Grasslands — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Grasslands

Grasslands are biomes dominated by grasses rather than trees, found on every continent except Antarctica. They occur in regions with moderate rainfall — too much rain for desert, not enough for forest. Grasslands cover about 25 percent of Earth’s land surface and are known by different names around the world: savannas in Africa and Australia, pampas in South America, steppes in Central Asia, and prairies in North America. Despite looking simple, grasslands are among the most productive and ecologically important biomes on Earth.

Grasses are remarkably well-adapted to grassland conditions. Unlike most plants, grasses grow from the base of the blade rather than the tip, so they can regrow quickly after being grazed or burned. Their deep, extensive root systems — sometimes reaching 6 feet or more underground — anchor the soil, resist drought, and store energy for regrowth after fire or cold. Grassland soils are among the richest on Earth, built up over thousands of years by decomposing roots and leaves. Much of the world’s best farmland was once grassland.

African savannas support the largest land animal migrations on Earth. Each year, more than 1.5 million wildebeest follow the seasonal rains in a circular migration across the Serengeti, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles. These great herds are followed by predators — lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs. Grasslands depend on large grazing animals to prevent shrubs and trees from encroaching. Prairie dogs, bison, and elephants are keystone species that shape their respective grassland ecosystems.

Fire is a natural and essential part of grassland ecology. Periodic wildfires, started by lightning or set deliberately by indigenous peoples for thousands of years, kill invading shrubs and trees while grasses survive and resprout from their protected root systems. Fire releases nutrients locked in dead plant material, stimulating new growth. Today, the suppression of natural fires and the conversion of grasslands to farms and ranches have dramatically reduced grassland areas worldwide, threatening the many species that depend on them.

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