Grasslands are, by definition, areas of abundant grasses and shrubs with little or no trees. Due largely to human action, grasslands can be found just about anywhere. They exist naturally in central North America(prairies), southern South America(Pampas), much of central Asia(steppes), southern Africa(savannas), and Australia. They usually receive significant rainfall(10-30 inches per year), but most of this usually falls during one season. The growth of plants and shrubs in this biome is affected greatly by the amount of annual rainfall. This page will concentrate on the grasslands in Australia, with mention to animals, plants, and ecological issues in the region.
Here in Australia, there are many brush fires that can quickly wipe out unprepared trees. In order to counter this, the trees in Australia have adapted to have fire-resistant trunks. Now, when a brush fire occurs, not as many trees are wiped out. Here also, a new type of animal was developed; the marsupial. Marsupials are categorized by the pouch in which they carry their young. The young are born premature and must spend the final stage of their infancy in their mother's pouch.
Among the animals in the Australian grasslands is the Red Wallaby (Macropus rufus), which is famous for its pouch for carrying young and its bounding leaps. Its phylum is Chordata and its class is Mammalia (animals in Class Mammalia are categorized by giving birth to live young and maintaining body heat from inside their bodies) There is also the Quoll (Dasyurus viverinus), a small, carnivorous burrowing animal (also Chordata). One can also find the Hairy-Nosed Wombat in the grassland (Lasierhinus krefftii), which feeds on grasses in the region (Chordata as well). An animal now believed to be extinct is the marsupial wolf (Thylancius cynocepheus), a carnivorous marsupial that fed on wallabies. There are also members of the class Reptilia present; one such animal is the Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kinglii), which is famous for the frills of skin around its neck, which it uses to scare off predators. There are also birds from class Aves; one such bird is a raptor called the Grey Goshawk (Falco hypolucos). Arthropods (from the phylum Arthropoda) are also abundant in the grasslands; one can find arachnids (spiders), which weave their webs and lie in wait for other insects as a meal. There are also Grasshoppers (Orthoptera), and the occasional scorpion (Vrodacus yaschenitoi).
Plant life also exists in diverse species in the Australian Grasslands. These plants include Pink Pimelea (Pimelea spicata), which is a spreading plant which forms clumps about half a meter high. It flowers from Spring to Autumn and sports pink flowers with white tips. Another species is Tunbridge Buttercup (Ranunculus prasinus), a small, yellow-flowered herb. Yet another found in the grasslands is Rose Mallee (Eucalyptus rhodantha), a low tree that grows to only 12 feet high. It flowers large 7.5 cm wide flowers containing lots of nectar.
Many of the grassland plants and animals in Australia are on the verge of extinction due to the introduction of European plants and animals to Australian life. Many of these forms of wildlife(such as the Marsupial Wolf) were simply hunted to the point of extinction. To counter this, environmental groups such as ANCA(Australian National Conservation Agency) have formed in Australia to teach the people of the land the delicacy of the situation and the need for these forms of life to be preserved.
WEBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.anca.gov.au/environm/grasslan/grassref.html
1997 World Book
http://www.grasslands.org
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/department/bi/birjt/jrcrc/difmars.html
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/marsupials.html
PICTURE SOURCES
http://www.grasslands.ab.ca/grassm.gif
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/other/yak/yak1.gif
http://rainbow.1deo.columbia.edu/courses/v2300y/grasslands1.gif
http://www.afternet.com /~teal/g1006x3.jpg