Let these kids make your day.

🐐🐑

#grassland #kid #adorable

Very busy grassland ants!

I love watching the activity of these huge colonies. I’ve read their tunnels go down over several feet, burying organic material and bringing minerals to the surface, building topsoil.

I hope someone more knowledgeable can comment.

#prairie
#grassland
#ants

A picture of a magnificient plant or flower.

#flower #grass #field #plants #yellow #wildflower #blue skies #wild flower #rudbeckia #praire #summer #usa #daisy #grassland #outdoors #herbs #vegetation #petal #herbal #anemone

Photo by Ted Balmer on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/@midkiffaries

Audubon to Expand Rancher-Powered Conservation for Birds Across 500,000 Grassland Acres - National Audubon Society “It’s heartening to see growing support for partnerships that center on ranchers as conservation stewards for our nation’s grasslands,” Haubein said. “Ranchers know if soil, water, and grasslands aren’t healthy, neither are our operations. Being part of Audubon Conservation Ranching helped us put a name and a framework around practices we believe in, while showing that proper grazing can not only support birds and wildlife, but can increase productivity of the land and the animals.” Audubon is one of six initial grantees—including the American Bird Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Mule Deer Foundation, Sand County Foundation, and University of Missouri—selected through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, a landmark public-private partnership led by NFWF to invest more than $200 million over seven years in voluntary conservation across working lands. These initial six grantees are expected to work with more than 750 private cattle ranch operations across 26 states. The Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative funding is also supported by McDonald’s USA, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and several key McDonald’s USA beef and beverage suppliers. “Today is a great day for America’s wildlife, its ranching communities and its beef supply chain,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of...

Audubon to Expand Rancher-Powered Conservation for Birds Across 500,000 Grassland Acres - National Audubon Society
->Audubon | More on "Rancher grassland bird conservation initiative" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland #Conservation #Bird

From wolves to bibtya to porcupines, how AI and drones help protect life in endangered grasslands Often termed semi-arid ‘wastelands’, these areas are complex, high-value grassland ecosystems that provide a home to a plethora of life forms, including a large population of the Indian grey wolf, hyenas, Indian gazelle (chinkara), foxes, porcupines, and hundreds of bird species. All these animals depend on the grasslands, which are threatened by multiple factors, including but not limited to overgrazing, urban expansion and mining, Invasive plant species altering the ecosystem, and a lack of policy protection. Enter The Grasslands Trust (TGT), an organisation dedicated to bringing together lifelong conservation enthusiasts and newly inspired change-makers, all driven by a shared mission: to restore and protect endangered savanna grasslands and the communities that rely upon them. Covering Kendur, Purandar, Saswad and the Morgaon Belt, The Grasslands Trust works not just for conservation of these areas, but for recognition. The first line of protection for both flora and fauna is and always will be the community that lives there, equipping like-minded citizens with basic field kits and guides, with good reports earning additional gear like binoculars and cameras. Their primary objective right now is a combination of camera trapping over large landscapes in a grid format and sighting substantiation by locals. They are...

From wolves to bibtya to porcupines, how AI and drones help protect life in endangered grasslands
->The Indian Express | More on "AI drones protecting endangered grasslands" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland #Drone #Wolves #AI

A picture of a magnificient plant or flower.

#countryside #wildflowers #bluebells #flower #green #land #grass #scenery #farm #purple #field #path #lavender #daisy #meadow #grassland #outdoors #herbs #wilderness #rural

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/@anniespratt

Audubon to Expand Rancher-Powered Conservation for Birds Across 500,000 Grassland Acres “It’s heartening to see growing support for partnerships that center on ranchers as conservation stewards for our nation’s grasslands,” Haubein said. “Ranchers know if soil, water, and grasslands aren’t healthy, neither are our operations. Being part of Audubon Conservation Ranching helped us put a name and a framework around practices we believe in, while showing that proper grazing can not only support birds and wildlife, but can increase productivity of the land and the animals.” Audubon is one of six initial grantees—including the American Bird Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Mule Deer Foundation, Sand County Foundation, and University of Missouri—selected through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, a landmark public-private partnership led by NFWF to invest more than $200 million over seven years in voluntary conservation across working lands. These initial six grantees are expected to work with more than 750 private cattle ranch operations across 26 states. The Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative funding is also supported by McDonald’s USA, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and several key McDonald’s USA beef and beverage suppliers. “Today is a great day for America’s wildlife, its ranching communities and its beef supply chain,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of...

