Grasslands

3 Pages 768 Words

The World of Grasslands looks at the three different contiguous prairies. It covers the tall grass, mixed grass, and the short grass prairies. This chapter also looks at the great decline of grasslands in much of their range.
One of the main threats to grasslands looked at in this chapter is the exotic plants that have been introduced by cattle imported here from around the globe. Even though these exotic plants have caused a lot of damage, many of these efforts are reversible.
At the start of this chapter the author explains his first experience in a prairies area. As he entered the big open prairie he said he had no idea what to expect. While he started walking in the knee-deep grass he looked out and saw that the prairie extended far beyond what he could see, beyond the curve of the earth. The Nebraska Sand Hills where he was walking, was covered with big and little bluestem, drop seed, and prairie sand reed. When the wind blew he said the prairie rolled like a stormy sea.
The world of grasslands is the first topic looked at in this chapter. When trying to understand the true American grassland one must first think way beyond a common suburban lawn. In an undisturbed grassland in the Midwest there can be a hundred different types of grasses every foot. When looking at grasslands throughout the entire country there are over 7500 plant species. Like the forests and their species, each of these plants serves a special purpose in maintaining a healthy grassland.
One of the ways that grasslands are maintained and survive is through diversity. Diversity in grasslands comes when you have various wildflowers bloom at different times. In a study conducted in Minnesota, during a drought, seven-eights of that particular biomass dies if it does not have species diversity.
When you look back a the time when the prairies had buffalo running wild, the prairies was a system that grew, and continued to grow. Today we see pr...