Human Impact on Grasslands
Human activity heavily influences grasslands. This has resulted in positive and negative effects on grasslands.
What Negative Effects have Humans had on Grasslands?
Because the human population is exploding, more land needs to be converted into farmland to feed the growing population[1]. Because it wasn't until recently that the human population had grown dramatically, grasslands had been safe from being turned into farmland[1]. The increasing human population has also resulted in increased urbanization[2]. With cities spilling into grasslands, so are pollutants, which come from car exhaust and factories[2]. The stability of grasslands is also being threatened by invasive species, which humans released into the grassland, purposely or not[3]. These invasive species then kill off native species and, build up their population to problematic amounts because invasive species will have no predators to keep their populations balanced[3]. Humans themselves can also wipe out species by overhunting[1]. This has happened in the past when several species of bison were hunted to extinction in North America[4].
What Positive Effects have Humans had on Grasslands?
In order to preserve grasslands, humans start controlled fires in grasslands[5]. This practice kills off invasive species and restores nutrients to the soil[5]. Some groups, like American Prairie Reserve, buy acres of grassland from willing sellers[6]. This land is then protected from harmful human activity[6]. Although humans sometimes introduce invasive species into grasslands, they also reestablish native ones[6]. In order to contain crops, humans have planted native grasses around crop fields[6]. Governments also play a role in conservation by creating national parks, which often contain rare species[7].
![Picture](/uploads/3/8/8/2/38827847/81965.jpg?304)
[1]http://www.worldwildlife.org/habitats/grasslands
[2]http://www.eiatoolkit.ewt.org.za/process/grasslands.html
[3]http://thebiomesavanna.weebly.com/effects-of-human-progress.html
[4]http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/buffalo.htm
[5]http://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/practices/grassmgmt.aspx
[6]http://www.americanprairie.org/aboutapf/faqs/
[7]http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=SK024
[8]http://bernheim.org/controlled-fire-season-over/
[9]http://www.opiniatimisoarei.ro/nicolae-robu-vom-interzice-firmele-care-polueaza-timisoara-ce-rugaminte-are-pentru-garda-de-mediu/04/09/2014/
[2]http://www.eiatoolkit.ewt.org.za/process/grasslands.html
[3]http://thebiomesavanna.weebly.com/effects-of-human-progress.html
[4]http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/buffalo.htm
[5]http://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/practices/grassmgmt.aspx
[6]http://www.americanprairie.org/aboutapf/faqs/
[7]http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=SK024
[8]http://bernheim.org/controlled-fire-season-over/
[9]http://www.opiniatimisoarei.ro/nicolae-robu-vom-interzice-firmele-care-polueaza-timisoara-ce-rugaminte-are-pentru-garda-de-mediu/04/09/2014/
A controlled fire[8].
A factory spews out smoke[9].
A factory spews out smoke[9].