WHAT ARE GRASSLANDS Grasslands are wide open areas of land that are mainly covered in grasses As the wind blows through them some grasslands look like giant seas of grass This is a grassland in Kansas USA with the spiky leaves and tall stems of a yucca shrub in the foreground Seas of grass Grasslands are found in places where there is just enough rain for grasses to grow but too little rain for many trees to survive As well as grasses grasslands are also home to flowering plants such as clovers and sunflowers and shrubs such as yuccas Grasses all have thread-like roots and long thin leaves but there are many different kinds of grasses in grasslands For example big bluestem grass can grow to 10 feet 3 m tall It has blue-green stems with purple or green seed heads on top Ryegrass is a short tufted green grass and wild oats are medium-height grasses with dull brown stems and seed heads Amazing Adaptation Adaptations are special features or body parts that living things develop over time to help them survive in a biome Grass plants have roots that spread deep and wide below the surface to collect enough water to survive dry spells 4
Buzzing with life Grasslands may look like huge dull fields of grass but they are buzzing with life Millions of worms ants beetles and other animals live among the grass roots underground Insects eat grasses and seeds above ground Birds eat seeds and make nests from dry grass Birds reptiles and other animals eat plants insects and each other Greedy grazers The vast areas of grass also provide food for large animals like zebras Grazing animals like these spend up to 18 hours a day eating to get enough nutrients from grass They are often seen together in large herds or groups While some animals in the herd are feeding others can keep a lookout for predators such as lions Lions may sneak up on a herd slowly before starting a chase across this grassland in Kenya Fact Focus Biome or Habitat Biomes are regions of the world such as deserts forests rivers oceans tundra and grassland that have a similar climate plants and animals A habitat is the specific place in a biome where a plant or animal lives 5
DIFFERENT GRASSLANDS There are many different grasslands around the world but they can be split into two main kinds temperate and tropical Temperate grasslands Temperate grasslands are found in places that have warm summers cold winters and very little rain all year round These biomes may have scattered trees but there are not enough to slow down or block the wind so they can get very blustery Grasses stop growing to survive the cold winters in temperate grasslands They store water and food in their roots and save energy until the warm damp spring comes In spring and summer they grow new stems leaves and flowers and the sound of swishing grasses fills the air This temperate grassland in Wyoming USA gets covered in snow in winter eat underneath Bison can clear away snow with their massive heads to find grass to Fact File Hortobágy National Park Location Puszta Hungary Size 315 sq mi 820 km2 Overview The largest temperate grassland in Europe home to butterflies hamsters polecats and saker falcons 6
Tropical grasslands Tropical grasslands are found in parts of the world that have two seasons rainy and dry Very heavy rains fall in the rainy season which is why tropical grasslands tend to have longer grasses and scattered bushes and trees Rains form watering holes that animals can drink from During dry seasons there is little or no rain Most plants turn brown and stop growing They rest until the rainy season returns Then the plants and flowers grow rapidly again A giraffe’s long legs and neck help it to reach tasty leaves at the top of tropical grassland trees Tropical grassland trees have defenses to stop animals from eating them For example acacia trees have big sharp thorns But a giraffe can squeeze its extra-long tongue between the thorns and curl it around leaves to pluck them off Amazing Adaptation Grasses keep on growing even after being nibbled down by hungry animals This occurs because grasses grow from their base near the ground rather than from their tips as trees do 7
