What is a Grassland?
Grassland bio mes are large, rolling terrains of grasses, flowers and herbs. Latitude, soil and local climates for the most part determine what kinds of plants grow in a particular grassland. A grassland is a region where the average annual precipitation is great enough to support grasses, and in some areas a few trees. The precipitation is so erratic that drought and fire prevent large forests from growing. Grasses can survive fires because they grow from the bottom instead of the top. Their stems can grow again after being burned off. The soil of most grasslands is also too thin and dry for trees to survive.
There are two types of grasslands, including:
Tropical grassland - Hot all year with wet seasons that bring torrential rains. Located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, sometimes called savannahs.
Temperate grasslands - Hot summers and cold winters. The evaporation rate is high, so little rain makes it into the rich soil. Located north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Grasslands are located in North America's interior called praries, in southeastern South America (Argentina's pampas and the campos of Uruguay and Brazil), in Eurasia (the Eurasian steppe in Mongolia and parts of the former Soviet Union), in Africa (the semi-arid steppes of the Sahel of north-central Africa and the wetter grasslands, veldts, of East Africa and Madagascar), and in Australia and New Zealand (called rangelands).
Many animals live in grasslands, from invertebrates (like grasshoppers and beetles) to large mammals (like antelopes and bison). The different grasslands of the world support different populations of animals. Most of the plant life in the grasslands are grasses. They include Blue Grama, Buffalo grass, Big Blue stem, switch grass and Little Blue Stem.
Grassland bio mes are large, rolling terrains of grasses, flowers and herbs. Latitude, soil and local climates for the most part determine what kinds of plants grow in a particular grassland. A grassland is a region where the average annual precipitation is great enough to support grasses, and in some areas a few trees. The precipitation is so erratic that drought and fire prevent large forests from growing. Grasses can survive fires because they grow from the bottom instead of the top. Their stems can grow again after being burned off. The soil of most grasslands is also too thin and dry for trees to survive.
There are two types of grasslands, including:
Tropical grassland - Hot all year with wet seasons that bring torrential rains. Located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, sometimes called savannahs.
Temperate grasslands - Hot summers and cold winters. The evaporation rate is high, so little rain makes it into the rich soil. Located north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Grasslands are located in North America's interior called praries, in southeastern South America (Argentina's pampas and the campos of Uruguay and Brazil), in Eurasia (the Eurasian steppe in Mongolia and parts of the former Soviet Union), in Africa (the semi-arid steppes of the Sahel of north-central Africa and the wetter grasslands, veldts, of East Africa and Madagascar), and in Australia and New Zealand (called rangelands).
Many animals live in grasslands, from invertebrates (like grasshoppers and beetles) to large mammals (like antelopes and bison). The different grasslands of the world support different populations of animals. Most of the plant life in the grasslands are grasses. They include Blue Grama, Buffalo grass, Big Blue stem, switch grass and Little Blue Stem.