| Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide | Fifth Edition: October 2005 |
| Wildlife Habitat | |
|
Grasslands provide many kinds of wildlife with food and cover. The greater prairie chicken, upland sandpiper and meadowlark are open grassland nesters. Rabbits, bobwhite quail, turkeys and pheasants also nest in grasslands, but prefer areas near woods or shrubby cover. Grasslands also help wildlife by controlling soil erosion. The grassland can provide some of the food needed by the wildlife that live in and around it. The plant varieties needed depend upon the species of animals that use the area. The number of seed-producing plants in a grassland will determine its value to species such as quail, because quail and many songbirds require seeds in their diet. Generally, the more kinds of seed-producing plants there are, the more value the field will have for species such as bobwhite quail. Rabbits, on the other hand, consume the vegetative parts of grasses, legumes and many other broad-leaved plants. If these plants are removed by overgrazing or late haying, the number of animals that the area can support will be reduced.
| |