Grasslands
By: Ryan Hornsby
The Grassland Biome
Grasslands are lands dominated by grasses rather than large trees. Usually have warm, summers followed by cold , dry winters. There are two types of grasslands, temperate and tropical.
Temperate Grasslands
The temperate grasslands are north and south of the tropics. They are known as plains in the USA and Canada. Here its grass, with many flowers. Here there is less rainfall than in the tropical grasslands. But here the seasons are different. Animals in temperate grasslands include: Bison, gazelle, deer; burrowing animals such as mice and jack rabbits; and predators such as snakes and coyotes. Many grasslands have been turned into farms or grazing because the land is flat, treeless, covered with grass, and have rich soil. Grasslands are found on all continents, except for Antarctica.
Tropical Grasslands
The Tropical grassland biome, like African savanna, are between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Tropical grasslands are between the hot desert biome and the tropical rainforest biome it receives 51 to 127 cm of rain, and has two seasons of dry season and a wet season. Temperatures are constant all year round 25 to 33 degrees. Lack of rain means that grass and a few specially adapted trees. There are less trees the closer you get to the desert and more trees the closer you get to the rainforest. Fire is very important in the grasslands as it burns off the dry grass, which renew when the rains come. The grasses roots are protected from the fire and the ash puts nutrients into the soil. Animals in tropical grasslands include: Elephants, giraffe, lions, cheetah, cattle, antelope, wildebeest and buffalo.