GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM

-report by Dheemant Sharma

(SID- 20102063)

An ecosystem is a system consisting of biotic (living things) and abiotic (non-living

things) components that function together as a unit. Natural sciences like ecology
and geography define an ecosystem as a geographic area where organisms, weather,
and landscape, work together to form a “bubble of life”.

GRASSLANDS
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses. Grassland covers
around 40% of the earth’s surface, and it exists in both temperate and tropical
regions. A grassland ecosystem is the collection of plants, animals and
microorganisms that live within an environment where grasses are the primary form
of vegetation.
The grassland biome is made up of large open areas of grasses. They are maintained
by grazing animals and frequent fires. Types of grasslands include savannas and
temperate grasslands.

COMPONENTS
An ecosystem can be categorized into its abiotic constituents, including minerals,
climate, soil, water, sunlight, and all other nonliving elements, and its biotic
constituents, consisting of all its living members.

CLASSIFICATION
The largest areas of natural grassland—those resulting from climatic dryness—can be
classified into two broad categories: tropical grasslands, which generally lie between
the belts of tropical forest and desert; and temperate grasslands, which generally lie
between deserts and temperate forests.

IMPORTANCE OF GRASSLANDS
Grasslands clearly provide the feed base for grazing livestock and thus numerous
high-quality foods, but such livestock also provides products such as fertilizer,
transport, traction, fibre and leather. Not only do grasslands have local importance
for the maintenance of biodiversity and food production, but they also affect
ecological processes in the landscape (e.g., pollination), regional (e.g., water
regulation, recreation), and global scales (e.g., climate regulation).
CASE STUDY ON MONGOLIAN GRASSLANDS

Mongolia faces numerous threats and challenges from climate change, and its herder
population is highly vulnerable. The loss of mobility as a grassland management
strategy and the weakening of institutions for the management of pastoral resources
are still key issues more than 2 decades after the transition to a market economy. The
government has already identified many of the threats and is taking a proactive
approach to tackling them. Implementation of the country’s new land use legislation
will address many of the existing and potential issues. Planned increases in financing
from the central government will enhance opportunities for cofinancing adaptation
measures in pasture and livestock management from climate finance.

CASE STUDY ON BANNI GRASSLANDS

Prosopis juliflora can be considered one of the most valuable tree species for dry arid
land where nothing else grows. The tree is not only responsible for increasing
vegetation cover but also plays a role in the sustenance of livelihood through the
generation of economic activities, employment, option for fodder for their livestock,
raw materials for handicrafts and many more. Prior to Prosopis juliflora, people used
to sustain themselves only from a livestock-based income (LBI), but now there are
many livelihoods and economic options generated through the Prosopis juliflora and
their income has increased manifold from Non-Livestock Based Income (NLBI).To
sustain the grassland ecosystem and intangible biodiversity of the Banni region,
some special conversation measures and management options are needed. The
continued existence of biodiversity and the grassland ecosystem as well as
sustenance of livelihood needs proper management of both grassland and Prosopis
juliflora in the Banni region.