Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae) and other herbaceous (non-woody) plants (forbs). Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include Poaceae or Gramineae is a family in the Class Liliopsida of the flowering plants. A herbaceous plant (or in botanical use a Herb) is a Plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of Forbs are Herbaceous Flowering plants that are not Graminoids ( grasses, sedges and rushes) Plants of the sedge (Cyperacae) and rush (Juncaceae) families can also be frequent in grasslands. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica, and in many other areas they have replaced the natural vegetation due to human influence. In temperate latitudes, such as north-west Europe, grasslands are dominated by perennial species, whereas in warmer climates annual species form a greater component of the vegetation. ^[1]

Grasslands can be found in most terrestrial climates. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " Grassland vegetation can vary in height from very short, as in chalk downland where the vegetation may be less than 30 cm high, to quite tall, as in the case of North American tallgrass prairie, South American grasslands and African savannah. A downland is an area of open Chalk Hills This term is especially used to describe the Chalk countryside in southern England. The tallgrass prairie is an Ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. Woody plants, shrubs or trees, may occur on some grasslands - forming wooded, scrubby or semi-wooded grassland, such as the African savannahs or the Iberian dehesa. Such grasslands are sometimes referred to as wood-pasture or Savannah woodland. Grasslands cover nearly fifty percent of the land surface of the continent of Africa. ^[2] While grasslands in general support diverse wildlife, given the lack of hiding places for predators, the African Savanna regions support a much greater diversity in wildlife than do temperate grasslands. ^[3]

The appearance of mountains in the western United States during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, a period of some 25 million years, created a continental climate favorable to the evolution of grasslands. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends Existing forest biomes declined, and grasslands became much more widespread. Following the Pleistocene Ice Ages, grasslands expanded in range in the hotter, drier climates, and began to become the dominant land feature worldwide. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets ^[4]

As flowering plants, grasses grow in great concentrations in climates where annual rainfall ranges between 500 mm and 900 mm (approximately 20 to 35 inches). ^[5] The root systems of perennial grasses and forbs form complex mats that hold the soil in place. Mites, insect larvae, nematodes and earthworms inhabit deep soil, which can reach 6 meters (about 20 feet) underground in undisturbed grasslands on the richest soils of the world. These invertebrates, along with symbiotic fungi, extend the root systems, break apart hard soil, enrich it with urea and other natural fertilizers, trap minerals and water and promote growth (Chadwick 1995). Some types of fungi make the plants more resistant to insect and microbial attacks.

Contents 1 Climate and grasslands 2 Grassland biodiversity and conservation 3 Human impact and economic importance 4 Types of grassland 4.1 Tropical and subtropical grasslands 4.2 Temperate grasslands 4.3 Flooded grasslands 4.4 Montane grasslands 4.5 Polar grasslands 4.6 Xeric grasslands 5 See also 6 References

Climate and grasslands

Grasslands receive about 380 to 900 mm (15 to 30 in) of rain per year, as compared with deserts, which receive less than 300 mm (12 in) and tropical rainforests, which receive more than 2,000 mm (80 in). A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. Tropical rainforests are generally found near the Equator. They are common in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central ^[6] While extreme temperatures may occur in some grasslands, normally they range between -20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Tropical grasslands have dry and wet seasons, but remain warm all the time. Temperate grasslands have cold winters and warm summers with rain or some snow. Since some grasses die back above ground annually, the soil and the sod protect the roots and the new buds from the cold of winter or dry conditions. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel

