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Grasslands Biome
Grasslands are big open areas that get between 25 and 75 cm of rain per year. This is less rain than a forest gets and more than a desert gets.
Grasslands are found on every continent
except Antarctica. About one quarter of the earth's land is in
the grasslands biome. Grasslands have different names in different
countries, such as pampas (South America), prairies (North America),
savannahs (Africa), or steppes (Asia).
The main plants
are of course grasses, with a few low
shrubs and occasional trees. In grasslands,
trees are more commonly found near rivers and streams. There are
many wildflowers growing in grasslands. Therefore, when you look
out over a grassland, what you see is a large, open, continuous
piece of land with lots and lots of grass. The roots of the grasses
and small plants make the soil rich and good for farming.
There are 3
types of grasslands.
Tall grasslands
have very tall grass, up to 152 cm tall, and up to 80cm of rain
a year.
Mixed grasslands have grasses that grow around 60-90 cm
high and gets about 40-60 cm of rain each year.
Short grasslands have short grasses and receive very little
rainfall each year, less than 15 cm.
Grasslands around the world are becoming extinct as people make farms and towns. The plants and animals are becoming endangered.
Tropical grasslands are those closest to the equator. They are hot all year long.
Temperate grasslands are those further from
the equator, and have hot summers and harsh winters.They once
stretched across much of North and South America, and they were
common in Europe and Asia.
Mongolian grassland
Find out about
other biomes:
water .. rainforest .. tundra .. desert .. taiga .. deciduous forests
Back to
Biomes main page
If
you use any part of this in your work, acknowledge it in your
bibliography like this:
Grasslands
Biome (2002).
[Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
updated July 2002