Grassland Communities and Ecosystems

FLOMBAUM, P; L. VIVANCO; O. E. SALA

Reference Module in Life Sciences

Elsevier

Año: 2017; p. 1 - 9

Grasslands are one of the major vegetation types in the world accounting for 46% of terrestrial surface (Shantz, 1954). Thisfraction includes grasslands contained within other biomes, such as high-altitude grasslands within the tropical forest biome. Theyexist in all continents and cover a vast area of 49 106 km2. In North America, grassland is the potential natural vegetation of mostof the Great Plains, and it reaches from the Chihuahuan desert in the south to the deciduous forests of Canada in the north andfrom the Rocky Mountains in the west to the deciduous forest of the eastern United States (Fig. 1). In South America, grassland isthe potential vegetation of the vast pampas and most of the Patagonian steppe. Finally, in Asia, grassland ecosystems cover a hugearea from Ukraine to China.