ABSTRACT
Grassland is contrasted with savanna in Chapter 5, with grassland subdivided into temperate and tropical. For temperate grassland, common weather variables are described, along with the importance of disturbance in shaping the biome. Plant life forms are categorized as bunch versus turf grasses, monocots versus dicots, and warm season versus cool season grasses. Continentally, the positioning of grassland is described in relation to a desert-forest diagonal. Animal life is described before European settlement and after, and conservation problems are listed. U.S. grasslands outside of the Great Plains include the Chihuahuan Desert, the Central Valley of California, and the Palouse Grassland. The circumstances of scattered native grassland in the eastern U.S. are described. Tropical grassland is characterized for S. America, Africa, and Australia.
