Surrounded in The Grasslands
Grasslands are found in areas of the earth that lack rainfall but are abundant in herbaceous vegetation. Majority of the grasslands can be found in places such as Siberia, both North and South America, Australia, New Zealand as well as Africa. The evolution of these grasslands are based greatly on forest fires, extreme climate changes and industrialisation. These abiotic factors also play a role on the survival of the various species that inhabit the grasslands. When an elongated drought occurs, the food supply for animals are cut because of the lack of vegetation. For the animals that prey on herbivores, they lose their food supply as well when the herbivores die from lack of food and so on. The balance of the food chain is based a great amount of the fauna species.These animals enhance the mineral content when removing the ground which benefits the vegetal species. The Vegetation provides for the earthworm and other insects that oxygenate the ground. For the industrialisation and the inhabiting of humans many grasslands are disappearing which plays a role in the near extinction of some animals such as the lion and elephant.
Grasslands of The World
Some Native Plants:
- Grass
- Big Bluestem
- Indian Grass
- Blazing Stars
- Butterfly Weed
- Sunflower
Some Native Animals:
- Western Meadowlark Wombat
- Wallaby
- Quoll
- Painted Lady Butterfly
- Kakapo
- Jaguar
- Impala
- Dhole
- Dingo
For as long as they have existed the plants and animals of the grasslands have adapted to the scenarios presented to them. For the plants some have roots reach farther into the ground to gain excess to better water supply. Other grass's roots regrow after the grass has been burned off from forest fires. Along with those adaptations include that of the thickening barks of trees to help resist the forest fires. For the evolution side of the animals many have adapted to the dry and windy conditions of the grasslands. Some of the animals are nocturnal, while others picked up traits such as paws and legs that allow them to burrow, using the ground as shelter. Many of the animals colours blend in with the plants to help keep invisible from predators, as well.