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- Areas where grass died out became desert. For this reason, the grassland biome is considered a transitional biome, halfway between the forest and desert biomes. A grassland can become either a desert or a forest if conditions like temperature, amount of rainfall, how often fires occur and how many herbivores live in these areas change.
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Oct 19, 2023 · In fact, grasslands often lie between forests and deserts. Depending on how they’re defined, grasslands account for between 20 and 40 percent of the world's land area. They are generally open and fairly flat, and they exist on every continent except Antarctica, which makes them vulnerable to pressure from human populations.
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- Overview
- Types of grasslands
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Savanna, steppe, prairie, or pampas: They're all grasslands, the globe's most agriculturally useful habitats.
Grasslands go by many names. In the U.S. Midwest, they're often called prairies. In South America, they're known as pampas. Central Eurasian grasslands are referred to as steppes, while African grasslands are savannas. What they all have in common are grasses, their naturally dominant vegetation. Grasslands are found where there is not enough regular rainfall to support the growth of a forest, but not so little that a desert forms. In fact, grasslands often lie between forests and deserts. (See grassland photos.)
Depending on how they’re defined, grasslands account for between 20 and 40 percent of the world's land area. They are generally open and fairly flat, and they exist on every continent except Antarctica, which makes them vulnerable to pressure from human populations. Threats to natural grasslands, as well as the wildlife that live on them, include farming, overgrazing, invasive species, illegal hunting, and climate change.
At the same time, grasslands could help mitigate climate change: One study found California's grasslands and rangelands could store more carbon than forests because they are less susceptible to wildfires and drought. Still, only a small percentage—less than 10 percent—of the world's grassland is protected.
There are two main kinds of grasslands: tropical and temperate. Examples of temperate grasslands include Eurasian steppes, North American prairies, and Argentine pampas. Tropical grasslands include the hot savannas of sub-Saharan Africa and northern Australia.
Rainfall can vary across grasslands from season to season and year to year, ranging from 10 to 40 inches annually. Temperatures can go below freezing in temperate grasslands to above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grasslands support a variety of species. Vegetation on the African savannas, for example, feeds animals including zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, and giraffes. On temperate grasslands, you might find prairie dogs, badgers, coyotes, swift foxes, and a variety of birds. There can be up to 25 species of large plant-eaters in a given grassland habitat, comprising a sort of buffet where different grasses appeal to different species.
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Elephant Herd Surviving on the Grasslands
Surviving on Earth’s grasslands is no walk in the park, yet this elephant herd is still standing strong.
Some grass species in these habitats include red oat grass and Rhodes grass in tropical savannas, and purple needlegrass and galleta in temperate areas. When rainy season arrives, many grasslands become coated with wildflowers such as yarrow, hyssop, and milkweed. The plants on grasslands have adapted to the drought, fires, and grazing common to that habitat.
Fires, both natural and human-caused, are important factors shaping grasslands. In the U.S. Midwest, for example, Native Americans set fires to help maintain grasslands for game species such as bison. Fire can also help prevent fire-intolerant trees and shrubs from taking over while increasing the diversity of wildflowers that support pollinators.
- Christina Nunez
- 2 min
Aug 12, 2024 · The largest areas of natural grassland—those resulting from climatic dryness—can be classified into two broad categories: tropical grasslands, which generally lie between the belts of tropical forest and desert; and temperate grasslands, which generally lie between deserts and temperate forests.
Mar 1, 2014 · A grassland can become either a desert or a forest if conditions like temperature, amount of rainfall, how often fires occur and how many herbivores live in these areas change. As more and more trees grow in a grassland, it is sometimes called a savanna.
Apr 24, 2024 · Grasslands — also known as savannas, prairies, steppes and pampas — are ecosystems found in parts of the world that do not get sufficient consistent rainfall to support forest growth, but get enough to avoid the landscape turning into desert. Often, grasslands are a transition ecosystem between deserts and forests.
- Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
forests to grow. • The deep and fertile soils and absence of tree cover make grasslands perfect for farming. People have used grasslands to grow crops and support herds of grazing domestic animals for thousands of years. • Grasslands support a great number of animals, such as zebra, antelope, and wildebeest, which need space to
Aug 26, 2020 · Savannas are limited to the sub-tropics, forming transition zones between forests and scrublands or deserts. On average, grasslands receive less annual rainfall than savannas and have a greater range of temperatures both seasonally and daily.
