Chapter 11.2 - Grassland Degradation

Abstract

Grassland biomes occur naturally worldwide with an estimated 1.5 million square kilometers in North America alone. The three grassland types occurring in North American are tall, mixed and short grass prairies, each of which provide valuable ecosystem services to humans. Ecological services provided by grasslands include but are not limited to, carbon storage, habitat for pollinators, and forage for livestock and wild herbivores. While once prevalent, grassland ecosystems have and continue to be degraded throughout much of North America. The degradation of grasslands is affecting their ability to function properly and is hindering the ability of grasslands to provide the full suite of ecological services they could offer. Causes of degradation are many and may vary by region. Much of the tall grass prairie has been plowed for crop production. In the mixed grass prairie, recent technological innovations in oil production (fracking) has increased oil production but has also resulted in degradation of the grassland environment in multiple ways including habitat fragmentation. All three grassland types have suffered from livestock overgrazing and the disappearance of fire from the landscape. The true value of ecological services provided by grasslands is unknown; however, many of those provided may be critical for the long-term survival and health of humans. With the number of intact grasslands continuing to decline in North America in coincident with their degradation, care needs to be taken when developing effective management plans and government policy for grassland preservation.