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Information on the Grassland Ecosystem

"Grassland" is the term for biomes known in South America as pampas, in North America as prairies, in Asia as steppes and in Africa as savannas (tropical) or veldts. It's an ecosystem dominated by grasses, often without quite enough water to sustain thickets of trees, and it may cover as much as a quarter of the Earth's surface.

Far From a Monoculture
- Though grass may be the dominant plant form, these vast ecosystems include other flowering non-woody plants or "forbs."
Insects
- Blooming plants mean pollinators, from bees to butterflies. Dry earth invites ground-dwelling insects, such as ants and beetles. There are also varieties of grass-eating insects, from crickets and grasshoppers to swarming locusts.
Birds
- Insects attract birds that feed on them, as do the seeds of flowers. Drier land and good cover favor ground-nesting birds from prairie chickens to ostriches. In the eastern U.S., smaller patches of grassland are instrumental to drawing the Eastern bluebird back from the threat of extinction. Almost 500 species of birds have been identified in Kansas, much of which is covered with wild and farmed grassland.
Mammals
- Rodents and other small mammals may thrive in good cover and easy burrowing. So may large mammals, both grass-eaters, such as deer, antelope, zebra and bison, and those that eat grass-eaters. If the grass isn't eaten or mowed for hay, it may be subject to wildfire.

Nature