Grasslands are large areas with rolling hills of grasses and wildflowers. Grasslands are found on every continent but Antarctica. Sometimes grasslands are called prairies, savannahs, or steppes.The roots of the grasses and small plants make the soil rich and great for farming. Some of the grasslands are used for animal grazing, too. The map below shows where grasslands are located around the world.
What is the weather like in the grasslands? Grasslands are extremely hot during the summer months and very cold during the winter months. The grasslands receive anywhere from 10-30 inches of rain per year.
This table compares rainfall in the grasslands to other biomes. Sometimes the summers are so hot that the grass catches on fire very easily. Fires are very often seen during these hot summer months. These fires are dangerous because they spread through the dry grass very quickly.
During the winter, on some grasslands, the snow might be so high that it comes up over your head. WOW! That is a lot of snow!
What kind of animals roam the grasslands? There are so many animals that live in the grasslands. Some of them are very small such as mice, prairie dogs, and the little insect called the aphid. These animals can hide easily in the tall grass of the grasslands. Other animals roam the grasslands of Africa such as the African elephant, lions, zebras, giraffe, black rhinoceros, and many more! These animals are too large to hide in the grasses, so they must protect themselves in other ways.
Lions, cheetas, and coyotes are able to protect themselves by running very fast. Other large animals travel in groups. Elephants, zebras and rhinoceros roam the grasslands in huge herds. These herds are able to protect the smaller, weaker animals from lions and other predators.
Here in the United States, buffalo used to roam the grasslands, but no so much anymore. Buffalo are huge animals with thick, brown fur. A long time ago, many people hunted the buffalo. Today, a person can not shoot a buffalo, so the mammal is slowly making a comeback.
In other grassland areas, such as Africa, there is a big problem with people shooting animals. Elephants and rhinoceros are shot for their tusks, and lions are killed for their fur. We need to protect these animals before it is too late!
What kind of plants grow in grasslands?
Prairies, as grasslands are sometimes called, have many beautiful wildflowers. Just look at the pictures below!
There are not many tall trees or bushes in the grasslands, because there is just not enough water for them to live. Also, there is too much wind on the prairie for tall trees to survive.
Grassland Facts
Grasslands are considered the transitional biome. This means that grasslands are usually found between the desert and the forest. It would become a forest if grasslands received more rain. If it received any less rain, it would be a desert. There are 3 types of grasslands. Tall grasslands have very tall grass, up to 5 feet tall, and they get almost 30 inches of rain a year. Mixed grasslands have grasses that grow around 2-3 feet high. This kind of grassland gets about 15-25 inches of rain in a year. The third kind of grassland is the short grasslands. This type of grassland is almost a desert. It has very short grass and only receives 10 inches of rain each year.
True prairies and grasslands are becoming harder and harder to find. People are taming the wild lands, and the grasslands are becoming as extinct as the animals that are missing from them today.
In Africa, national parks are being set up to preserve the grasslands. This will help the animals such as lions and elephants as well.
The United States is starting to perserve the wild grasslands, too. It is even replanting grass where it has been cleared for farming.
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