Grasslands are regions predominantly consisting of grass rather than other plants or trees. Approximately 25 million years ago, during the Miocene and Pliocene Epochs, mountains arose in western North America, resulting in a climate that was ideal for grasslands. Grasslands multiplied and ancient forests reduced. Grasslands spread out across the world as hotter and drier climates were dominant after the Pleistocene Ice Ages. There are two primary types of grasslands: temperate and tropical.

The landscape to the left is a temperate grassland landscape, located in the west of Coalinga, California. Temperate grasslands are areas that have grass as the primary vegetation, with no trees or large shrubs. Major temperate grasslands include the plains of North America, steppes of the Soviet Union, and the pampas of South America. Summers can exceed 38°C and winters can be low as -40°C. Temperate grasslands form from wildland fires, low rainfall, and grazing from animals. The climate that the region experiences is suitable for the growth of grasses only, and low precipitation rates not ideal for forest of trees.

On the other hand, tropical grassland or savannas is a landscape with dispersed individual trees. Savannas are located in most of Africa, and large parts of India, Australia, and South America. The most important factor in a savanna landscape is the climate. Savanna landscapes are constantly hot and receives concentrated precipitation. Savannas are one of the largest ecosystems in the world and home to a wide range of life. Animals include zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, mice, and lion.