Exploring Biomes and Invasive Species in Local Ecosystems

This biology assignment is a response to a discussion prompt regarding biomes and invasive species, specifically focusing on the temperate deciduous and flooded grassland biome of Florida. The response details the climatic factors influencing biome creation, such as temperature, humidity, and precipitation, and discusses the characteristics of grasslands, including vegetation, common environmental disasters like forest fires, and the presence of herbivorous organisms. It identifies feral pigs as a major threat to the grassland biome due to their consumption of grass and highlights the susceptibility of Florida to invasive species. The assignment also outlines conservation policies aimed at preventing and managing the damage caused by non-native species, emphasizing early detection and minimizing the impact of invasive species on the native ecosystem. The local economy's reliance on cattle rearing activities is also mentioned in the context of grassland productivity.

Running head: BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
Response to discussion:
I am based at the temperate deciduous and flooded grassland biome of Florida.
Typically, North America can majorly be studied under 8 biome categories that include,
tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, scrub forest, grassland, desert, tropical rain forest
and temperate rain forest. It should further be noted in this regard that the creation of a biome
is largely dependent upon the climatic factors such as temperature, humidity and
precipitation. The grasslands are also referred to as ‘Prairie’ or ‘plains’. The average
precipitation rate within the biome where I am based is equivalent to 20 inches or 51 cm,
annually (Dietze et al., 2014). Also, the precipitation is higher during the sowing season
which accounts for the favourable growth of perennial grasses as well as herbs. However, the
river valleys do not favour the growth of forests. The biome also comprises of ‘bad-lands’
that are unfit for cultivation, for example, the region of Southern Dakota. Forest fires caused
due to lightening forms the most common environmental disaster that affects the stability of
the biome. The geological past reveals that the biome had been subjected to manmade fire
disasters as well that had resulted in the widespread destruction of shrubs and trees. However,
the main vegetation of the area includes perennial grasses that have possess underground root
and shoot system which are not destroyed by the environmental disaster. On account of the
invasive grassland, the biome shelters abundant of herbivorous organisms that include Bison
and Antelope (Donovan et al., 2017). Also, a large population of swift, herbivorous ungulates
are found in this region pertaining to the lack of appropriate shelter for predators. The
grasslands are also serve as optimal reserves of corn, wheat and grains that is used for
domesticating farm animals such as sheep and cattle. It is important to note that this area is
capable of high productivity if cultivated. Optimum rainfall can be attributed to the reason
that does not leach the soil minerals and make it unavailable for the roots of the plants to

2BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
uptake the minerals. The local income of this region comes mainly through cattle rearing
activities.
Invasive species can be defined as the non-native species that are introduced within a
specific geographical location. These invasive plant or animal species are alien to the native
ecosystem and pose a great threat to the harmonious equilibrium of the ecosystem (Zhang et
al., 2013). Invasive species have been studied to disrupt the ecological equilibrium by
negatively impacting the environment of the natural biome. Feral pigs causes a major threat
to the grassland biome as it devours a large proportion of the grass (The Nature Conservancy,
2019). Studies have indicated that the optimum climatic condition of Florida makes it the
most susceptible to damage by the invasive species (The Nature Conservancy, 2019). Also
the estimated cost of managing damage caused by the invasive species has been compared to
be equivalent to $100 million. In order to prevent the problem, diverse conservation policies
are at place that includes, early detection and response to a detection when it occurs, prevent
future invasions and initiate protection by minimising the damage caused by the non-native
species.

3BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
References:
Dietze, M. C., Serbin, S. P., Davidson, C., Desai, A. R., Feng, X., Kelly, R., ... & Wang, D.
(2014). A quantitative assessment of a terrestrial biosphere model's data needs across
North American biomes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 119(3),
286-300.
Donovan, V. M., Wonkka, C. L., & Twidwell, D. (2017). Surging wildfire activity in a
grassland biome. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(12), 5986-5993.
The Nature Conservancy (2019). Stopping the Spread of Invasive Species in Florida. [online]
The Nature Conservancy. Available at: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-
we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/combating-invasive-species-in-florida/
[Accessed 2 Mar. 2019].
Zhang, Y., Moran, M. S., Nearing, M. A., Campos, G. E. P., Huete, A. R., Buda, A. R., ... &
Morgan, J. A. (2013). Extreme precipitation patterns and reductions of terrestrial
ecosystem production across biomes. Journal of Geophysical Research:
Biogeosciences, 118(1), 148-157.