There are few trees in true grasslands, either because the climate is too dry or the soils are too poor. In other areas, grasslands develop because grazing and browsing by wild animals, or frequent fires, or both, prevents tree seedlings from growing. Temperate grasslands are found where the summers are hot, the winters cold, and rainfall is low throughout the year. Tropical grasslands grow where temperatures are relatively high all year round and rainfall occurs seasonally. Grasslands are dominated by grasses and grasslike plants.
Grasslands can therefore support a high density of grazing animals.
Many grass species can grow back quickly after a fire has swept through the grassland, and some have seeds that can grow after being burned in a fire. Many grasslands in Australia, Africa and South America are maintained by fires. Because grasses are wind-pollinated plants, their flowers tend to small and modest compared to plants that need to attract insects for pollination. Changing Landscape Grasslands have other types of plants besides the true grasses. They have a number of herbaceous flowering plants and a variety of scattered trees and bushes.