Grassland | Adaptation Workbook

Grassland is a natural community group that broadly characterizes several distinct natural communities. Grassland broadly includes: Bracken Grassland, Dry Prairie, Dry-mesic Prairie, Mesic Prairie, Sand Prairie, Wet Prairie, Wet-mesic prairie natural communities. Grasslands with high floral diversity that occur within large open landscapes may fare best: plants may shift locations and composition may fluctuate over time based on responses to climatic variables. This adaptive capacity is further enhanced if a site has (micro)topographical diversity. Upland grassland species are well-adapted to warmer temperatures and drought; these adaptations may also help them outcompete non-native invasives. Wetland grasslands with the highest adaptive capacity may be those that are large, occur high in the watershed, are buffered from the negative effects of runoff and sedimentation, and are juxtaposed with other high-quality wetlands.

Climate Impact Statements

Native grasslands are fire-dependent natural communities. Climate change projections suggest that burn day options may shift to earlier in the spring or to other seasons.

Non-native invasive plants may increase in productivity and may invade into new areas.

Climate change may increase the frequency and intensity of storm events, causing flooding and runoff of nutrients from agricultural fields and lawns, sediment from fields and streambanks, and salt from roads and sidewalks.

Bracken Grassland is mod-low to moderately vulnerable to climate change. This drought tolerant community is generally hardy, occurring on nutrient poor sites. Although changing climate may alter the flora and structure, shifting to more trees and brush.

Sand Prairie is mod-low to moderately vulnerable to climate change. This ecosystem is intrinsically hot and arid, thus the species that grow in these communities are able to resist potential climate change threats such as drought and extreme heat.

Mesic Prairie is highly vulnerable to climate change. Maintained by periodic fire, this system may have less capacity to adapt to climate change due to their extreme rarity and small and isolated nature that limit options to rearrange and migrate.

Wet and wet-mesic prairies are moderately vulnerable to climate change. These ecosystems are tolerant of a broad range of climatic conditions. Altered seasonal precipitation and the resulting hydrologic responses pose the greatest climate-related threats.

Vulnerability

Moderate

Adaptive Capacity

Moderate