1A+Prairie+Dogs



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Grasslands  Abiotic and Biotic Factors

The grasslands are filled with creatures and life. The temperature is usually hot and dry in the spring and summer, this is the growing season. Cool or cold in the winter which, this is the dormant season. Parentmateral is basically little bits of rock and boulders. Grasslands have rich layers of organic matter that forms of soil. Grassland to soils developed on the glacial till deposited by ice as it melted 12,000 to 10,000 years ago. There are many natural disturbances flooding out prairie dog holes. Lightning storms strike trees and destroys grass and starts grassland fires. Topography is rolling hills, parries rock, out crops, cliffs, gullies, and low lying land. The most common plants and animals are listed below.

Plants: Milkweed flower, Prairie blazing star, Sweet cone flower, the Purple cone flower, Stinging nettle, the Poison ivy

Animals: The monarch butterfly, bison, antelope, prairie dogs, hawk, the western box turtle, meadowlark, rattlesnakes, burrowing owls, black footed ferret, worms.



Threats

In Colorado 91% of prairie dogs had been eliminated through poisoning by as early as 1912. The black footed prairie dog is headed for extinction.Today, the poisoning effort continues. Federal agencies continue to be deeply involved in the distribution of prairie dog poisoning, and the poisoning of prairie dogs on federal land.

Development is an especially significant threat to prairie dogs in Colorado. In recent years, development alone may account for a 25% reduction in prairie dog acres in the state.

Shooting has significant impacts on prairie dogs, including dramatic population reductions, and social disruption which may result in genetic inbreeding.

Prairie dogs are little targets and are targets for a lot of different animals like the diamond back rattlesnake, coyote, owls, hawks, ferrets, bobcats those are most of all the animals that rely on the prairie dog.

Importance  The impotence of the grasslands is to keep the animals safe like prairie dogs and other animals that live in the grasslands like rattlesnakes, owls, coyotes, and bobcats. The name for this biome, temperate grasslands, is a great description for what it is like here. The most important plants in this biome are grasses! Temperate grasslands have some of the darkest, richest soils in the world. People who live in grassland regions often use these soils for farming. In North America we call temperate grasslands prairies. Major grasslands in North America are the Great Plains of the Midwest, The Palouse Prairie of eastern Washington State, and other grasslands in the southwest. In Eurasia temperate grasslands are known as steppes and they are found between the Ukraine and Russia. In South America they are called pampas, and are located in Argentina and Uruguay. In South Africa temperate grasslands are known as veldts. The grasslands are also important because they provide a environment 4 plants and animals.

Conservation Plan  We want to keep the prairie dogs. The plan is to stop over populating dogs is to hold a yearly hunt for a limited number. And last but not least to stop humans from cutting down the trees and stop illegal poaching. Another way to protect our environment is to always have fire crews ready to put out grass fires that kill prairie dogs and their habitat.

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