Grasslands are important for all of the services they provide. Grasslands are the breadbasket of the planet; they are contain most of the arable (suitable for cultivation) land on earth. They are not usually as productive as forests, meaning that they do not take up as much CO2 by photosynthesis, but they are just as important to humans as the source of most of our food. Healthy grasslands also prevent soil erosion and loss, which is not a trivial matter because soil is formed extremely slowly. Grasslands are also important for biodiversity of plants and animals. Many grassland birds, for example, are becoming threatened worldwide as their habitat dwindles. The greater prairie chicken, a kind of grouse, is one of the most high-profile animals on the United States Endangered Species list.
Infographic 12.2: Grassland Goods and Services
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Which of the following is not an ecosystem service that grasslands provide?
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Incorrect.
2.
Because they eat plants, animals that feed on the grass of grasslands are called _______.
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Correct.
Incorrect.
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The process of large animals eating grass in a grassland is called _________.
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Correct.
Incorrect.
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Two main contributors to soil erosion are __________.
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Correct.
Incorrect.
5.
Thought Question: In grasslands, many if not most mammal species and even some of the more terrestrial bird species are either fossorial (living in burrows), nocturnal (active at night), or both. Why do you think this may be?
There are several possible reasons, including having a place to store food, but the simplest one is to escape predation. There are very few places to hide in a grassland, so mammals can be easy targets for birds of prey.
6.
Thought Question: Which of the four categories of goods and services provided by grasslands do you think are the most valuable?
How did you define valuable in forming your answer?
How would your answer change if you were an ecologist, an investment banker, or a politician?
Your answer will vary based on what you find valuable. Even in terms of monetary profit, there isn’t a clear answer, since the prevalence of the agriculture, livestock, and biofuel industries vary from region to region. It is probably safe to say that providing a habitat for a diversity of species is not the most monetarily valuable service provided.
Your answer will vary based on whether you choose to value the goods and services based on money, benefit to people in terms of food, etc.
An ecologist would value the habitat aspect. A banker would value whatever is the most profitable. A politician would value whatever is in the prevailing interest of the people. For example, there is more interest and value placed on biofuel crops as an alternate energy source than is perhaps merited by its potential to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels.
