Journey into a biome that goes to extremes! How many different types of grasslands are there? Why is this biome so vital to us? What types of plants and animals live in this biome? Do they require special adaptations and if so what are they? Why would anyone want to live there? You will learn the answers to these questions and more as you explore this diverse biome. Remember to complete the scavenger hunt questions and complete your data collection sheet as you move through this area of the world.

Did you know?

What is a Grassland? A grassland is a grassy, windy, partly-dry biome, a sea of grass. Almost one-fourth of the Earth's land area is grassland. In many areas, grasslands separate forests from deserts. Deep-rooted grasses dominate the flora in a grassland; there are very few trees and shrubs in a grassland, less than one tree per acre. There are many different words for grassland environments around the world, including savannas, pampas, campos, plains, steppes, prairies and veldts.

There are two types of grasslands, including:

* Tropical grassland - hot all year with wet seasons that bring torrential rains. Located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, sometimes called savannas.
* Temperate grasslands - hot summers and cold winters. The evaporation rate is high, so little rain makes it into the rich soil. Located north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Where are Grasslands? Grasslands are located in North America's interior (called prairies ), in southeastern South America (Argentina's pampas and the campos of Uruguay and Brazil), in Eurasia (the Eurasian steppe in Mongolia and parts of the former Soviet Union), in Africa (the semi-arid steppes of the Sahel of north-central Africa and the wetter grasslands, veldts, of East Africa and Madagascar), and in Australia and New Zealand (called rangelands).

Use the navigational bar to above to move through each specific ecosystem, resources and adaptations.

To listen to the sounds of the forest ecosystem click on the image below.

To take glimpse into the life of a Meerkat click on the image below.

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