Standard 3a Students
know ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving
components.
Standard 3b Students
know that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals
survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
Look at these
pictures. Can you see why these are called grasslands?
The kind of
grassland we have in America are called prairies.
Prairies
have cold winters and hot summers with a moderate amount of rain and snowfall.
The soil is
rich and fertile; that means it is good for growing plants.
The
fertile soil is a nonliving component of the prairie ecosystem.
2. What are some
special features of prairie life?
You may
have noticed that there are not a lot of places for little
creatures to hide from predators. Many prairie animals
have front legs and paws that allow them to dig underground so
they can stay safe from predators.
Look at the
claws on this badger!
Another adaptation is the color of fur
and skin.
Many of the animals blend with the prairie
landscape.
3. What kinds of animals
live there?
With all that grass this is a great place for herbivores! Some
herbivores that live on the prairie are:
