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What is the vegetation in the Arctic?
Lichens, mosses, graminoids, small scattered patches of grasses, and occasinally a few small shrubs
What has the author John W Kinney written?
John W Kinney has written: 'A photographic utilization guide for key riparian graminoids' -- subject(s): Utilization, Grasses, Grazing, Riparian plants
What is the average life span of grass?
On average, grass can live to about 35 years if it is treated properly.Because grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae (or Gramineae) family, as well as the sedges (Cyperaceae) and the rushes (Juncaceae). The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns (turf). True grasses, sedges and rushes also form pasture for livestock; a few sedges are used directly as food, such as water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis), or paper: the papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus).
What is the difference between a bison and wildebeest?
Both bison (Bison species) and wildebeest (Connochaetes species) are in the Bovidae, a family that includes other herbivores like cattle, sheep, goats, impala, kudu, eland, and many others. However, bison and wildebeest are not particularly closely related within the family. Bison are bovines (subfamily Bovinae, tribe Bovini), so their closest relatives are yak, cattle, and gaur, as well as the African and Indian buffaloes. In contrast, wildebeest are in the subfamily Alcelaphinae, so their closest relatives are hartebeest, topi, tsessebe, and bontebok.Ecologically, however, bison and wildebeest are quite similar. European bison (B. bonasus) graze (feed on graminoids, or grasses, sedges, and rushes) a great deal, but they also browse (feed on forbs and shrubs). American wood bison (B. bison athabascae) graze more, but still browse. However, for American plains bison (B. bison bison), grazing comprises the vast bulk of their feeding. They still browse, but behavioral observations and plant identification from feces indicate that the vast majority of the plains bison diet consists of graminoids.There are two species of wildbeest: South African black wildebeest (C. gnou) and East African blue wildebeest (C. taurinus). Like American plains bison, both wildebeest species occupy vast grasslands, and feed primarily on graminoids. Blue wildebeest in particular, the larger of the two Connochaetesspecies, also form large herds the way plains bison do. And like plains bison, they also emit frequent grunting sounds to communicate with other herd members. So, although plains bison are about three times larger than blue wildebeest (bulls weigh 1,800 lbs. vs. 600 lbs., respectively), they exhibit many ecological and behavioral similarities.Thus, although blue wildebeest and plains bison are only distantly related, they exhibit parallel evolution, with both species having converged onto an open habitat niche, in which they feed primarily by grazing, and keep in frequent contact with their herd-mates by grunting. For these reasons, these two bovid species are similar, even though they are not closely related.
Simile for grass?
The grass was like an ocean—vast and expansive.
What is the food chian for the Tundra like climate?
Vegetation: lichens mosses, sedges,perrenial forbs, and dwarfted shrubs, (often heaths but also birches and willows). Growthforms: typical are ground-hugging and other warmth-preserving forms including: * tussock-forming graminoids * mats or cushion plants, often evergreen members of the heath family * rosettes * dwarf shrubs, some of which are deciduous in habit Climate: The high latitude conditions of Koeppen's ET climate type that impact life in this biome include * extremely short growing season (6 to 10 weeks) * long, cold, dark winters (6 to 10 months with mean monthly temperatures below 32° F or 0° C.) * low precipitation (less than five inches/year) coupled with strong, drying winds. Snowfall is actually advantageous to plant and animal life as it provides an insulating layer on the ground surface. Edaphic controls: Permafrost, not cold temperatures per se, is generally believed to be what prevents tree growth. Furthermore, freeze-thaw activity, a thin active layer, and solifluction during the warmer months contribute to strong controls on vegetation patterns and create a mosaic of microhabitats and plant communities. Soil: No true soil is developed in this biome due to the edaphic factors mentioned above. Fauna:Strategies evolved to withstand the harsh conditions of the tundra can be divided among those species that are resident and those that are migratory. * Among the small number of bird (e.g., ptarmigan) and mammal (e.g., muskox, arctic hare, arctic fox, musk ox) species that reside year-round on the tundra one commonly finds: Morphological adaptations ** large, compact bodies following Bergmann's and Allen's rules ** a thick insulating cover of feathers or fur ** pelage and plumage that turns white in winter, brown in summer Physiological adaptations ** ability to accumulate thick deposits of fat during the short growing season. Fat acts as insulation and as a store of energy for use during the winter, when animal species remain active. Population adaptations ** cyclical fluctuations in population size, best seen perhaps in the lemming, a small rodent which is the major herbivore in the tundra's simple food chain. Predator populations and plant populations respond in kind to the peaks and crashes of the herbivore populations.* * * * * * * * ** ** ** Physiological adaptations Population adaptations
