Unit 1 Progress Check: FRQ (APES)

(b) Several factors contribute to the maintenance of grassland ecosystems. (i) Describe one way that grazing animals, such as bison or cattle, help to maintain grassland ecosystems. (ii) Explain how seasonal fires benefit grassland ecosystems.

(i): Any of these responses are correct ⬇️ • Animals compact the soil with their hooves. • Animal waste provides nutrients for soil/plants. • Animals open new areas for seeds to grow by moving over areas and disrupting grasses. • Animals spread seeds to new areas. (ii): Any of these responses are correct ⬇️ • Decaying/dead plant matter burns and turns to ash, which releases nutrients into a useable form for plants. • Cleared areas receive more sunlight which stimulates dormant plants to sprout and grow. • Trees and shrubs are killed off opening the area for grasses (secondary succession). • Heat from fires promote germination from seeds in seed banks.

(c) Humans often convert grasslands into farm fields to grow crops. Describe why the conversion of temperate grasslands, such as in the central United States, into agricultural areas is an environmental problem.

(i): Any of these responses are correct ⬇️ • Removal of ground cover can lead to desertification/erosion. • Need for irrigation depletes groundwater/aquifers. • Irrigating soils can lead to soil salinization. • Areas of diverse grasses and shrubs replaced by monocultures/less species diversity.

Temperate grasslands are found in many regions across the globe, including throughout the Midwestern United States. In these areas, the terrain is very flat and the primary vegetation consists of grasses and small shrubs. Below is a climatograph of a temperate grassland in Wichita, Kansas. Temperature is shown in the line graph and precipitation is shown in the bar graph (a) Use the climatograph above to identify the following. (i) identify the month with the least amount of rainfall in this temperate grassland. (ii) identify the maximum mean monthly temperature in this temperate grassland. (iii) A climatograph for a tropical grassland or savannah would look different from the climatograph shown for temperate grassland. Describe one difference in the patterns or trends in the temperature data in a tropical grassland compared to those of a temperate grassland.

(i): January (ii): value can be between 27 and 28 degrees celcius (iii): the responde should identify the higher average tempuratures or higher maximum tempuratures as the difference between the two grasslands.