Habitats under threat: Grasslands
Geetha Iyer
Floods, droughts and emergence of diseases familiar and unfamiliar – welcome to the environment of the 21st Century. These events now occur quite regularly catching headlines in the media, but delving into the root cause for their regularity has remained a very pedestrian exercise. Everything is quickly attributed to climate change. To understand these events taking place in our environment one requires an understanding of ecology. Ecology is very different from Environment and often these two terms have been used without a clear understanding.
Ecology is a branch of biology that deals with the relationships that exist in nature and all aspects related to these relationships. Environment is a place where an organism is present and uses it at a given point of time. In order to understand the changes occurring in our environment, we first need to understand relationships that exist in nature. All relationships are bound to the earth. The best way to understand these relationships is to start by understanding the habitats where organisms are found. Healthy habitats are significant, for they sustain biodiversity and influence the changes taking place in our environment. What needs attention is the fact that human behaviour is changing the quality of habitats and many of them are under threat. The reason for natural calamities such as floods and draughts is directly related to the destruction of habitats. I bring to your attention some of the well-known as well as lesser known habitats that students can learn about, so that the importance of conservation practices is better understood. I begin with a well-known habitat – the grasslands.
This is a familiar habitat in which reside some commonly talked about animals such as the lion, tiger, bison, deer, antelopes, etc. Habitats are often defined by the kind of vegetation found there. The presence of flora is in turn dictated by the abiotic factors of the region. So there is more to this habitat than just a land on which grasses grow as the name suggests. No doubt grasses are the prominent vegetation in this habitat, but there are other types of plants too. UNESCO defines grasslands as, “Land covered with herbaceous plants with less than 10 percent tree and shrub cover.” Trees and shrubs are not so common, but if there is “10-40% tree and shrub cover” (White, 1983) then it is called wooded grassland. It’s a dry and hot habitat where rainfall received is slightly more than what deserts get. So if grasslands become degraded they will soon turn into deserts. This is already happening but we are barely aware since our understanding of a grassland habitat and ecosystem is rather superficial.
Grasslands are diverse
In order to understand grasslands one must move from an image of a place where grass grows to one with a variety of flora including varieties of grasses growing. It is therefore important to know how diverse they are in their characteristics. In India they are present along the Himalayas, Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins, Rann of Kutch, plateaus of Satpuras, Western Ghats and near beaches and mangroves. The diversity of the abiotic factors in the above mentioned regions will influence the characteristic of the grassland. ‘Banni’ is the grassland in Kutch, ‘Vidhis’ in Saurashtra, ’Terai’ of UP and Uttarakhand, ‘Bugyals’ or alpine meadows, ‘Phumdis’ in Manipur and the ‘Sholas’ of Western Ghats. These are examples of the diverse nature of grasslands seen across the country.
Activity-1: Understanding grassland habitats – Grade-8 and above.
Students illustrate the essential features of a grassland habitat that helps sustain (conserve) a select bird/insect/mammal/invertebrate species.
Give students printed sheets with background information about different kinds of grassland habitats in general and the kind of species, both flora and fauna that are seen in each kind. Provide them also with a fact sheet about the fauna you have selected especially about their needs for survival.
Divide students into small groups and let each group select any one species of fauna from the list you have prepared. (See suggested list of fauna give below; you may add to it as per what is found in your region.)
Give the groups 15/20 minutes to put together the habitat characteristics that will sustain the species. Habitat characteristics are those that will provide the fauna with food, space, shelter and water so that their population thrives.
They can either present it (on a chart paper) as text or as an illustration to the whole class. If time is a constraint they may display their work on the noticeboard and the oral presentation and discussion can happen in the following class.
Suggested fauna: Tiger, Lion, Jackal, Blackbuck, Gazelle, Sambhar, Barasingha, Bison, Elephant, Tahr, Yak, Hangul, Sangai deer, Butterflies (Painted lady, Striped tiger, Grass blue, Grass yellow, Tawny coaster, Common crow), Birds (Munia, Sparrow, Baya weaver bird, Larks, Pippits Myna,) Reptiles (Sitana, Calotes, tortoise, snakes such as keelback, bronzeback, krait, wolfsnake), Insects (grasshopper, ants, flies, field cockroach, froghopper /spittlebug, mantids) Invertebrates (spiders, harvestman, millipedes, centipedes, snails, crabs)
After the presentation be sure to summarize the points learned namely:
What a grassland habitat is. Similarities and differences between different types of grassland habitats; features of the grassland that allows wildlife to survive; the presence and absence of certain wildlife in specific habitats.
NOTE: If it is possible to visit any grassland habitat or even a specialized one such as Phumdi, Banni, Shola, etc., then the same activity can be enlarged into a project where the students, through observation and interactions with locals and others, understand the features
i) of the habitat that ensures food, water, space and shelter for the fauna,
ii) seen in fauna that are adaptions to survive.
They can then be asked to design a plan to monitor the health of the habitat/to conserve it.
Why they are important
Grasslands have biodiversity and economic value. They are a species-rich habitat and a dynamic ecosystem that evolved around 2.6 million years ago alongside grazing animals. Several wildlife species cannot live outside these specialized areas. For e.g., Thamin or the Manipur brow-antlered deer is adapted to living in Phumdi. The Hangul or Kashmiri deer, Hog deer, the Great Indian Bustard, Floricans, Great Indian rhinoceros are examples of endangered species that need specific grasslands for their survival. In India, other than the grasslands found in the hilltop regions of the Himalayas and Western Ghats, most have evolved due to human activities.