Grassland biodiversity and conservation

Grasslands dominated by unsown wild-plant communities ("unimproved grasslands") can be called either natural or 'semi-natural' habitats. The majority of grasslands in temperate climates are 'semi-natural', although their plant communities are natural, their maintenance depends upon anthropogenic activities such as low-intensity farming. Farming maintains these grasslands through grazing and cutting regimes. These grasslands contain many species of wild plants - grasses, sedges, rushes and herbs - 25 or more species per square metre is not unusual. Chalk downlands in England can support over 40 species per square metre. In many parts of the world, few examples have escaped agricultural improvement (fertilising, weed killing, ploughing or re-seeding). For example, original North American prairie grasslands or lowland wildflower meadows in the UK are now rare and their associated wild flora equally threatened. Associated with the wild-plant diversity of the "unimproved" grasslands is usually a rich invertebrate fauna; also there are many species of birds that are grassland "specialists" - for example snipe, or the Great Bustard. A snipe is any of nearly 20 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. The Great Bustard, Otis tarda, is in the Bustard family the only member of the genus Otis. Agriculturally improved grasslands, which dominate modern intensive agricultural landscapes, are usually poor in wild plant species due to the original diversity of plants having been destroyed by cultivation, the original wild-plant communities having been replaced by sown monocultures of cultivated varieties of grasses and clovers, such as Perennial ryegrass and White Clover. Perennial Ryegrass ( Lolium perenne) is a Grass from the family Poaceae. Alsike redirects here Alsike Sweden is also a town in the Knivsta Municipality, Sweden. In many parts of the world "unimproved" grasslands are one of the most threatened habitats, and a target for acquisition by wildlife conservation groups or for special grants to landowners who are encouraged to manage them appropriately.

Human impact and economic importance

Grasslands are of vital importance for raising livestock for human consumption and for milk and other dairy products.

Grassland vegetation remains dominant in a particular area usually due to grazing, cutting (such as for hay), or natural or man-made fires, all discouraging colonisation by and survival of tree and shrub seedlings. Fire was used in North America by the Native Americans as a means of maintaining grassland. Some of the world's largest expanses of grassland are found in African savannah, and these are maintained by wild herbivores as well as by nomadic pastoralists and their cattle, sheep or goats.

Grasslands may occur naturally or as the result of human activity. Grasslands created and maintained by human activity are called anthropogenic grasslands. Hunting peoples around the world often set regular fires to maintain and extend grasslands, and prevent fire-intolerant trees and shrubs from taking hold. The tallgrass prairies in the American Midwest may have been extended eastward into Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio by human agency. Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Much grassland in north-west Europe developed after the Neolithic Period, when people gradually cleared the forest to create areas for raising their livestock.

Types of grassland

Tropical and subtropical grasslands

These grasslands are classified with tropical and subtropical savannas and shrublands as the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. Shrubland (synonymous with Scrubland) is a habitat type dominated by woody Shrubs A shrub is a perennial woody plant that branches at ground level to form several Tropical and subtropical grasslands savannas and shrublands are a Grassland Biome located in Semi-arid to semi- Humid Climate regions Notable tropical and subtropical grasslands include the Llanos grasslands of northern South America. Los Llanos redirect here for the Chilean region see Los Llanos Chile Los Llanos (meaning the flat plains is a vast Tropical grassland South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a

Temperate grasslands

Mid-latitude grasslands, including the Prairie of North America, the Pampa of Argentina, calcareous downland, and the steppes of Europe. Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically Laguna de Gomezjpg|thumb|left|240px|Lake Gomez near Junín in the heart of the Pampas grain belt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. A downland is an area of open Chalk Hills This term is especially used to describe the Chalk countryside in southern England. In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced They are classified with temperate savannas and shrublands as the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. Temperate grasslands Savannas and shrublands is a Biome whose predominant vegetation consists of Grasses and/or Shrubs The Climate Temperate grasslands are the home to many large herbivores, such as bison, gazelles, zebras, rhinoceroses, and wild horses. Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell This is an article about an animal For other uses see Bison (disambiguation. A GAZelle (ГАЗе́ль is a series of mid-sized Trucks Vans and Buses made by Russian car manufacturer GAZ. Zebras are African Equids best known for their distinctive white and black stripes Rhinoceros (raɪˈnɒsərəs often colloquially abbreviated rhino, is a name used to group five extant species of Odd-toed ungulates in the family The Wild Horse ( Equus ferus) is a member of the Horse genus which currently is native only in Asia. Carnivores like lions, wolves and cheetahs are also found in temperate grasslands. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family ( Felidae) that is unique in its speed while lacking climbing abilities Other animals of this region include: deer, prairie dogs, mice, jack rabbits, skunks, coyotes, snakes, fox, owls, badgers, blackbirds, grasshoppers, meadowlarks, sparrows, quails, and hawks. A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. The prairie dogs ( Cynomys) are small burrowing Rodents native to the Grasslands of North America A mouse (plural mice) is a small Animal that belongs to one Hares and jackrabbits are Leporids belonging to the Genus Lepus. Skunks (sometimes referred to as polecats) are Mammals best known for their ability to excrete a strong foul-smelling odor. The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e Badger is the Common name for any animal of three subfamilies which belong to the family Mustelidae: the same Mammal family as the The Blackbird, Common Blackbird or Eurasian Blackbird ( Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush which breeds in Europe, Asia Grasshoppers are Insects of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. Meadowlarks are Birds belonging to the genus Sturnella in the New World family Icteridae This genus includes seven species The "true sparrows" the Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae, are small Passerine Birds Generally sparrows tend to be Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized Birds in the Pheasant family Phasianidae, or in the family Odontophoridae. The term hawk can be used in several ways In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the Species in the Subfamily

