Temperate Grasslands
Temperate grasslands are found in the regions with temperate and semi-arid to semi-humid climates. The most important characteristic of the Temperate Grasslands is that they have almost no trees and large shrubs and have grasses as the dominant vegetation. Please note that the amount of rainfall is less in temperate grasslands than in Savannahs. The Veldts of South Africa, the Puszta of Hungary, the Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, the Steppes of the former Soviet Union, and the plains and Prairies of Central North America are Temperate Grasslands.
Climate in Temperate Grasslands
Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Rainfall is moderate. The amount of annual rainfall influences the height of grassland vegetation, with taller grasses in wetter regions. Akin to Savannah, seasonal drought and occasional fires are very important to biodiversity. However, their effects aren’t as dramatic in temperate grasslands as they are in Savannahs. Few natural prairie regions remain because most have been turned into farms or grazing land. This is because they are flat, treeless, covered with grass, and have rich soil. Prairies are grasslands with tall grasses while steppes are grasslands with short grasses.
Soils of Temperate Grasslands
The soil of the temperate grasslands is deep and dark, with fertile upper layers. It is nutrient-rich from the growth and decay of deep, many-branched grass roots. The rotted roots hold the soil together and provide a food source for living plants. Each different species of grass grows best in a particular grassland environment (determined by temperature, rainfall, and soil conditions). The seasonal drought, occasional fires, and grazing by large mammals all prevent woody shrubs and trees from invading and becoming established. However, a few trees, such as cottonwoods, oaks, and willows grow in river valleys, and some nonwoody plants, specifically a few hundred species of flowers, grow among the grasses. The various species of grasses include purple Needlegrass, Blue Grama, Buffalo Grass, and Galleta. Flowers include asters, blazing stars, coneflowers, goldenrods, sunflowers, clovers, psoraleas, and wild indigos.
Rainfall in the Temperate Grasslands
Precipitation in the temperate grasslands usually occurs in the late spring and early summer. The annual average is about 50.8 to 88.9 cm. The temperature range is very large over the course of the year. Summer temperatures can be well over 38° C (100 degrees Fahrenheit), while winter temperatures can be as low as -40° C (-40 degrees Fahrenheit).
Fauna in the Temperate Grasslands
Animals include gazelles, zebras, rhinoceroses, wild horses, lions, wolves, prairie dogs, jack rabbits, deer, mice, coyotes, foxes, skunks, badgers, blackbirds, grouses, meadowlarks, quails, sparrows, hawks, owls, snakes, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, and spiders. The following graphics sourced from Britannica online shows grasslands of the World.
