Tag Archives: Grasslands

Cover Preview: Science Magazine – August 5, 2022

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The unrecognized value of grass

Marram grass, or beachgrass, grows on and stabilizes coastal sand dunes on Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula. Grasses, whether terrestrial or submarine, tend to be undervalued but have influenced the trajectory of human history through their domestication as food staples, as well as natural ecosystems worldwide. If restored and conserved appropriately, grasslands can benefit climate change mitigation efforts. See the special section beginning on page 590.

A new special issue of Science explores the unrecognized value of grass: https://fcld.ly/bo80dpr

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Nature Views: Grasslands Of The West Texas Prairie

Amber waves of native grass whisper in a gentle breeze. This is a list of all the conservation land held by the Native Prairies Association of Texas. Current holdings, those owned by NPAT, and our conservation easements include 5,082 acres: read list

Jim Willis wanted more quail on his land, but he learned that restoring native grasses was key to wildlife populations, water, and soil health. Today the Grassland Restoration Incentive Program helps landowners improve grassland habitat. Learn more about Texan by Nature’s Conservation Wrangler program: https://texanbynature.org/programs/co…

Ecology: Benfits Of 50% Of Serengeti Grasslands Burning Each Year (Video)

After receiving twelve hours of solar energy every day, the Serengeti grasslands become a tinderbox, just waiting to be lit.

The vast majority of the African fires currently burning seem to be in grasslands, in exactly the places we expect to see fires at this time of year. These fires are usually lit by cattle farmers as part of their traditional management of the savannahs where their animals graze. Some fires are started to stimulate new growth of nutritious grass for their animals, others are used to control the numbers of parasitic ticks or manage the growth of thorny scrub.

Without fires, many savannahs (and the animals they support) wouldn’t exist, and lighting them is a key management activity in many of the iconic protected areas of Africa. For instance the Serengeti in Tanzania is known worldwide for its safari animals and awe-inspiring wildebeest migration – and our work shows that around half of its grasslands burn each year.