Within them one may discover many kinds of wildflowers, desert plants, and occasional trees that provide food and habitat for a unique assembly of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Most of the 56 different types of grasses found in the Badlands are native, having developed over millions of years. A number of exotic grasses were introduced as settlers immigrated to this country. Superbly adapted to more arid environments, the narrow, waxy-coated leaves of grasses conserve moisture and are arranged more or less vertically along the stem for maximum photosynthetic efficiency. Extensive fibrous root systems, sometimes reaching depths twice the height of the above-ground plant, establish contact with deep sources of moisture.
Roots also represent stored energy to produce new plant tissue.
Since the growing center of a grass is at the base of the leaf where it joins the stem, growth can continue if the leaf is cut. If the top of a shoot is bitten off or burned, protected young shoots hidden inside a series of wraparound tubes may emerge. During the growing season about half of the plant is found below ground. Precious topsoil is the product of a complete grassland ecosystem involving all the plants and animals over many millennia. Because of their agricultural value, grasslands have been converted to food production.