Where is grassland found

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.

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. All rights reserved. Types of grasslands There are two main kinds of grasslands: tropical and temperate. Grassland plants and animals Grasslands support a variety of species.

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Large animals, such as African elephants, can also trample the ground and discourage the growth of trees. The two distinct types of grasslands are savannas and temperate grasslands. These two types of grasslands may look similar, but they differ in some significant ways. For example, elephants are found in African savannas but not in the temperate grasslands of the United States. In contrast, burrowing animals, such as prairie dogs, are commonly found in temperate grasslands.

Temperate grasslands also are known to have richer soils than savannas. Savannas are present in areas that have a warm climate with a rainy season and a dry season. Most of the precipitation falls during just a few months of the year.

This results in a long dry season that inhibits the growth of trees. Savannas and their abundant wildlife are famous in Africa, but savannas can also be found in South America, Asia, and Australia. Temperate grasslands, on the other hand, are known for their rich soil that yields abundant growth of grasses. Temperate grasslands are found in places such as North America and Eastern Europe. Humans have had a dramatic impact on the grassland biome.

Because temperate grasslands have rich soil, most of the grasslands in the United States have been converted into fields for crops or grazing land for cattle. The loss of grasslands due to agriculture has affected several species, including monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus. Consequently, monarch butterfly populations have begun disappearing as more and more grasslands have been converted into farmland.

In the African savannas, illegal hunting has resulted in the loss of many large animals, including elephants. The elephants protect the grasses of the savanna by crushing trees and shrubs. Without large animals around to stomp down the trees, they can more readily overtake the grasses, causing savannas to turn into forests. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society. Look at an annotated cross-section of the African savannah. The World Wildlife Fund overview of grassland habitats. World biomes: savannahs. Information about North American prairies and steppes. Find out about the animals and plants of the savannah and the prairie and steppe. Information to help you explore a meadow in the UK. On Africam you can watch free live video streams of the African savannah and its wildlife: elephants, zebras, giraffes and more.

Look through a photogallery of grassland habitats from the BBC. Download a grassland spotting kit and go on a learning walk in your closest meadow. Need help? How to videos Why join? Grassland habitats. What are grassland habitats? They are wide, open areas where mostly grass and flowers grow.

Two main kinds of grasslands are tropical and temperate. Tropical grasslands are warmer than temperate grasslands. Tropical grasslands are located between the near the equator, and they stay pretty hot all year long. Savannahs in Africa are tropical grasslands. Temperate grasslands are located further away from the equator in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

They can get very cold in the winter. Grasslands can be good for growing crops and feeding livestock, so many grasslands have been used for farming. The grass found in grassland habitats can be different lengths depending on exactly how much rainfall there is.