Grasslands

A grassland is a land habitat where there is not enough moisture to sustain tree life but which enables grass and other grasslike plants to grow abundantly. Grasslands are found in all parts of the world except in Antarctica. The Philippines has about 1.5 million hectares of grassland, with large areas found in Luzon and Mindanao.

Animals like cows, carabaos, goats, and zebras make grasslands as their habitats because of the grasses in it that serve as their primary food. Other animals that graze on grasslands that are able to sustain some tree life are giraffes, bison, and kangaroos.

Tundra

A tundra is a land habitat where trees cannot grow because of the very low temperature, long winters, very poor drainage, and the presence of permafrost in the area. Permafrost is the layer of soil and rock under the ground that remains frozen throughout the year. During the short summers in the tundra, snow and ice that have formed on the ground thaw out, allowing some plants to sprout and grow. However, the permafrost does not allow the roots of plants like trees to grow deep. This explains why there are no trees in a tundra. Several tundra are found in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Among the animals that survive in this land habitat are those with thick fur like polar bears, arctic foxes, arctic hares, wolves, lynxes, and caribou. Their fur allows these animals to withstand the extreme cold in the region.

Animals that live in a tundra are adapted to breed and raise their young only for a brief period during the short summers in the region. Some of the animals go into hibernation, or a very long and deep sleep, during the cold season when food is not readily available. Other animals migrate or go to another place during the cold season.