By Reginald Buds
The Grasslands are found between the deserts and the forests. The Grasslands do not have very much trees or sand. So it isn’t like the desert or forest very much. There are many different names for the Grassland. In Asia and Europe they call it the steppes. Some people call it the prairie. So there are many different names.
Some of the Grasslands are the prairie. The Grasslands were first inhabited by Native Americans. There were many native tribes on the prairie. One of them was the Sioux tribe. TThe Grasslands are found in every country except Antarctica. The most is in America. Some of the states are South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
The animals in the Grasslands face hard winters so they need to grow fur or hibernate in the winter. Some hibernators are snakes. Predators must hunt in the winter to stay alive unless they hibernate. If they hibernate like bears they need to eat a lot before and after winter. The summer in the Grasslands is very hot. Animals adjust to the heat by shedding fur. Snakes loose heavy skin. Snakes also need more heat, so they crawl on gravel, to heat up. You would see more animals in the summer. There isn’t much shade in the prairie. Animals adjust to long heat.
There are many burrowing animals in the Grasslands, such as the prairie dog. Prairie dogs can get their homes stolen by many animals such as the snakes. Prairie dogs also live in groups. There are many birds in the Grasslands as well. Some birds are hunters such as the hawk. Smaller birds eat insects. Most of the birds migrate south for winter. The eagle is the biggest bird.
The most seen plant in the Grasslands is the grass. It is used by different animals. Deer graze on it. Snakes hide in it to surprise their prey. There are many kinds of grass-- tall and mixed. There is more grasses in the prairie than any where else. There aren’t very many trees in the prairie so there is little shade. There is also plenty of heat. Most shade is from hills. The trees that are found usually are along a creek or lake. Birds need trees or something high up for their nest.
Flowers can be found in Spring and Summer. There are many Dandelions in the prairie.The Coneflower is found often. The Pasque flower is often found in South Dakota. The Grasslands have many plants some are rare some are beautiful some are poisonous. Some are tall some are short. But the animals need the plants to live. From eating to hiding. The animals need the plants for bedding also.
The Grasslands are very hot in the Summer. Some days can rise over one hundred degrees F. The Summer also has rain. Some times it just sprinkles some times it is a monsoon. The wind is also very strong. Which sometimes causes tornadoes Summer is after Spring and before Fall. The Spring is also like the summer except it is cooler. There is more rain in the spring. The spring comes after winter and before summer. So there might be mud. The risk of tornadoes is lower than summer. The spring doesn't last very long. It is from March 20 th to June 19 th.
The rain fall in the Grasslands is high in some places and low in others. Some places are even in the drought! There are about 20 to 35 inches per year. The west is a drier part. The Winter is covered with snow. It is also covered with ice pellets, slush, freezing rain, and with freezing temperatures.
TThe Grasslands ecosystem is an interesting ecosystem. The Grassland is part prairie. The Grasslands are a beautiful place. It is full of wild animals and natural plants. Some of the Grassland is farming land.