Grasslands of the World | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Grasslands

• A grassland ecosystem is a dry area of land dominated by grasses.
• Huge trees and shrubs are very rarely found in these regions, which is mainly because of the climatic conditions and other environmental factors, which do not withstand the plant’s requirements.

• Grasslands are also called transitional landscapes.
• In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by herbs and grass.

Natural grasslands of the world

• These ecosystems are mainly found in regions, where there is a scarcity of water and not enough and regular rainfall to support the growth of plants and forests.
• The grassland ecosystem lies between the deserts and the forest ecosystems. 
• Savanna grasslands and temperate grasslands are some examples of grassland ecosystems.
• There are many other types of grassland around the world, which go by many names. 
• Grasslands of South America are known as pampas and central Eurasian grasslands are referred to as steppes and so on.

Types of Grasslands

Grasslands are subdivided into two types, namely:

Tropical Grasslands

• Tropical grasslands have dry and wet seasons that remain warm all the time.
• These regions are warm throughout the year, followed by dry and wet seasons. 
• Tropical Grasslands are the ones that receive 50 cm to 130 cm rain.
• Also, the tropical grasslands contain quite short plants which makes it an excellent hunting ground.
• For instance, the African savanna is one of the tropical grasslands.
• In conclusion, the tropical grassland is a home for elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, zebras, and other spectacular species.

Tropical Grasslands are:

• East Africa - Savanna
• Brazil - Campos
• Venezuela - Llanos

Temperate Grasslands

• These grasslands are similar to tropical grasslands, except for the climatic conditions.

Temperate Grasslands of the World

• They have cold winters and warm summers with 25 cm and 75 cm. of annual rainfall. Shrublands are the best example of temperate grasslands.
• Moreover, these grasslands suffer extreme climates.
• In the cold season, the temperature can reach up Flooded Grasslands to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
• While in the summer season it reaches up to 90 degrees in some areas.
• The precipitation in these grasslands is mostly in the form of dew and snow.
• For instance, some vegetation that grows here are, cacti, sagebrush, perennial grasses, buffalo grass clovers, and wild indigos, etc.

Temperate Grasslands are:

• Argentina - Pampas
• America - Prairie
• South Africa - Veld
• Asia - Steppe
• Australia - Down

Grasslands of the World