The Grassland
Facts and Information
Location and Climate
Depending on where you are, grasslands can be found in many places and are called many names: prairies (North America), steppes (Asia), savannas (Africa and Australia), and pampas (South America). The one thing these all have in common is grass.
The climate in the grassland can very a bit from one place to another. They basically have hot summers and cold winters. Temperatures generally range from about 86˚F in summer to about 32˚F in winter. The average precipitation (rainfall) in the grassland is about 75 centimeters. With the high rate of evaporation (water returning to the atmosphere) and grazing by animals, grasslands often fall victim to forest fires and droughts.
Grassland Plants
As the name implies, the major plant of the grassland is grass. Grass is adapted for survival in the grassland by being small to overcome the excessive evaporation and grazing mentioned above. For the same reasons, very few taller plants grow well here. Over 10,000 different species of grass grow, worldwide. Growing among the grasses, you may find small flowering plants and a few trees such as cottonwoods and willows. Because of the growth of the grass, grasslands often have rich soil. It is in these regions that farmers have found the most success in growing food crops.
Grassland Animals
Without very many places above ground to hide, grassland animals have adapted to survival in many ways. One way is camouflage. Animals of the grassland are colored such that they blend with the environment either to sneak up on food or to avoid being food. Another adaptation of the grassland is sharp vision and speed. Still another adaptation is that many of the grassland animals live underground. Some animals of the grassland include: lions, coyotes, jack rabbits, prairie chickens, prairie dogs, rats, mice, ground squirrels, wolves, foxes, antelope, elk, deer, bison, hawks, owls, snakes, kangaroos, wombats, giraffes, elephants, zebras and wildebeests. These animals do not live together in one grassland, but can be found in different grasslands all over the world