Our ecosystems - Temperate Grasslands (by engkilgore)

American Bison

Greater Prairie Chicken

Our Ecosystems: Temperate Grasslands

Purple Coneflower

Goldenrod

Prairie Dog

White-Tailed Deer

Red-Tailed Hawk

Today, less than 20% of the world is covered in temperate grasslands. And in the grasslands, it all starts with the soil. Fertile earth gives way to wildflowers and grains. Because of these nutrient plants, large and small mammals come to feed on an abundant food source, but it's really the small mammals that keep the temperate grasslands alive. Burrowing mammals stir up the mineral content of the soil and along with worms and bacteria, the guest feeds the host in a cyclical fashion. The thriving life of the prairie brings predators such as birds of prey, foxes, and coyotes. This system of life and death among predators and prey keeps animal populations in check, which prevents devastation of the prairie -- an amazing self-sustaining ecosystem.

Listen to Boyd Matson's interview with Sean Garrity of the American Prairie Foundation to learn more!

Average rainfall 10-30 inches per year Temperature -40 degrees F to 70 degrees F

80 species of animals, 300 species of birds