Grasslands by Dr. Gaurav Garg
Grasslands
● Grasslands are areas where the most dominant type of vegetation is grasses.
● Grasslands are home for a wide diversity of animal species. Grasslands are a kind of biome.
● Grasslands exist on every continent except Antarctica, which makes them vulnerable to pressure from human
populations.
● Grasslands are found where there is not enough regular rainfall to support the growth of a forest, but not so little that a
desert forms.
● In fact, grasslands often lie between forests and deserts.
● They are generally open and fairly flat, and they exist on every continent except Antarctica, which makes them
vulnerable to pressure from human populations.
● Moisture, Droughts, fires, or episodes of heavy grazing affect grassland from time to time.
● Grasslands are of two types : Tropical and Temperate .
● Countries which Fall in Between Tropic Of Cancer and Tropic Of Capricorn generally have Tropical Grasslands .
● Countries Beyond that have Temperate Grasslands .
● In Tropical, sun rays fall directly so often there is hot climate and also good rainfall. For example, Temperature in
Maharashtra and Kerala remains the same throughout the year.
● In Temperate, temperature changes throughout the year, there are summer and winter seasons. For example,
Temperature in Delhi changes throughout the year, there is very hot summer and similarly very cold winters.
● When we talk about Tropical Rainforests, they are found near the Equator. Congo Forest (Africa) and Amazon Forest
(Brazil) are Equatorial Rainforest. Due to direct sunlight water evaporation takes place and a good amount of rainfall is
received by these Rainforest.
Tropical Grasslands
● Tropical Grasslands is also known as the Savanna or savannah.
● They are characterized by a combination of widely spaced grassy fields and woodlands where sufficient light reaches
the ground.
● Annually, such areas receive 30 to 130 cm of rain every year, which is then followed by a dry season.
● Wet season – Grass grows upto 3-4m but it lacks nutrients.
● Dry season – Grass gets dry and catches fire. Fire limits grasslands length. Fire affects only Tropical Grasslands.
● Fires affect tropical savannah the most.
● Also known as Big Game biome because of abundant wildlife.
● Trees are present in Tropical grasslands, Not like Rainforests but trees can be seen easily.
Importance of Grasslands
1) Grasslands absorb Carbon dioxide, they do work of carbon sinks.
2) Abundant food supply. Temperate grasslands are also called ‘Granaries of World’.
3) High level of Biodiversity.
4) Grasslands cover approx 1/3rd of Earth.
Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands - Bhutan, India, Nepal
● The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the
Himalayas, the Shivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
● This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scrub savannah, sal forests and clay rich swamps. In northern
India, the Terai spreads from the Yamuna River eastward across Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West
Bengal. The Terai is part of the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion.
● In West Bengal grasslands are called ‘duar’.
● Terai-Duar is a highly fertile area, large amount of Wheat crop is found in these area.
Temperate Grasslands
● Temperate Grasslands – Found between 40-55 degrees north and south latitude.
● Temperate grasslands lie in the interior of the continent, far from the coast, they have extreme climate.
● Very hot summers followed by cold winters.
● Average annual rainfall ranges between 25 and 65 cm.
● The temperate grasslands are further categorized into Steppes and Prairies.
● Soil is very rich in nutrients, ideally suited for extensive agriculture
● Temperate Grasslands – Known as Granaries of the world.
● They don’t have trees.
● Temperate Grasslands are of two types :-
✓ Prairies type – Taller Grass, Humid
✓ Steppes type – Short Grass, Semi-Arid
North America - Prairies
● Prairies are in between Rocky Mountains and Great lakes.
● Maximum area of Prairies lie in the USA, but also found in Canada.
Ukraine to China - Steppes
● Steppes are the largest Grasslands.
● Western Steppes - Ukraine and Russia.
● Eastern Steppes - Mongolia and Manchuria (China).
Temperate Grasslands in Hungary (Extension of Steppes) are called Pustaz.
Types of Grasslands in India
● Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands (savanna means Tropical)
● Montane Grasslands (montane means Mountain)
● Montane Grasslands of Central India : Tropical Savannas (Vindhya-Satpura region)
● Coastal Grasslands
● Wet Grasslands
Montane Grasslands:
● Montane grasslands mean mountainous grasslands. These are found in different mountainous areas of the country.
● Bugyal grasslands of Uttarakhand
● Khajjiar grasslands of Himachal Pradesh
● Ukhrul grasslands of Manipur
● Saramati grasslands of Nagaland
● Dzukou Valley Nagaland
● The Marg grasslands of Kashmir like Gulmarg, Sonmarg
Montane Grasslands of Central India:
● These grasslands are found on the mountainous regions of Satpura and Vindhya ranges, Western and Eastern Ghats.
● The central Indian grasslands are marked by dry but tall grasses. These can be called Tropical Savannah.
● Grasslands on the Ghats are marked by short length grasses. For example the Shola grasslands of Karnataka .
Coastal Grasslands:
● The coastal grasslands in India are spread over beach sand forming a thick mat-like cover. For example, the Banni and
Vidi grassland of Rann of Kutch , Gujarat.
Wet Grasslands:
● These grasslands are mainly found in the water-logged areas of northern plains. These are famously called as floating
grasslands and are marked by dense, tall vegetation.
● For example, the Phumdi grassland of Manipur (Keibul Lamjao National Park).
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