The vegetation in grassland could vary in size from very tall to very short. These days, the suitable locations for semi-natural grasslands are generally areas that are unsuitable for agricultural farming. The new conditions were also already adopted by the species that already lived there.Īrable fields have been created from most of the grassland areas. This is the way the evolution of the biodiversity of plants takes place. The coexistence of other plant species around these areas was caused by the removal of plants by grazing animals and by the mowing farmers later. The formation of semi-natural grasslands took place in these areas. The parts that were suitable for cultivation were pastures and ancient meadows. Forests were cleared up in Europe for the purpose of agriculture. When humans started farming, that was when the semi-natural grasslands first started appearing. The high variability of the grasslands is due to their existence for over 1.8 million years. Following this, grasslands became a dominating land feature worldwide. Throughout the hotter, drier climates, these grasslands began to expand. After the Pleistocene ice ages, the expansion of grasslands took place. This refers to the last 1.8 million years. It is a widely known fact that throughout the Pleistocene, the grasslands have existed in Europe. The grasslands became much more widespread due to the declination of existing forest biomes. The period is referred to here is the Pliocene epoch in the old world and also known as the Late Miocene period in the new world. The occurrence of the first true grasslands dates back to around five million years ago. Legumes, grasses, other grass-like plants, forbs and so on are a part of these agricultural grasslands. These lands are also used for several other agricultural purposes like renewable energy and more. This is done by cutting, grazing, browsing, and so on. These ultimately led to highly dense areas becoming a grassland.Īgricultural Grasslands- Agricultural grasslands are those grasslands that are designated for the production of forage for harvest. They have partly formed due to human activity such as forest clearings, livestock cutting, and clearing of scrubs and so on. Meadow and pasture lands are generally categorised under this type of grasslands. They are called lowland because they exist at an altitude less than 350 metres. Semi-Natural Grasslands- A semi-natural grassland, also known as a lowland semi-natural grassland refers to grassland that has not been in contact with fertilizers or herbicides. The only human interference in the maintenance of the grasslands by clearance of weeds and wood overgrowth. The natural development of the area should be devoid of any human interference. In these natural grasslands, nothing should interfere with the growth of the grasslands. The term “natural” in this context refers to the vegetation that does not undergo any human interference such as mowing, drainage, irrigation, fertilization, and so on. These grasslands are formed under nature conservation. Other than herbaceous vegetation, natural grasslands also have certain areas covered with shrubs, scattered trees, and mineral outcrops. The dominating species covering these grasslands are the Gramineous species. The maximum height of these herbs is 150 cm. They cover at least 50% of the Earth’s surface. Natural Grasslands- Areas with herbaceous vegetations are known as natural grasslands. There are three major classifications of grasslands. Except for Antarctica, grasslands occur naturally everywhere else. 31% to 43% of Earth’s surface is dominated by grasslands. Grasslands also compose a major part of the land, dominating the Earth’s landscapes which make it one of the largest biomes. Along with grasses, Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, legumes, and other herbs also occupy a certain percentage of various grasslands. Grasslands are the areas where the vegetation is mainly dominated by grasses.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |