PLANET EARTH Great Plains

Predators also have a hard time raising their young on open grassland. Without trees eagles have to nest directly on the ground. All inhabitants of the Great Plains are exposed to the elements. Fire sparks panic in the herd. Gazelles are born to run, and even young calves easily outpace the flames if they can avoid being trampled. With nothing to stand in its way the blaze consumes anything that can't flee. Huge quantities of grass, valuable food have been lost and with it the old and the weak.



The gazelles move on to new pastures and leave the desolation behind them. From the ashes rises the phoenix（凤凰。注意，发音为菲尼克斯，不是佛尼克斯）. Grass, the incredible survivor. Because it grows from a protected part at the base of its stems, grass is almost indestructible. Able to repair and reproduce itself rapidly it covers more of the Earth's land than any other plant and feeds more wildlife than any other.



Red billed quelea（红嘴奎利亚雀）. One and a half billion swarm across the savannas of Africa. These are the most numerous birds on Earth. Some flocks（牲畜群） are so vast, that they could take five hours to pass overhead. Only grass can feed plagues of these proportions. The ravenous（极其饥饿的） hordes devour（狼吞虎咽） the seeds and the leaves and stems are cropped by great herds of antelope（羚羊）.