Characteristics of grassland ecosystem

Grassland ecosystem is distributed in arid areas with little annual rainfall. Compared with forest ecosystem, the species of animals and plants in grassland ecosystem are much less, and the community structure is not as complicated as the former. In different seasons or years, the rainfall is very uneven, so the population density and community structure often change dramatically. The plants on the grassland are mainly herbs, but there are also some shrubs. Due to the low rainfall, trees are very scarce. Adapted to the life on the grassland, most animals there have the behavior characteristics of digging holes or running fast. There are many rodents on the grassland, almost all of which live underground. There are many kinds of insects that dig holes, such as ants and crickets. Animals that can't dig holes (such as reptiles and birds) often use rodent caves. Caves are of great significance for animal defense, avoiding enemies and storing food. There are many animals with strong running ability on the grassland, such as gazelle, antelope, rhinoceros, jerboa, hare, wolf, fox, leopard, lion and so on. Gazelles can run at speeds of 60 kilometers per hour, and cheetahs can run at speeds of 90 kilometers per hour. This is related to the flat and open terrain and few obstacles on the grassland. Amphibians and aquatic animals are very scarce in grassland ecosystem due to water shortage.

Features: Grassland ecosystem is distributed in arid areas, with few species of animals and plants. In different seasons or years, the rainfall is very uneven, and the population density and community structure often change dramatically.

Function: 1. Economic benefit: Grassland ecosystem is an important production base of animal husbandry. There are many herbages with high nutritional value and strong palatability in grassland ecosystem, which are used to graze important livestock. It can produce meat, milk, skin and wool, and provide a large number of livestock products with unique economic functions. 2. Ecological effect: Grassland ecosystem is an important ecological barrier to regulate climate; Prevent the land from being eroded by wind and sand. In 2000, sandstorms exceeding 10 hit Beijing, the western development, the Yangtze River flood and many other major problems made many of us realize that the ecological function of grassland is actually more important and prominent.