Shortgrass prairies

By Nolan&

Cameron

METEOROLOGIST

Precipitation: Precipitation in shortgarss prairies is about 10-25 in. a year.  Rainfall varies from year to year.

Temperature: The temperature can be -40ºF to 100ºF.

Daylight hours: The day light hours range 17 hours and 20 minutes to 7 hours and 13 minutes.  The worldwide average of sunlight in the grassland biome is approximately 11.86 hours, which is 4329 hours of daylight over the year.

METEOROLOGIST

Wind Velocity: All year the short grass prairies are very windy. The greatest wind speed is in the afternoon, and the lowest wind speed is around sunrise.  Generally the wind blows from west to east in the prairies of the northern hemisphere and from east to west in the southern hemisphere.

Barometric Pressure:  Wind blows from areas of high pressure to those of lower pressure.  The pressure is lower in the prairies than the area next to it which allows the wind to blow.  The pressure is lowest in the afternoon when the wind blows the hardest.

Humidity:  There are very few trees and shrubs to stop the wind so it can get very dry.

METEOROLOGIST

Weather Patterns from Year to Year: In the later summer, there is usually a long dry period.  Every thirty years or so there is a drought that can last for several years. Tallgrass prairies or, savannas, are very humid and wet. Shortgrass prairies are dry and have hotter summers and colder winters.

Impact on Environment and Organisms: The wind can pick up soil creating dust clouds.  Farmers can have a difficult time due to the high winds, dryness, and dusty conditions.  Few true prairies exist because they have been used to grow crops or for livestock.  Occasionally drought leads to fires that can destroy many animal homes.  The fires can spread quickly with the high winds.  Drought, occasional fires, and grazing by large mammals all prevent woody shrubs and trees from growing well.  The amount of rainfall affect the height of grass growth.

GEOGRAPHER

WHERE THE SHORTGRASS PRAIRIES ARE FOUND IN THE WORLD.

Shortgrass prairies are found in U.S.A and Canada in North American. In summer it gets extremely hot and It is very windy all year around.

GEOGRAPHER

WHAT THE LANDSCAPE IS LIKE.

The landscape is very smooth with a few bumps. Full of animals with many trees. The range for the Colorado prairie is 975m to 1,800.

HOW DO PEOPLE INFLUENCE THE ENVIRONMENT.

People affect the biome by littering and littering affects the environment. They can come in at any second and cut down trees and build things and they pollute the water. We preserve the shortgrass prairies by trying to cut down less trees every year. Also by protecting the environment. When livestock leaves waste it becomes fertilizer for farmers, plants and grass.

WEB SITES!!!

Prairie grassland - Biomes of Minnesota

Prairie Animal Printouts

Prairie Grasslands

Prairies and Grasslands - Tallgrass Prairie National ...

What is a Prairie?

North American Prairie

Diurnal variations of wind speeds at a shortgrass prairie site

Temperate Grasslands Biome

Climate Description of the Temperate Grasslands

The Average Sunlight of the Grassland Biome

The Grassland Biome

Wind & Air Pressure

Dust Bowl

Prairie Animal Printouts

Prairie Grasslands

Grassland & Prairies

Prairies and Grasslands - Tallgrass Prairie National ...

North American Prairie