Grassland Biomes

Grassland Biomes book cover — CONTENTS What are grasslands Different grasslands Where are they 4 6 8 Prairie life 10 Steppe life 12 Pampas life Savanna life 14 16 Born survivors 18 Eat or be eaten 20 Animals on the move Grassland people Grassland threats Grassland futures Glossary Find out more Index 22 24 26 28 30 31 32

Grassland Biomes — page 1 — 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

Grassland Biomes — page 2 — 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

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