question 28

Species of velds

Answer 28

Red oat grass Wire grass Bermuda grass

Question 29

Steppe

Answer 29

Open, grass-covered plains, which are treeless Low (300-500mm) annual rainfall Long drought during the summer Forest and meadow steppes Extensively grazed by different species, or preserved as hay

Question 30

Eurasian steppe

Answer 30

Largest temperate grassland in the world From Hungary to China

Question 31

Species of steppes

Answer 31

Most characteristic: Feather grasses, fescues and sedges Small shrubs (brooms) and roses can occur many herbaceous species with underground bulbs tumbleweed species

Question 32

European grassland types

Answer 32

Fresh moist meadows

Question 33

Fresh moist meadows

Answer 33

Molinia meadows Mesotrophic wet meadows Arrhenatherum hay meadows

Question 34

Molinia meadows

Answer 34

Dominance of Molinia species Groundwater does not reach the ground surface Soil is typically rich in humus or peat grazing is rare Mowing once a year

Question 35

Grasses of molinia meadows

Answer 35

Tall-grown grasses, sedges, and rushes dominates Most species-rich wet grassland type

Question 36

Mesotrophic wet meadows

Answer 36

widely distributed in Europe Decreasing tendency in extent in the EU → draining (drying), fertilisers Moist or sometimes seasonally inundated Nutrient-rich soils on floodplains and in brook-valleys throughout lowlands The vegetation is often species rich Herbage traditionally cut for hay (nutrient rich) Light grazing in late summer and autumn

Question 37

Species of mesotrophic wet meadows

Answer 37

Agrostis, alopecurus, and festuca species

Question 38

Arrhenatherum hay meadows

Answer 38

Meadows of nutrient rich soils developed in areas of valleys, terraces, basins, high floodplains graxzing is rare, mowing 1-2 times a year

Question 39

Dominant species in arrhenatherum hay meadows

Answer 39

Tall grown species: arrehnatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, phleum pratense, trisetum flavescens Sedges (less dominant) buttercup (common)

Question 40

Dry meadows

Answer 40

``` Loess steppes Open and closed sand steppes Salt meadows Rocky grasslands Mountain hay meadows ```

Question 41

Loess steppes

Answer 41

occurs only in middle-east europe Good quality soils developed on loess (stilt-sized sediment) Closed steppes occurs especially on plains and foothills Species rich, many rare and sometimes endangered species In europe → also have a decreasing tendency (lack of grazing, forestation) Grazed mainly with sheep

Question 42

Species of loess steppes

Answer 42

Festuca rupicola typical herbs are spring pheasants eye, spurge plants and sage species

Question 43

Open sand steppes

Answer 43

Drought-tolerant low grasslands with maximum 50-60% cover On loose, humus poor sand soils vegetation dries out in mid or late summer Grasses form tussocks and have enrolled leaves Inappropriate for hay Grazed with sheeps

Question 44

Species in open sand steppes

Answer 44

Feather grasses small sized fescues grey-hair grass

Question 45

Closed sans steppes

Answer 45

Higher, but still low amount of biomass → Light grazing with sheep and goats Heavy treading can damage the grassland → smaller yield Dominant species are similar to open sand steppes

Question 46

Salt meadows

Answer 46

The habitat develops on strongly saline soils (e.g. after drainage) Water cover for a longer period in the year (wet in springtime but sometimes completely dry in summer) Salt accumulation

Question 47

Use of salt meadows

Answer 47

Salt meadows are traditionally grazed or cut once a year and later maintained with grazing (sheep, gray cattle) Poor yeilds

Question 48

Species of salt meadows

Answer 48

Many succulent species, but low species diversity Small-sized fescues alkali (salt) grasses Glassworts

Question 49

Rocky grasslands

Answer 49

Developed on dry, warm southern slopes Occur on calcareous rocks (limestone, dolomite, calcareous sandstone) Opened grassland with short-growing (5-30 cm) grasses

Question 50

Use of rocky grasslands

Answer 50

Very small yield, not appropriate for hay or grazing (or just rarely) Forage for game species (mouflon, deer) Importance in nature conservation

Question 51

Mountain hay meadows

Answer 51

Most common type in western and middle europe with economic importance Meadows of the montane and subalpine levels (mostly above 600 meters) Fresh and dry types also in areas of deforestation or wildfires

Question 52

Uses of mountain hay meadows

Answer 52

High yield, and species-rich composition For grazing (cattle) and for hay as well

Question 53

Threats to grasslands

Answer 53

Conversion to forest Conversion to farmland Overgrazing and soil erosion Climate change Expansion of towns and roads

Question 54

Conversion to farmland

Answer 54

Only 3% of the former tallgrass prairie area remained Most of the European steppe was converted to farmland

Question 55

Nature-friendly grassland management

Answer 55

Production centered agricultural model → multifunctional agricultural policy Non-material products of grasslands Sustainable utilisation of natural resources

Question 56

Nature protective mowing

Answer 56

Mowing carried at a later time, in early july; Only at daytime Collection of hay possibly when it is still green Mower equipped with a chain curtain → game alert Optimal stubble height Moving without a stem crusher Slow progress of work of a speed Proper progress of mowing in space, leaving a coherent pattern of 10% of the space for the hiding strips

Question 57

Hiding strips

Answer 57

Unmowed areas of the grasslands changed every year Mowed grasses have no seed production Species of the hiding strips produce seeds and they can regenerate grasslands Protection for animals (insects, birds, rodents)

Question 58

Grassland restoration

Answer 58

Conversion of farmlands back into grasslands