Environmental Issues

A biome is a large and wide ecosystem that covers quite large geographic unit. It is characterized by community of animals as well as plants with similar and common requirements as pertains environmental conditions. These conditions encompass climate and vegetation of an area. There are two major varieties of biome namely, terrestrial commonly known as land-based biome and aquatic biome which includes freshwater as well as marine biomes.

Temperate grassland is a form of land biome and specifically a grassland biome. Temperate grasslands just like other grassland biomes like savannas are open areas of grassland with quite few numbers of trees. Several factors such as vegetation, climate, and location have contributed to distinguished characteristics of temperate grassland.

This type of biome is characterized by dense grass vegetation which is caused by moderate and sometimes low precipitation which discourages growth of trees as well as woody shrubs (Pomeroy et al, 1980). These grasses are quite thick, with deep roots that are capable of holding them firmly in the soil leading to water conservation and prevention of soil erosion. These grasses are also adapted to temperatures that are cold, occasional fires as well as drought. Archibold (1995) noted that short grasses are found in areas that receive low precipitation while taller grasses in those areas that are warmer and with moderate rainfall. Examples of vegetation found in temperate grassland include perennial grass, buffalo grass, sunflowers among others. Moreover, temperate grasslands are also characterized by varying temperatures due to climate changes. For instance, during summer, temperatures rise up to almost 95 degrees Fahrenheit while in winter, the temperatures may decline up to as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit. In certain areas, climate also contributes to varying amounts of rainfall in temperate grassland ranging from low to moderate amounts. In addition, location has also contributed to distinguished characteristics of this biome. For instance, some temperate grassland include the pampas in Argentina, steppes in Russia, plains and prairies in Central North America, Downs in Australia, Veldts in south Africa, Central Valley in California, among others. Lauenroth et al (1999) revealed that, depending on the geographical location, these temperate grasslands have different characteristics but those in similar geographic locations have similar characteristics.

Flora refers to all the plants found in a particular area or region while fauna refers to all the animal life in a particular area or region. Human society refers to human beings living in a given region. Therefore, considering temperate grassland like the Central Valley in California, these fauna, flora and human societies exist in this area. Central valley is a flat, large valley that nearly dominates the central part of the United State of California. Environmental factors like climatic changes have led to increased human habitants and increased practice of agriculture which is believed to be the most significant industry in the region. Schultz  Stewart (1990) established that central valley is the worlds best productive region on agriculture. Flora has also evolved in this region due to an outstanding geological history. Weathering of parent material along the valley has led to production of fertile soil with fine texture which supports vegetation and grassland. Grassland vegetation has influenced the thrive of fauna. Pandey and Singh (1992) noted that some of the animals like cows are used to provide restoration from historic overgrazing. They also prevent the native grass from extinction since they consume the exotic ones. Other animals like tree frogs, western kingbirds among others are on their increase and depend on favourable temperature changes in the region. During the winter, they depend on individual crops such as rice fields where they hibernate.

Central Valley of California is quite different from the other temperate grasslands in that it has a unique landscape structure. This involves streams with shrubs alongside, drainage ditches, patches consisting of wetlands, woodlots as well as fallow land with pastures in some areas. This landscape structure is believed to provide habitable environment for some important insects that help in pest control in agriculture.