Audubon to Expand Rancher-Powered Conservation for Birds Across 500,000 Grassland Acres
->Audubon | More on "Rancher grassland bird conservation expansion" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland #Conservation #Bird

Horses grazing in a vast, sunlit grassy plain.

By: cuvii

https://cuvii.dev
unsplash.com/photos/horses-grazing-in...

🌎 Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China
📸 FUJIFILM, X-T5
188.3mm ƒ/5.6
1/2000s
ISO 500

#horse #river #meadow #grassland #naturalBeauty #pasture #rollingHills #openSpace

Warming and Wetting Could Turn Alpine Grasslands Into Emerging Nitrous Oxide Hotspots in Arid Northwest China Newswise — By measuring N₂O fluxes along an elevation gradient from 313 to 2,901 meters above sea level, the team discovered that alpine grasslands may become increasingly important sources of this potent greenhouse gas under future climate scenarios. Nitrous oxide is nearly 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period and is also a major ozone-depleting substance. Globally, soils account for more than 60% of atmospheric N₂O emissions, largely through microbial processes known as nitrification and denitrification. Arid and semi-arid ecosystems cover roughly 40% of the Earth’s land surface but have historically been considered minor contributors to global N₂O budgets due to limited water availability. However, northern China’s arid regions are experiencing warmer and wetter conditions under climate change, potentially stimulating microbial nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas release. At the same time, agricultural intensification—including irrigation and fertilizer use—has dramatically altered soil nutrient dynamics. Yet little is known about how elevation and land use interact to control N₂O emissions in arid mountain landscapes. A study (DOI: 10.48130/nc-0025-0022) published in Nitrogen Cycling on 23 January 2026 by Longfei Yu’s team, Tsinghua University, provides new insight into how both natural and managed soils in northwestern China could amplify climate feedbacks...

Warming and Wetting Could Turn Alpine Grasslands Into Emerging Nitrous Oxide Hotspots in Arid Northwest China
->Newswise | More on "Alpine grasslands nitrous oxide emissions" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland

Figure 1 MacDougall et al (2026): Grassland sites of this study, in relation to the WC land cover map. Most sites (indicated by the black dots) contain 11 reference grids (with some exceptions, see Methods) with each grid composed of 100 10 m × 10 m pixels (Supplementary Fig. 2). We classified each pixel (387,600 pixels in total) into 1 of 7 grassland types and 9 non-grassland land use classes (for example, settlement, crops, forest; see Supplementary Table 3). We chose WC for this map, instead of LC or DW, because it was the most accurate land cover product for grasslands (see Supplementary Table 2). Photo credit: ESA WC project 2021 (7).

New publication: The #global extent of the #grassland biome and implications for the #terrestrial #carbonsink.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Nash's Field — ECOLOGICAL CONTINUITY TRUST - About the Nash's Field long-term experiment (LTE) in England that is managed by Imperial College London, and is registered with the Ecological Continuity Trust (ECT).

5/5 At Nash’s Field, Catalina Estrada @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social wants to study the effects of #fertiliser & #rabbit #grazing on #grassland 🌏

bit.ly/NashsField

#EasterWeekend2026

5 rabbits altogether on the grass

1/5 Here are 4 #LongTermExperiments that feature #rabbits seeing as #EasterWeekend2026 starts tomorrow.

#HappyEaster everyone!

