This chapter provides an overview of grasslands. They are highly vulnerable to development pressures; in the United States, this is the prairie biome. Prairie soils are rich in nutrients and have been overexploited for agriculture. More sustainable usage of this land includes no-till agriculture and dredging of river topsoil. Grasslands are also used for raising livestock. There is a tension between immediate human uses and human “needs,” whether those are true needs or perceived needs.

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