Healthy grasslands have many different types of plants, including warm and cool-season grasses, forbs, as well as shrubs and trees in the woody draws. A hundred species of various types of plants may be present on any given acre of healthy grassland. Without this diversity of plant types and species, one type of plant can become a pest.

Plants control erosion by stopping the rain and snowfall, allowing it to soak into the ground. Instead of running off into the streams, the plants use the water to grow. Healthy grassland plants have greater food value than unhealthy ones. The plants combine water with the sun's energy to make food for growth. Plants become food for the animals that graze them, thereby producing their own wealth.

There are many dangers to grassland health. Drought is a natural danger. Overuse, either by livestock, wildlife, or recreation, causes the health of the land to deteriorate. It reduces the plant cover, exposing bare soil to erosion, and allows undesirable plants to move in.

Fire can be a danger, or can be used to restore and maintain healthy grazing lands. Fire releases nutrients from plant materials and allows the sun to reach the soil. As a result, new plants grow quickly and provide better food for grazing animals the next season.

This site updated on:
April 13, 2004

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