Unit 2: Grassland Biotic resources

Grassland Biotic resources

A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica and are found in most ecoregions of the Earth. Furthermore, grasslands are one of the largest biomes on earth and dominate the landscape worldwide. There are different types of grasslands: natural grasslands, semi-natural grasslands, and agricultural grasslands. They cover 31–69% of the Earth's land area.

The health and well-being of human populations depend on the services provided by ecosystems and their components: the organisms, soil, water, and nutrients. Ecosystem Services are the process by which the environment produces resources such as clean water, forage, and range; habitat for wildlife; and pollination of native and agricultural plants.

National Grassland Ecosystems provide services that:

Ø  Disperse seeds

Ø  Mitigate drought and floods

Ø  Cycle and move nutrients

Ø  Detoxify and decompose waste

Ø  Control agricultural pests

Ø  Maintain biodiversity

Ø  Generate and preserve soils and renew their fertility

Ø  Contribute to climate stability

Ø  Regulate disease-carrying organisms

Ø  Protect soil from erosion

Ø  Protect watersheds, and stream and river channels

Ø  Pollinate crops and natural vegetation

Ø  Provide aesthetic beauty

Ø  Provide wildlife habitat

Ø  Provide wetlands, playas

Ø  Provide recreation

Ø  Provide research opportunities

Ø  Grasslands hold about 20 percent of global soil carbon stocks

Natural ecosystems and the plants and animals within them provide humans with services that would be very difficult to duplicate. For example, pollination is a service for which there is no technological substitute. Grasslands provide habitat for thousands of species of pollinators. While it is often impossible to place an accurate monetary amount on ecosystem services, we can calculate some of the financial values. Many of these services are seemingly performed “free” and yet are worth many trillions of dollars. Over 100,000 different animal species - including bats, bees, flies, moths, beetles, birds, and butterflies - provide free pollination services. One third of human food comes from plants pollinated by wild pollinators.

Most scientists believe there is a direct relationship between increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and rising global temperatures. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants capture carbon dioxide and remove it from the atmosphere. Because the National Grasslands contain large areas of intact prairie and other grassland types, they provide the ecosystem service of carbon sequestration in grassland vegetation and soil organic matter. Grassland ecosystem services help sustain, support, and fulfill human life. These services can be tangible or intangible, but they are nevertheless critical for sustaining human well-being.

In India 12 categories of grass land:

B

Banni Grasslands Reserve

Bugyals

C

Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve

G

Great Rann of Kutch

K

Khajjiar

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

L

Langmarg

Little Rann of Kutch

N

Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows

P

Palani Hills

T

Terai

Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands

Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife and biodiversity and are spread across an area of 3,847 square kilometres.