#Easter #LTE #Grazing #Grassland #EasterWeekend 🌏

Spring by Bernd Walz https://www.artlimit
#spring #rural #vastnees #naturalism #minimal #canon #landscapestyles_gf #colour #landscapeart #minimalism #tranquility #cloud #landscape @canonusaimaging #contemplation #silence #colorful #grassland #meadow #space #photography #countryside…

Climate and plant species richness shape productivity allocation under extreme drought across Eurasian steppes Extreme drought altered productivity allocation across Eurasian steppes by reducing aboveground productivity more strongly than belowground productivity, t

【🎉Latest accepted article】
Climate and plant #SpeciesRichness shape productivity allocation under extreme drought across Eurasian steppes

#BiomassAllocation | #CoordinatedExperiment | #Grassland | #CarbonCycle

@utrechtuniversity.bsky.social @mapjournals.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1093/jpe/...

Rooster ring-necked pheasant
#birds #pheasant #nature #birdphotography #naturephotography #naturelovers #wetlands #grassland #wisconsin #photography

Protected grassland showcases rare birding habitat on Eastern Shore ...

Protected grassland showcases rare birding habitat on Eastern Shore
->Bay Journal | More on "Eastern Shore grassland rare bird habitat" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland #Birding #Habitat #Ecosystem

A picture of a magnificient plant or flower.

#flower #red #countryside #forest #land #plant #garden #grass #scenery #farm #field #jungle #weather #rock #blossom #rainforest #daisy #grassland #outdoors #rural

Drone Imaging Reveals Grazing's Impact on Grasslands Grasslands play a key role in supporting livestock, storing carbon, and maintaining biodiversity. However, early signs of degradation are often difficult to detect using traditional field surveys alone. A new study shows that drone-based hyperspectral imaging can help capture not only how much vegetation is present, but also how plant communities are changing under different grazing pressures. This approach may provide complementary information for assessing grassland condition. Livestock grazing is one of the most widespread human pressures on grasslands worldwide. Its effects can vary: while moderate grazing may support biodiversity in some systems, heavier grazing is often associated with declines in productivity and shifts in species composition. Monitoring these changes is challenging because they involve not only vegetation cover, but also plant functional traits and the way species interact within communities. In a study published on February 3, 2026, in Journal of Remote Sensing (DOI: 10.34133/remotesensing.0732) , researchers from Peking University, Beijing Forestry University, Inner Mongolia University, the University of Twente, and Sun Yat-sen University investigated whether drone-based hyperspectral data could be used to monitor these ecological changes in the Xilin Gol Grassland Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia, China. The researchers found that drone observations could be used to estimate...

Drone Imaging Reveals Grazing's Impact on Grasslands
->Mirage News | More on "Drone imaging grassland grazing impacts" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland #Drone

Photo taken on August 15, 2018 with my NIKON D5200 using the AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G II lens. Find more information at https://gommadigitale.com/photo/15-08-2018/86

#photo #sky #ecosystem #grassland #field #prairie #horizon #grass - https://gommadigitale.com/photo/15-08-2018/86

Drone imaging provides new insights into how grazing shapes grassland ecosystems Livestock grazing is one of the most widespread human pressures on grasslands worldwide. Its effects can vary: while moderate grazing may support biodiversity in some systems, heavier grazing is often associated with declines in productivity and shifts in species composition. Monitoring these changes is challenging because they involve not only vegetation cover, but also plant functional traits and the way species interact within communities. In a study published on February 3, 2026, in Journal of Remote Sensing (DOI: 10.34133/remotesensing.0732), researchers from Peking University, Beijing Forestry University, Inner Mongolia University, the University of Twente, and Sun Yat-sen University investigated whether drone-based hyperspectral data could be used to monitor these ecological changes in the Xilin Gol Grassland Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia, China. The researchers found that drone observations could be used to estimate aboveground biomass and several plant functional traits with useful accuracy. Across the grazing gradient, biomass generally declined as grazing intensity increased, particularly under heavy grazing. At the same time, several nutrient-related traits tended to decrease, while traits such as leaf thickness and leaf carbon content tended to increase, consistent with a shift toward more stress-tolerant plant strategies. The study also showed that, under heavier grazing, relationships between plant...

