Deserts and Grasslands
Deserts are dry areas with sparse plants, while grasslands have grasses and few trees, each with specially adapted wildlife.
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Deserts are dry areas with sparse plants, while grasslands have grasses and few trees, each with specially adapted wildlife.
- Camels and cacti survive drought
- Savannas have wet and dry seasons
- Overgrazing causes desertification
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Deserts and Grasslands?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Deserts and Grasslands. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Deserts and Grasslands in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Deserts and Grasslands helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Deserts and Grasslands in detail
Deserts receive less than 250 mm of rainfall a year and can be hot (Sahara) or cold (Gobi, Antarctica). Plants and animals have adaptations to save water, such as cacti with thick stems and spines, deep roots, and nocturnal animals. Wind and occasional floods shape the landscape.
Grasslands, such as the African savanna, prairies, steppes and pampas, have moderate rainfall, too little for forests, and are dominated by grasses, with grazing animals and predators. They have fertile soils and are used for farming and grazing, but are at risk from overgrazing, ploughing and desertification. Fire and herbivores help maintain them.
How the interactive helps you understand Deserts and Grasslands
Watch the population model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the population model responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Deserts and Grasslands.
Real-life uses and examples
- Discuss how human activity changes Deserts and Grasslands, using a named example.
- Explain how Deserts and Grasslands affects the landscape or climate near you.
- Link Deserts and Grasslands to a real environmental problem and a possible solution.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Deserts and Grasslands
What is Deserts and Grasslands?
Deserts are dry areas with sparse plants, while grasslands have grasses and few trees, each with specially adapted wildlife.
What are the most important points about Deserts and Grasslands?
The main points are: Camels and cacti survive drought; Savannas have wet and dry seasons; Overgrazing causes desertification.
Why is Deserts and Grasslands useful?
Understanding Deserts and Grasslands helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Deserts and Grasslands?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Deserts and Grasslands?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Coral Reefs, Renewable Energy, Hydropower and Tidal Energy.