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.
When farmland is abandoned and allowed to return to nature, forests and grasslands naturally regrow and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere—helping fight climate change.
Earth Sciences
Oct 20, 2025
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A global research effort led by Colorado State University shows that extreme, prolonged drought conditions in grasslands and shrublands would greatly limit the long-term health of crucial ecosystems that cover nearly half ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 16, 2025
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The uplift of East Africa during the Miocene epoch dramatically transformed the region's climate and ecosystems, promoting the expansion of grassland and reshaping habitats for mammals and early hominoids. This is revealed ...
Ecology
Oct 15, 2025
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Allowing dairy cows to graze on fresh grass in open pastures for a significant proportion of the year seems more natural and sustainable. And there are proven advantages for the environment: stable grasslands promote biodiversity, ...
Ecology
Oct 15, 2025
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Botswana's fertile Okavango Delta is one of the last remaining high-biodiversity ecosystems in the world, home to cheetahs, African wild dogs, baobab trees, crocodiles, termites and owls that catch fish. Roughly the size ...
Ecology
Oct 13, 2025
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Agricultural landscapes are among the most degraded habitats worldwide. Their restoration is one of the key measures for halting global biodiversity loss and preserving important ecosystem services.
Plants & Animals
Sep 23, 2025
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Grazing is regarded as one particularly beneficial practice to biodiversity on farms, especially if it is practiced on natural pastures in traditional ways.
Ecology
Sep 19, 2025
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More than half of Earth's terrestrial surface is rangeland—vast open areas of native vegetation, suitable for grazing. These areas feed 50% of the world's livestock and support the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people. ...
Environment
Sep 18, 2025
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South Africa's Eastern Cape province has several million hectares of open land in rural areas, not privately owned but held in trust by the state on behalf of communities. The people who live there use it mainly for grazing ...
Ecology
Sep 17, 2025
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Soil nutrients support plants, and the animals who consume plants return these nutrients to the soil, creating a nutrient cycle. In a new study published in Ecology, scientists from the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 10, 2025
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