Drone imaging provides new insights into how grazing shapes grassland ecosystems
->Newswise | More on "Drone monitoring grassland grazing impacts" at BigEarthData.ai | #Drone #Grassland #Ecosystem

Why grasslands are an important ecosystem A dull yellow grassland devoid of life is a wasteland. So one should consider planting trees on it. Right? Not quite. This deceptively lively landscape shelters unique wildlife encountered in no other habitats! As the searing heat of the day gives way to the night chill, two iconic animals of the grasslands become active. A sound like that of a pressure cooker’s whistle warns you of the presence of one of the smallest yet deadliest animals of the grasslands: the saw-scaled viper, one of the most venomous snakes in India hunts for rodents by detecting their heat signatures at night. Then, a low-pitched howl fills the night air. The undisputed apex predator of the grasslands is on the prowl. The “Grey Ghost of the Grasslands” is on the prowl. The Indian grey wolf usually hunts herbivores like chinkara and blackbuck but has nor turned to domestic goats, as easier prey. An integral part of the grassland ecosystem, it keeps overgrazing by herbivores in check. With grasslands considered wastelands and taken over for construction, agriculture and other human activity, the wolf’s numbers are declining and it is classified as Vulnerable. Elsewhere in the dry grasslands of Rajasthan lives an enormous ground-dwelling...

Why grasslands are an important ecosystem
->The Hindu | More on "Grassland ecosystem wildlife and conservation" at BigEarthData.ai | #Ecosystem #Grassland

Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Enter Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Stage 1 fire restrictions are now in effect on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC). Restrictions include all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails. It also includes designated dispersed campsites within the exterior boundaries of the PSICC. This order is in effect from 12:01 a.m. March 27, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. August 1, 2026. Restrictions can be rescinded should conditions change. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service coordinated with all affected counties, state agencies, and neighboring federal land managers regarding the restrictions and their timing. The PSICC release states, “Going into restrictions is not taken lightly by the Forest Service. Restrictions are necessary due to dry fuel conditions, persistent fire weather patterns, and the danger of human-caused wildfires from recreation usage across the forests and grasslands. Recent dry, windy and hot weather conditions have resulted in an elevated potential for wildfires. Fire restrictions will help protect public health and safety, as well as natural resources.” Under Stage 1 fire restrictions: Visitors may only build or maintain fires and use charcoal in permanent fire pits or fire grates in a developed recreation site, such as a campground where fees are charged. Smoking is...

Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Enter Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
->Ark Valley Voice | More on "Stage 1 fire restrictions Colorado" at BigEarthData.ai | #NationalForest #Grassland

The sky is dominated by clouds, only a bit of orange-yellow light from the sunrise peaks though, mostly on the horizon, The lower third is straw-colored grass, with reeds sticking up over the horizon, some nearly reaching the top of the frame.

Clouds nearly cover this morning's sunrise over a grassy field in Milford State Park's Eagle Ridge Campground in Kansas. We'll be at Prairie Dog State Park tomorrow. #sunrise #Kansas #grassland #cloudysunrise

This photograph was taken last year...we've not had much rain this year. Hoping to see some lush green grass soon 🤞

What does your backyard look like at the moment?

#drought #grassland #Colorado
📸 by Karen Voepel

Growing Bird-Friendly Grasslands Grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems in North America—and grassland birds are paying the price. According to the most recent State of the Birds report, grassland birds have experienced the steepest declines of any bird group, with many species now at or nearing conservation “tipping points.” Yet on Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Lands, lands managed for birds and biodiversity through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program, the Bird-Friendliness Index showed a 76% overall increase from 2016 to 2023. Audubon Conservation Ranching is a compelling grassland conservation solution—one made possible through strategic investments in the Farm Bill. Audubon Conservation Ranching is built on a simple but powerful premise: well-managed grazing can be one of the most effective tools for sustaining healthy grasslands and the birds that depend on them. Through Audubon’s unique bird-friendly land certification, ranchers implement science-based grazing and habitat practices—documented in site-specific Habitat Management Plans drafted by Audubon’s range ecologists—that create the structural diversity grassland birds need to nest, forage, and thrive. These plans emphasize regenerative grazing, invasive species control, native plant restoration, and water and soil stewardship, all tailored to local ecological conditions. Sarah Hewitt, Audubon Upper Mississippi River’s Senior Conservation Manager, has helped implement Audubon’s flagship grassland program in...

