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Quick Key Facts. Roughly 40 percent of Earth’s land surface is covered by grasslands.. Grasslands store about one-third of Earth’s terrestrial carbon and act as important carbon sinks.. More ...
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses . However, sedge and rush can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, such as clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica and are found in most ecoregions of the Earth.
The tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are characterized by rainfall levels between 90–150 centimetres (35–59 in) per year. [1] Rainfall can be highly seasonal, with the entire year's rainfall sometimes occurring within a couple of weeks. African savannas occur between forest or woodland regions and grassland regions.
Former grasslands are now among the most productive agricultural lands on Earth. [28] The tallgrass prairie has been converted into one of the most intensive crop producing areas in North America. [29] Less than one tenth of one percent (<0.09%) of the original landcover of the tallgrass prairie biome remains. [30]
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are terrestrial biomes defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. [1] The predominant vegetation in these biomes consists of grass and/or shrubs . The climate is temperate and ranges from semi-arid to semi-humid.
A tree savanna at Tarangire National Park in Tanzania in East Africa A grass savanna at Kruger National Park in South Africa. A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close.
There are seasonally flooded grasslands and savannas (llano bajo) and grasslands and savannas that remain dry throughout the year (llano alto). [2] The llano alto grasslands and savannas are characterized by grasses and shrubs 30–100 cm high, forming tussocks 10 to 30 cm apart. Soils are typically sandy and nutrient-poor.
Grassland birds, particularly those of the shortgrass prairie, are one North America's fastest declining groups of animals. Some of birds still inhabiting the shortgrass prairie are the Cassin's sparrow, loggerhead shrike, sandhill crane, scaled quail, Swainson's hawk, burrowing owl, mountain plover and thick-billed longspur. Although the ...