Grassland

Nachusa Grasslands, spring 2016
Setaria pumila, a species of Poaceae (the dominant plant family in grasslands)

A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica and are found in most ecoregions of the Earth. Furthermore, grasslands are one of the largest biomes on Earth and dominate the landscape worldwide.[1] There are different types of grasslands: natural grasslands, semi-natural grasslands, and agricultural grasslands.[1] They cover 31–69% of the Earth's land area.[2][3]

  1. ^ a b Gibson, David J. (30 October 2008). Grasses and grassland ecology. New York. ISBN 978-0-19-154609-9. OCLC 308648056.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ Conant, Richard T. (2010). Challenges and opportunities for carbon sequestration in grassland systems : a technical report on grassland management and climate change mitigation. FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-106494-8. OCLC 890677450.
  3. ^ Chapin III, F. Stuart; Sala, Osvaldo E.; Huber-Sannwald, Elisabeth (2013). Global Biodiversity in a Changing Environment: Scenarios for the 21st Century. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4613-0157-8. OCLC 1059413892.