Grasslands receive a moderate amount of rainfall. Which statement best describes the amount of rainfall in grasslands when compared with deserts and forests?

Introduction / Context:
Different natural vegetation types such as deserts, grasslands, and forests are closely related to the amount of rainfall an area receives. Grasslands occur in regions where rainfall is too high for deserts but not high enough to support dense forests. Understanding these relative rainfall ranges helps in classifying biomes and predicting vegetation patterns. This question asks you to compare rainfall in grasslands with that in deserts and forests and choose the most accurate statement.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Deserts are characterised by very low rainfall, often less than 25 cm per year.
• Grasslands receive moderate rainfall, typically in the range of about 25 to 75 cm (or somewhat higher in some regions).
• Forests, especially tropical and temperate forests, receive higher rainfall than grasslands.
• The options compare grassland rainfall with deserts and forests individually and together.

Concept / Approach:
Because deserts receive the least rainfall, grasslands must get more rainfall than deserts. However, grasslands do not receive enough rainfall to support dense, closed canopy forests. Forests, particularly tropical rainforests and temperate broadleaf forests, form where rainfall is abundant and more evenly distributed over the year. Therefore, rainfall in grasslands is greater than in deserts but less than in forests. Among the given options, this combination is expressed by the statement that rainfall in grasslands is more than deserts and less than forests, which is captured by selecting Both A & B.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Compare grasslands with deserts: deserts have very low rainfall; grasslands have moderate rainfall, so grasslands must receive more rainfall than deserts. Step 2: Compare grasslands with forests: forests, especially tropical and temperate forests, generally have higher rainfall, often above 75 or 100 cm per year. Step 3: Recognise that grasslands typically occur in intermediate rainfall zones between deserts and forests. Step 4: Match this understanding to the options: statement A says grasslands get more rainfall than deserts, and statement B says grasslands get less rainfall than forests. Step 5: Conclude that both A and B are correct, so option C, Both A & B, is the appropriate choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
Biome diagrams and climate vegetation charts in geography textbooks usually place deserts on the lowest rainfall end, grasslands in the moderate rainfall band, and forests on the highest rainfall side. For example, tropical savannas and temperate prairies are located in zones receiving more rainfall than nearby deserts but less than adjacent forested regions. This pattern is repeated on multiple continents, confirming that grasslands occupy a middle rainfall range between deserts and forests and validating statements A and B together.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A alone states that grasslands get more rainfall than deserts, which is true but incomplete because it does not compare grasslands with forests. Option B alone states that grasslands get less rainfall than forests, which is also true but again incomplete. The question asks which statement describes the amount of rainfall in grasslands, implying both comparisons, so the combined option C is the best answer. Option D, none of the above, is incorrect because both A and B are individually correct and together fully explain the typical rainfall pattern in grasslands.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may choose only one statement, either A or B, without realising the question allows for a combined correct option. Others may think that grasslands receive rainfall equal to forests, which is not true; otherwise, they would support dense forest cover instead of open grassland. To avoid errors, remember the simple sequence: deserts get the least rain, grasslands get more, and forests get the most, making Both A & B the accurate description.

Final Answer:
Grasslands receive rainfall that is more than deserts and less than forests, so Both A & B is correct.