Final answer:
Turfgrasses form contiguous lawns, and mowing can cause them to adapt by flowering earlier to reproduce before being cut again. Temperate grasslands use controlled burns to maintain their ecology, emulating natural fire disturbances that grasses have adapted to over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Turfgrasses are designed to form contiguous lawns that can endure regular mowing and traffic, persisting in conditions typical of managed grass areas. When a land manager observes annual grass in a mowed field flowering earlier each year, compared to an unmowed field, the most likely explanation is that mowing prevents the grass from reproducing through seeds. Thus, the grass adapts by accelerating its reproductive cycle, flowering earlier to ensure its survival before it's cut again. This adaptation process can also be seen in temperate grasslands, such as prairies and steppes, which experience natural disturbances like fires that similarly impact vegetation cycles.
In temperate grasslands, fire suppression can alter the ecology, leading to the conversion of grasslands into scrub or dense forests. Controlled burns are sometimes used in these ecosystems to maintain their grassy character by preventing the establishment and growth of trees. The grasses have extensive root systems that contribute to the soil's fertility and structure, anchoring the plants as well as providing organic material through decay.