Negative Impacts
Grasslands are sadly being threatened by human impacts. They are disappearing due to dividing up the land for farming and urban development. Dividing up the land for farming is bad because the animals of the grasslands don't have any way to move around.
25% of grasslands have disappeared because of people building power plants, cities, schools, roads, permanent homes (also know as urban development).
Prairie animals are also being endangered. For example, farmers think that prairie dogs are pests because they burrow and can cause injury to cattle and horses. Farmers kill them even though it is illegal.
In the tropical grasslands, people are illegally poaching endangered animals. For example, people are poaching tigers, elephants, and leopards and more endangered animals like that.
People tour the tropical grasslands and watch the animals. The animals are developing behavior problems due to being observed for long periods. Plus, the cars the people are touring in have a pollution effect on the tropical grasslands.
Positive Impacts
Humans do not have only a negative impact on grasslands. There are some that do their part to preserve the land and restore it. National parks have been developed around grasslands, and some organizations replant areas of depleted grassland. Governments have enacted laws against the hunting of endangered animals. In particular, the U.S. National Parks Service has preserved land to foster the American bison population. While poaching still exists in many areas, there are efforts to stop it.