Grassland ecosystems are terrestrial biomes dominated by herbaceous vegetation, primarily grasses (Poaceae), with sparse tree or shrub cover, shaped by climate, fire regimes, soil properties, and large herbivore grazing. They exhibit high belowground biomass and root turnover, playing a major role in carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and water regulation. Structurally, grasslands are characterized by open canopies, seasonal productivity pulses, and strong coupling between disturbance and primary production. They support specialized plant–herbivore–microbe interactions, including mycorrhizal associations and grazing-adapted floras, and are central to research on biodiversity maintenance, trophic dynamics, land-use change, and climate–vegetation feedbacks across temperate, tropical, and arid regions.
A new long-term study from Hungary shows that seeding native plants can effectively reduce annual invasive species in restored sand grasslands, but perennial invaders remain a persistent challenge.
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2025
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18
Ecosystem responses to global change are often nonlinear. Ecological thresholds are tipping points beyond which small changes in environmental conditions can have disproportionate effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 16, 2025
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193
Prairie dogs are the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains: They bark to alert neighbors to the presence of predators, with separate calls for dangers coming by land or by air.
Plants & Animals
Jun 12, 2025
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102
Amid a patchwork of fields, towns, and winding rivers and roads in central Brazil stands a monolithic oval-shaped plateau. This conspicuous feature, the Serra de Caldas (also known as the Caldas Novas dome and Caldas Ridge), ...
Planetary Sciences
Jun 10, 2025
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25
