Author: Labman

Are Grasslands Under Threat?

Grasslands are very important. Almost three quarters of the worlds food is grown in grassland areas. Only two percent of the original Grasslands remain. Many of the creatures are under threat.
Information from this brochure is from the “Life in the Grasslands” book by: Catherine Chambers.

Organization

Grasslands:
What are they? Where are they? Who lives there? Are they under threat?

By: Jacqui Lantry

Where are the
Grasslands?

Grasslands are all around the world. There are Grasslands in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas. One in every continent except Antarctica.
Grasslands can be flat or hilly. Grasslands are very hot and have very tall grasses. The annual rainfall they receive is between 10-30 inches. If they get any more, they would turn into forestlands, and any less rain would turn them into desert areas.

Grassland Animals
Coyotes, prairie dogs, gophers, antelope, bison, eagles, wild turkey, Canadian geese, bobcats, the gray wolf, fly catchers, and various types of insects. There are similar animals that inhabit the steppes, such as foxes, falcons, antelopes, and the lynx.
In Africa there are elephants, zebras, and leopards in the Grasslands.
Grassland Plants
Shrubs and trees occur very rarely in this biome. There are several types of grasses that grow in the grassland biome, such as buffalo grass, ryegrass, foxtail, wild oats, and purple needlegrass. Although animals feed on these grasses, they can survive because the point of growth of the grasses is very near the surface of the ground.
Besides, they survive even fires due to the underground buds and stems. The trees and shrubs that grow in the grassland biome, on the other hand, are easily destroyed in fires.