For Pastoral communities, livestock are their wealth. These communities need a healthy habitat for their grazing animals. This is also one of the reasons that grasslands have also been defined as grazing land. In India they support a large number of domestic livestock and form the backbone of the rural economy. Other than grazing, grasses are used for a variety of purposes. Dried grasses are used to make brooms. Several grass species have medicinal value. Vettiver and lemon grass are two such well-known species that can bring in revenue. Therefore, grasslands have an important role in maintaining the rural economy. These lands help conserve water and soil and so are important for a healthy environment. Grasses are better than trees in preventing soil erosion. Their roots bind with the soil. Even if the leaves dry up, the roots ensure that the soil particles are not washed away at the first rains. Grasses have other functions too. They are natural reservoirs of gene pools. The rice, wheat, millets, etc., that we consume today have their origins in the wild grass.
Threats to grasslands
There are several reasons for the disappearing grasslands. In India they are among the most neglected habitats, often treated as wastelands. When classified as wastelands, they are cleared to make way for agriculture and industries. There are other manmade reasons for their neglect. Overgrazing, fires, poor agricultural practices and urbanization together have fragmented and destroyed grasslands, leading to several species becoming endangered due to habitat loss. In the Sub-Himalayan regions grasslands have been converted into plantations. Land-fills, residential colonies and commercial buildings are common in urban areas. Invasive species, climate change are some of the natural causes for their degradation.
If grasslands are conserved, they can over a period of time (through what is called ecological succession) grow into woodlands and then forests. But if they are not cared for, more regions will turn into deserts and biodiversity loss will be irreplaceable. The threat to grasslands has not received as much attention as, for example, forests and water bodies. What is also interesting to note is that the very human activities – burning, clearing land for forests, grazing – that are posing a threat now were also the ones that gave rise to these habitats in the first place.
Conservation strategies
What can be done? A report by the Planning Commission in 2006 had remarked that there seem to be no institution interested in maintaining grasslands. Who will conserve grasslands? Unlike the forests, waterbodies or agricultural lands, there is no institution that actively ensures that grasslands are conserved. The government needs to frame a policy to conserve grasslands and most importantly, set up a mechanism to review and monitor land use patterns. Agricultural practices need to be habitat friendly with reduction in toxic chemicals. Overgrazing must be checked. Ensure that urbanization does not destroy grasslands. Wastelands should not be considered as wasteful lands. The vegetation in such lands are needed for recharging soil water and preventing erosion. Steps to demark grasslands and actively maintain them are necessary. Invasive species must be identified and managed. Education is an important part of any conservation strategy.
Activity-2: Word game: For middle school/primary school
This game is both a way of revising what has been learned as well as assessing the extent of learning among students.
Make two teams. For round one, a student from each team is chosen. They sit facing each other and then start playing the game. Decide who starts the game.
The game: This is a word building game. The words will be related to the grassland ecosystem. Animal and plant names are not allowed. Only those connected with the characteristics of grassland are allowed. The team member starting the word will have to share two bits of information with the opposite team member. First what the word is about and second, the number of letters in the word. Here are two examples: If the word is ‘Overgrazing’, then the information shared will be: Threats to grasslands and 11 letters. ‘Meadows’ – Specialized grassland of the Alpine region; 7 letters.
The team member will start with the first letter of the word and then by turn the two participants of opposing teams (who have been chosen to play) will have to add letter by letter till the word is completed. The team whose member completes the word is the winner. The playing member can seek help from his/her team, but on not more than two instances.
This will help students understand the various aspects of the habitat and the teacher will know the level of learning achieved by the students.
As a beginning for conservation, a small but effective step that each one of us can practice is to ensure that the next time we want to grow grasses for a lawn in our home we choose native grasses found in the region where we live and not select some exotic species such as the Korean grass and others, imported from other countries.
Definitions
Environment: The place/habitat where an organism is present and interacting with other organisms at any given time or for any length of time.
Ecosystem: Ecosystems are functional units that result from the interactions of abiotic and biotic components of a given area.
Habitat: A place that provides an organism with food, water, space and shelter to live and reproduce.
Grassland facts
One-third of the Indian grasses are considered to have fodder value.
24% of land cover is grassland.
The most widespread grasslands in India are Imperata grasslands dominated by the Imperata species. These are sun-loving perennial grasses that will catch fire even when they are green.
Endangered species: Hangul and Thamin deer, Wild ass, Bengal Florican, Tiger, Lion, Himalayan Quail, Gharial.
Commonly found species: Monitor lizard, Warblers, Flycatchers, Seed eating birds, Grasshoppers, Praying Mantis, Grass moths, Butterflies such as Grass Yellow, Plain tiger, Tawny coster and varieties of grasses and legumes.
References
- The Vanishing Grasslands of India – A threat to Biodiversity. http://terragreen.teriin.org/terragreen/TGApr17/TG_CoverStory/files/downloads/TG_April_2017_Cover_Story1.pdf
- Ecology and Management of Grassland Habitats in India. http://wiienvis.nic.in/WriteReadData/Publication/19_Grassland%20Habitat_2016.pdf
- Classroom Investigation Series: https://www.handsontheland.org/teachers/data/CI_habitats_wildlife.pdf
The author is a consultant for science and environment education. She can be reached at scopsowl@gmail.com.
