Grasslands

Grassland

• big open spaces, not many bushes
• trees are only found near streams and rivers
• seems like an endless ocean of grass
• 10-30 inches of rain per year
• often located between forests and deserts
• soil tends to be deep and fertile (Crops grow well)
• roots of perennial grasses usually penetrate far into the soil.

Types

• Tallgrass prairie
  - Lies mainly in the eastern portion of the Midwest
  - Grasses normally grow to 5 feet tall
  - Annual rain total approach 30 inches per year
• Mixed grass prairie
  - Lies mainly in the middle portion of the Midwest
  - Grasses normally grow to 2-3 feet tall
  - Typically 15-25 inches of rain per year
  - where buffalo once roamed
• Short grass prairie
  - Lies mainly in the western portion of the Midwest, hugging the coast of the deserts and the Rocky mountains into Canada
  - Grasses normally are no more than two feet tall
  - Usually a little more than 10 inches of rain per year
  - Prairie dogs are common.

Grasslands of the World

• found on either side of two desert belts that circle the Earth
• about one-quarter of Earth are grasslands
• Tropical grasslands: closer to Equator; hot all year round
• Temperate grasslands: further from Equator; both hot summer and harsh winter
• Once covered much of interior of North American, also common in Eurasia ans South American
• highly productive when first converted to agriculture uses
  (Organic material in soil comes from hundreds and thousands of years of decomposition
• Go by different names
  - South American: Pampas
  - Europe: Steppes
  - Africa: Savannas

Grassland Animals

• Grasslands lacks trees and heavy bushes to hide animals
• home to large herds of grazing animals
  (Open landscape and widely spaced trees)
• Active only during the rainy season
• Includes animals like Warthog, Afican Elephant, Brown Hyena and Bison