Grasslands develop as a result of changes in climate, changes in plant communities, and fires. Grasslands first appeared millions of years ago after mountains formed and caused climates to change. In North America, for example, the Rocky Mountains...

Ecosystems in which grasses and grasslike plants such as sedges and rushes dominate the vegetation are termed grasslands. Grasslands occur on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that grasslands once covered as much as 25 to 40 percent of...

area in which the vegetation is dominated by a nearly continuous cover of grasses. Grasslands occur in environments conducive to the growth of this plant cover but not to that of taller plants, particularly trees and shrubs. The factors preventing...

Grasslands are environments in which herbaceous species, especially grasses, make up the dominant vegetation. Natural grasslands, commonly called prairie, pampas, shrub steppe, palouse, and many other regional names, occur in regions where rainfall...

Grasslands, which are biomes wet enough to avoid becoming deserts but too dry to support forests, are usually flat or rolling regions that receive an average 25 to 100 centimeters of rain a year. Although large portions of the earth's grasslands have...

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae) and other herbaceous (non-woody) plants (forbs). Plants of the sedge (Cyperacae) and rush (Juncaceae) families can also be frequent in grasslands. Grasslands occur naturally on...