ABSTRACT
Grassland ecosystems are those in which the vegetation is dominated by herbaceous plants of which the most abundant are grasses. The grass family contains a large number of genera and species and its range is wider and more truly cosmopolitan than that of any other group of flowering plants. Grasses can tolerate defoliation better than many other non-graminoid plants and, indeed, growth can be stimulated by cutting, grazing and burning. The majority of grass species are perennials with either a tussock or prostrate growth habit. The root system of most uncultivated grasses is large and extensive in proportion to the size of the shoot. The grass ecosystem is characterised by a number of distinctive features which contrast with those of forest or woodland. Various criteria have been used to differentiate types of grassland vegetation. Climatic variations and geomorphological evolution have resulted in a soil-water regime and/or soil-nutrient status inimical to the development of a closed forest ecosystem.
