Chapter 4 - Kinds of Ecosystems

4.2 - Grasslands, Chaparral, Deserts, and Tundra

 GRASSLANDS, CHAPARRAL, DESTERS, AND TUNDRA - 4.2

• Tundras and Deserts are similar because they are both products of severe climates, they each contain a fragile ecosystems that are slow to heal and have low species variety.  Tundras are extreamly cold and dry, deserts are extreamly hot and dry.
• Building a city in the desert has some challenges.  A city needs more water than a desert can support, a desert ecosystem can be badly damaged by development.
• Grasslands have deep rich topsoil that make it a good for farming.  This is due to the roots of the grass holding down the topsoil that is full of nutrients.  Trees are also scarce in grasslands making it easier to farm. 
• Fire can be benefical to an ecosystem.  Fire kills many sprouting trees and shrubs and teh aboveground growth of grass plants.  the charred remains return nutrients to thesoil.  However, the roots of grass plants are specially adapted to survive fire undamaged, so after a fire the roots use the new supply of nutrients to rapidly send up new shoots. 

LOOK AT VOCABULARY FOR CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUAL ECOSYSYSTEMS