Most ecologists agree that earth’s land ecosystem can be group into six biomes: desert, grassland, taiga, temperate forests, rainforest and tundra.
Grasses, with large shrubs or trees absent or sparsely distributed dominate grasslands. After the continental ice sheets withdrew at the end of the Pleistocene the climate became warmer and drier, and the grassland increased to their present areas, latterly aided by the deforestation accompanying human activities.
Grassland biomes are places that get enough rain for grasses to grow but not enough to support forests. Temperate grasslands have hot summer as and cold winters.
Depending on the amount of moisture available, grasslands can range from tallgrass to medium grass and shortgrass. Major grassland ecosystems include the North American Great Plains or Prairies, the Eurasian Steppe, the Sahel of Africa, the Pampas of Argentina, the South African Veld and the grasslands of Australia.
Grasslands are important ecosystems because they are frequently used for livestock grazing, they provide important ecosystem services and may serve as carbon sinks.
The two main types are divided on the basis of climate:
*Tropical grasslands or savannas
*Temperate grasslands
Grassland biome
