BIOL 1108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 45: 40Th Parallel North, Midwestern United States, Euphorbia
Document Summary
Chapter 48 - biomes and global ecology (part 3) Before human settlement, this biome occupied most of the midwestern united. Dominated by blue stem and buffalo grasses. Lack of precipitation prevents many species of tree from growing. Trees that do grow are usually in low areas having moisture. Soils accumulate nutrients, providing some of the most productive agricultural lands in the world. Before human settlement, temperate grasslands of north america supported abundant and diverse grazers, including bison, pronghorns, horses, and mammoths. Burrowing grazers such as prairie dogs remain relatively common, although population sizes have fallen. Burrowing species support predators such as ferrets, badgers, foxes, and birds of prey. Continental interiors around the world north and south of the equator from 35 degrees to 35 degrees latitude. Wind patterns percent more than a few centimeters of precipitation annually. Deep rooted plants, such as cactus and euphorbia, are adapted to store water.