Flooded grasslands

Grasslands that are flooded seasonally or year-round, like the Everglades of Florida or the Pantanal of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Everglades is also the name of a city in Collier County Florida Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The Pantanal is a tropical Wetland in South America, mostly within the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only They are classified with flooded savannas as the flooded grasslands and savannas biome and occur mostly in the tropics and subtropics. Flooded grasslands and savannas are a Biome, generally located at subtropical and tropical latitudes where which are flooded seasonally or year-round

Montane grasslands

High-altitude grasslands located on high mountain ranges around the world, like the Páramo of the Andes Mountains. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys Paramo redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Paramo (genus. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. They are part of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, and also constitute alpine tundra. Montane grasslands and shrublands is a Biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons

Polar grasslands

Similar to montane grasslands, arctic tundra can have grasses. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons However high soil moisture means that few tundras are grass-dominated today. However, during the Pleistocene ice ages, a polar grassland known as steppe-tundra occupied large areas of the Northern hemisphere. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets Steppe-tundra is a sparse dry-climate vegetation type which was widespread during Pleistocene times at mid-latitudes of North America and Eurasia, but no

Xeric grasslands

Also called desert grasslands, these are sparse grasslands located in deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregions.

See also

• Appalachian bald
• Coastal plain
• Dambo
• Desert
• Field
• Flooded grasslands and savannas
• Flood-meadow
• Llanos
• Meadow
• Pampa
• Pasture
• Plain
• Plateau
• Prairie
• Savanna
• Sods
• Steppe
• Taiga
• Tundra
• Veld
• Water-meadow
• Wet meadow

References

In the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, balds are mountain summits or crests covered primarily by thick vegetation of native grasses or shrubs occurring A coastal plain is an area of flat low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features ' Dambo' is a word used for a class of complex shallow Wetlands in central southern and eastern Africa, particularly in Zambia and Zimbabwe. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. In Agriculture, a field refers generally to an area of Land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as Cultivating crops Flooded grasslands and savannas are a Biome, generally located at subtropical and tropical latitudes where which are flooded seasonally or year-round A flood-meadow (or floodmeadow) is an area of Grassland or Pasture beside a River, subject to seasonal Flooding. Los Llanos redirect here for the Chilean region see Los Llanos Chile Los Llanos (meaning the flat plains is a vast Tropical grassland A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by Grass and other non- Woody plants. Laguna de Gomezjpg|thumb|left|240px|Lake Gomez near Junín in the heart of the Pampas grain belt Pasture is land with Herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of Ungulate Livestock as part of a Farm or Ranch. In Geography, a plain is an area of land with relatively low relief — meaning that it is flat In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons The term Veld, or Veldt, refers primarily (but not exclusively to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain A water-meadow (also water meadow or watermeadow) is an area of Grassland subject to controlled Irrigation to increase Agricultural productivity A wet meadow is a semi- Wetland Meadow which is saturated with Water throughout much of the year

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