Grassland+Key+Facts

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is mainly grass. Grasslands are one of the main biomes that have natural vegetation. Grasslands are usually found between dryer areas and wetter areas. There are grasslands with tall grass and others with short grass scattered around the world. Grasslands actually have different names as you travel around the world. In North America, grasslands are called **prairies**. In South America, grasslands are **pampas**. **Veld** is the name for grasslands in South Africa. In northern Africa, you find **savannas**, which are tropical grasslands. In south-eastern Australia, **rangelands** are the grassland name. **Steppes** cover lots of Asia through Russia and China. It may not seem like grasslands have a lot of biodiversity since they are mainly grass. However, they have a large number of species living in them. Unfortunately, most grassland areas have seen a drop in biodiversity. Prairies have been especially threatened due to the invasion of non-native species. In fact, 13-30 percent of the grasses found in prairies are now non-native grasses. Grasslands are found on six of the seven continents. Grasslands are not found in Antarctica because it is too cold for grass to live. The grassland is a biome which is mainly found in the middle of countries, away from the ocean. There are two different types of grasslands: temperate grasslands and tropical grasslands. Tropical grasslands are also home to some of the largest land animals on earth. Africa is a great example of the two types of grasslands. If you are in the southern part of the continent, you will see temperate grasslands because you are far away from the equator. As you head north, you will find savannas with small amounts of trees because the climate is hotter.

Temperate grasslands occur in semi-arid places that have an annual rainfall of 10 to 25 inches. In North America these grassy plains are called the prairie while in Russia they are known as "steppes." South of the equator, "pampas" and "veld" are two regional terms used for temperate grasslands.
 * 1) one key fact about the grasslands are that there are no trees for miles.
 * 2) do to some of the location of some of grasslands it is not very hilly here and has little elivation any where.
 * 3) most grasslands are located in the middle of the United States.
 * 4) the more you go west the higher altituted do to the rocky moutains.

The American Prairie Grassland areas in the United States begin in the Midwest with the tallgrass prairie and progress to shorter grass types, as the observer travels west. The change from tall to short grass corresponds with a decline in annual rainfall and is often accompanied by a gradual increase in elevation.

Sources: [|http://www.ehow.com/facts_7155543_temperate-grasslands.html#ixzz1aO3QovDj]

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