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Grassland is one of several types of terrestrial biomes, where grasses form the predominant vegetation, usually mixed with herbs and sometimes with shrubs, but usually without trees. Grasslands dotted with trees are called savanna.

Grasslands usually get 25-75 cm (10-30 inches) of rainfall annually. Fires, natural and human-caused, are important in the maintenance of many grasslands.

Grasslands may occur naturally or as the result of human activity. Grasslands created and maintained by human activity are called anthropogenic grasslands. Hunting peoples around the world often set regular fires to maintain and extend grasslands, and prevent fire-intolerant trees and shrubs from taking hold. The tallgrass prairies in the American Midwest may have been extended eastward into Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio by human agency. Other anthropogenic grasslands include pasture, where forest or shrublands were cleared to create land for intensive grazing.

Tropical and subtropical grasslands are classified with tropical and subtropical savannas and shrublands as the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. Notable tropical and subtropical grasslands include the Llanos grasslands of northern South America.

Temperate grasslands are mid-latitude grasslands, including the Prairie of North America, the Pampa of Argentina, calcerous downland, and the steppes of Eurasia. They are classified with temperate savannas and shrublands as the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome.

Flooded grasslands are grasslands that are flooded seasonally or year-round, like the Everglades of Florida or the Pantanal of Bolivia and Paraguay. They are classified with flooded savannas as the flooded grasslands and savannas biome, which occurs mostly in the tropics and subtropics.

Montane grasslands are high-altitude grasslands located on high mountain ranges around the world, like the Páramo of the Andes Mountains. They are part of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome.

Xeric grasslands or desert grasslands are sparse grasslands located in deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregions.

See also

• Gran Chaco
• Great Plains
• Llanos
• Pampa
• Prairie
• Savanna
• Steppe
• Veld

Terrestrial biomes

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests | Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests | Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests | Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests | Temperate coniferous forests | Boreal forests/taiga | Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands | Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands | Flooded grasslands and savannas | Montane grasslands and shrublands | Tundra | Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub | Deserts and xeric shrublands | Mangrove

This article is based on the article "Grassland" from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License. Here you find the list of authors of this article. The article can only edited within Wikipedia. Edit this article in Wikipedia.

Pasture is land with lush herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulate livestock as part of a farm or ranch. Prior to the advent of mechanized farming, pasture was the primary source of food for cattle and sheep. It is still used extensively, particularly for free range and organic farming, as pasture gives much better living conditions for the animals. Advances in managed intensive grazing (MIG), and improvements in fence technology, led to renewed interest in grazing in the 1990s.

Pasture growth can consist of grasses, legumes, or a mixture. Alfalfa, clover, and birdsfoot trefoil are legumes used in intensive pasture management. Many grasses, including ryegrass (Lolium), meadow-grass (Poa), foxtails (Alopecurus), and bents (Agrostis) are used, depending upon conditions, of which soil type, minimum annual temperature, and rainfall amount are most important.

See also

• Rangeland - Cattle grazed on "native" vegetation where there is low rainfall.
• Transhumance

This article is based on the article "Pasture" from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License. Here you find the list of authors of this article. The article can only edited within Wikipedia. Edit this article in Wikipedia.