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Grasslands
The prairie and the Great Plains of North America are grasslands. As
you might expect, grasses are the main plants growing there. Few trees
and bushes grow in the grasslands. Range fires often sweep across the
grasslands, burning the dry grass and small trees. Grass plants are not
killed by fire. They can grow new blades from their underground roots
in the spring. Many other plants are not adapted to survive fire. Fire
helps the grasslands stay the way they are.
Many animals live in the grasslands. Prairie dogs have strong legs and
claws for digging tunnels underground.
They come out to eat the grass.
Grasshoppers live right in the grass. They
jump and fly from place to place to get
food. American bison wander across
the grasslands, eating the grass as they
go. Horned larks are seasonal visitors.
They
migrate
to the grasslands in the
summer to feed on grass seeds and raise
their young. In the winter, horned larks
migrate south where it is warmer.
A grassland
A horned lark
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