Growing Bird-Friendly Grasslands
->Audubon | More on "Bird-friendly grassland conservation ranching" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland

Validate User

【🎉Latest accepted article】
#IncreasingPrecipitation exacerbates the negative effect of nitrogen addition on diversity of semi-arid steppe early in the growing season

#CommunityComposition | #FunctionalDiversity | #Grassland | #NitrogenDeposition

@mapjournals.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1093/jpe/...

The 31st Fundamentals of #Ornithology course is going well. 24 participants were rained on trying to see highland #forest & grassland #birds. White-browed Crombec, Brown-capped Weaver & good views of Sharpe's Longclaw. But #grassland is burnt & being developed. Maybe the last time we'll see it?

New York State Regulations Fall Short for Grassland Birds Co-authored with the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society, this opinion piece appeared in print in the Times Union on March 15, 2026. As New York advances its transition to clean energy, we face another environmental emergency — the dramatic loss of grassland birds. The 2025 “State of the Birds” report, produced by a coalition of scientific and conservation organizations, revealed that these birds are the fastest-declining species, with populations down more than 40% since 1970. Habitat loss is at the center of this crisis, and now the crisis is hitting home in the 13,000-acre Washington County Grasslands. Here, sweeping fields anchor a rare ecosystem that is one of the state’s last lifelines for vulnerable grassland birds, including the state-endangered short-eared owl and threatened northern harrier. These species use the core of the Washington County Grasslands for winter and breeding habitat and are exceptionally sensitive to habitat fragmentation — even the addition of tall structures can render the surrounding habitat unusable. The scientific literature is clear on this point: Area-sensitive birds abandon or avoid fields when visual or structural disturbances break up the landscape. Solar arrays, if poorly sited, have the potential to do exactly that. Yet the proposed Fort Edward Solar...

New York State Regulations Fall Short for Grassland Birds
->Audubon | More on "Grassland birds New York habitat" at BigEarthData.ai | #Bird #Grassland

Warming and Wetting Could Turn Alpine Grasslands Into Emerging Nitrous Oxide Hotspots in Arid Northwest China Newswise — By measuring N₂O fluxes along an elevation gradient from 313 to 2,901 meters above sea level, the team discovered that alpine grasslands may become increasingly important sources of this potent greenhouse gas under future climate scenarios. Nitrous oxide is nearly 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period and is also a major ozone-depleting substance. Globally, soils account for more than 60% of atmospheric N₂O emissions, largely through microbial processes known as nitrification and denitrification. Arid and semi-arid ecosystems cover roughly 40% of the Earth’s land surface but have historically been considered minor contributors to global N₂O budgets due to limited water availability. However, northern China’s arid regions are experiencing warmer and wetter conditions under climate change, potentially stimulating microbial nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas release. At the same time, agricultural intensification—including irrigation and fertilizer use—has dramatically altered soil nutrient dynamics. Yet little is known about how elevation and land use interact to control N₂O emissions in arid mountain landscapes. A study (DOI: 10.48130/nc-0025-0022) published in Nitrogen Cycling on 23 January 2026 by Longfei Yu’s team, Tsinghua University, provides new insight into how both natural and managed soils in northwestern China could amplify climate feedbacks...

Warming and Wetting Could Turn Alpine Grasslands Into Emerging Nitrous Oxide Hotspots in Arid Northwest China
->Newswise | More on "Alpine grasslands nitrous oxide emissions" at BigEarthData.ai | #Grassland

Figure 1 Mitsuta (2026): Redundancy analysis (RDA) of the abundances of microbial genes and soil chemical properties. Only significant vectors (P < 0.05), as determined by an ANOVA-like permutation test for chemical properties, are shown with blue arrows. Arrow length indicates the strength of the variable’s effect on microbial N cycle gene abundance, and the angle between arrows indicates correlation among variables.

New publication: Unveiling the dominant role of #soilpH in shaping #nitrogen cycling #microbial #gene abundances: Insights from 65-years of chemical #fertilizer selection in an acidic #grassland #meadow.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ag...