Grasslands are an enchanting natural creation, an endless expanse of greenery teeming with a variety of vibrant creatures that are sure to impress anyone who lays their eyes upon them.
There are many famous grasslands in the world, and they are a renewable resource and an important part of agricultural resources. Prior to human intervention, native grasslands covered approximately 40% to 45% of the Earth's land area.
However, due to human farming and grazing activities, the area has been decreasing steadily over time and has stabilized between about 22% and 25% since the late 19th century.
The North American grasslands are typical of the Pueblo prairie type. Their distribution extends from southern Canada through the United States to northern Mexico.
The Pulley grassland in the United States is bounded by 100°E. To the east of this line is the tall grass area, where the primary grasses are bearded grass. To the west of this line is the short grass area, where the main grasses are bison grass and grama grass.
The mixed Pulley grassland is located on both sides of this line, where both tall and short grasses are found.
The natural grasslands of South America are known as the Pampas Grasslands.
They are distributed in the eastern part of the continent south of 30°S latitude, including the southern edge of the Brazilian plateau, Uruguay, the southern part of the inter-river zone in Argentina, and the eastern part of the Pampas, primarily in Argentina, with 140 million hectares of grassland, and partly in Uruguay with 14 million hectares of grassland.
The dominant grasses are sclerophyllous grasses, in addition to many dicotyledons, such as daisies, and fewer legumes.
Africa boasts a vast savanna region, which accounts for about 40% of the total area of the continent and is the largest savanna distribution area in the world, locally called Savanna.
Its distribution range is between 10° to 17° north latitude, 15° to 25° south latitude and covers a vast area of the East African highlands, roughly horseshoe-shaped, and surrounded by tropical rainforest. The primary grasses are the genus Sulforaphane, Millet, Spathiphyllum, and Wolfsbane.
Some small trees of the genus Acacia grow sparsely among the grasses. In southern Africa, there are also Wilder grasslands, mainly located in the southern part of the Drakensberg in South Africa above 2,000 meters above sea level.
The "Highveld" is the only temperate grassland in Africa without trees, and the community is mainly composed of sedge, foxglove, and other plant species.
The Eurasian steppe is one of the most extensive steppe areas globally, with steppe vegetation extending eastward in a continuous belt from the lower Danube River in Europe, through Romania and Mongolia, to China.
The Eurasian steppe is bordered by the cold-temperate coniferous forest belt in the north and the Eurasian continental desert in the south, between approximately 45-55°N, extending roughly in an east-west direction to the northeast of China and turning southwest to the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau due to the proximity of the sea in the southeast of China.
Based on the differences in geographical composition and ecological environment, the Eurasian steppe zone can be divided into three subzones: the Black Sea-Kazakhstan subzone, the Central Asia subzone, and the Tibetan Plateau subzone.
Grasslands are an essential natural resource that is vital to both human and animal life.