Wrangle

The grasslands, or grass steppe, of South America is often heterogeneously distributed with shrublands. The grasslands are a vital resource for herdsman and have been grazed extensively since the beginning of the 20th century. By 1914, there were around 4 million sheep in one Argentinean province alone (Santa Cruz; 243,943 km² [94,187 mi²]). Periods of deforestation and the introduction of cattle have altered landscapes and lead to mixed beliefs of what plant communities existed prior to foreign settlement.