Grasslands

Grasslands and the soils beneath them act as giant carbon sinks, the report notes. But not if they are overgrazed.

Rain helps plants and food crops flourish, and it keeps grasslands green and lush.

It would take less than three hours by tank from the Russian border across the flat Baltic grasslands and birch forests to reach the Tapa military base in Estonia.

The grasslands ecosystem supports large herds of grazing animals such as zebras and wildebeest.

The grasslands of the Serengeti are a vital breeding ground for many large mammals.

These grasslands actually do get mown once a year to keep invasive plants and woody vegetation from taking over.

Grasslands cover around 30 percent of the earth's ice-free land and account for 70 percent of its agricultural land. But land degradation, made worse by high demands for meat and dairy products, affects around 70 percent of pastures.

Many scientists around the world think gas emissions from fossil fuels such as oil and coal contribute to global warming. They say one way to reduce the problem is through naturally offsetting carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees and protecting grasslands.

Firefighters are struggling to control a large grassfire 200 kilometers west of Dallas. The fire has already blackened 800,960 hectares of grassland. Similar fires in the past week have destroyed two small towns and charred pastures and grasslands in neighboring New Mexico and Oklahoma as well as Texas.