Grasses and How Forest Fires Affect Them

Graminoids are herbaceous plants with very slim, long leaves growing out from the base. Graminoids is a term used to describe the group that is made up of all grass-like plants. Grasses have existed for centuries and will continue to do so. Grasses live on most of the world’s continents. Grass is one of the world’s most versatile organisms. Grass is described as a monocotyledonous green plant. Grasses fall under the Poaceae family which is a family of flowering plants. Some types of grasses include Kentucky Blue Grass, Goose Grass, Scurvy Grass, Bahia Grass, and Buffalo Grass. Grasses are affected by forest fires more negatively than any other organism in the vicinity of a forest fire. Since fires spread from tree to tree on the ground all the grass is destroyed in the process. The grass acts as a pathway between the trees. When the grass burns it kills the entire plant leaving only the soil left, and some dead roots. All the grass in the area of the forest fire is burned up, and the habitat is destroyed. The grass eventually spreads back into the area, but the original grass living there is destroyed. This is an important part of the habitat lifecycle though; when the grass is burned away it gives opportunity to seeds of trees and other plants to grow. If the grass had been there, the new plants would not have grown. Forest fires are important to the habitat so that new life can be brought into the habitat, but it happens at the expense of the grass.