Temperate grasslands

There are different types of biomes in the whole world, among them; the Temperate Grassland is the larger division. Thai grasslands are similar to tropical savannas and shrublands. This grassland is a worldly biome that was defined by the “World Wide Fund for Nature”. The climate of this grassland ranges from semi-arid to semi-humid. It is open grassland with a few trees and these types of grasslands are mainly situated in the colder climate region. 

The Grassland biome

Biomes are the major habitats of the world. These habitats mainly include vegetation and the animals. Each biome is determined by the climate. The grassland biomes are mainly formed with the tropical and temperate grasslands. There are two types of main grasslands, “Temperate” and “Tropical” grasslands. The growth of the grasslands is found where the rainfall is very low and the climate is cold. Maximum Grasslands lie between deserts and forests. The grasslands cover 20 to 40 % of the land area of the whole world. The height of the vegetation of the grasslands depends on the amount of rainfall. Most of the grasslands are found in the interior parts of the continents. 

Temperate grasslands

Temperate grasslands are the open grass plains. It has different names in the world, some names of the popular grasslands are- “Veldts”, “Pampas”, “Downs”, “Savannas”, “Prairies” etc. Large trees and shrubs are mainly absent in this type of grassland. The temperature of the temperate grasslands may vary with the seasonal changes from summer to winter. It has averagely low and moderate precipitation in a year. The amount of rainfall in this temperate grassland is very low. The amount of rainfall influences the height of the vegetation and grasses. The annual average amount of precipitation is 50.8 to 88.9 cm. In the summer the temperature can exceed up to 100 ℉ in winter and it can fall up to 40℉. On the other hand, there are environmental issues regarding the temperate grasslands because most of the natural grasslands have been turned into grazing lands for the animals. There are some subdivisions of the temperate grasslands, among them “Prairie” and “Steppes” are popular. Prairie is the grasslands with the tall grasses and the steppes are the grasslands with the short grasses. Though both grasslands are almost similar, there are some differences among them. Steppes are the grasslands of dry areas. Thus, for this difference the temperate grasslands have uniqueness. The grassroots of the temperate grasslands are so deep and have many branches. The decay of these grasses creates dark soil rich in nutrients. It plays an important part in climate change. 

Temperate grasslands of the world

The temperate grassland covers 25% of the landmasses of the whole world. The temperate grasslands are mainly located in the Northern Hemisphere or the Northern continents. The largest temperate grasslands are situated in the US prairie land. Rather than the US Prairie, the other famous temperate grasslands are Russian Steppes, Pampas of South America, Veldts of South Africa, and the Steppes of Eurasia.

Prairies of North America have grasslands with tall grasses while the Russian steppes have grasslands with short growth of grasses. The “Veldt ” name was given by the Duchess and the veldts are mainly found in South Africa and Hungary, Pampas is found in Argentina and Uruguay, Steppes can be found in Russia, and the Soviet Union, New Zealand, and Australia have the Downs temperate grasslands. Thus, the Prairie grasslands are the native home of the “Red Indians”. “Chinook” is a hot wind that has been blown throughout the temperate grasslands in the winter season. On the other hand, temperate grasslands are specifically identified in the “Tropic of Cancer” and the “Tropic of Capricorn”. Woody trees and large shrubs are missing in the temperate grassland regions. However, a few numbers of oak, cottonwoods, willow, sunflowers, coneflowers, wild indigo, etc have been found in these grasslands. 

Temperate grasslands animals

The animals of the temperate grasslands survive in harsh conditions. The animals are suffering from a lack of water. The squirrel, rat, and kangaroos do not sweat which helps them to conserve the water in their bodies for the dry or hot season. The bison creates a thick layer of skin which gives them protection from the chilling winter.  Some other grassland animals such as prairie dogs and gophers create underground holes which give them protection from summer and winter. Some other famous animals of the temperate grasslands are- wild horses, deer, foxes, wolves, mice, blackbirds, hawks, snakes, spiders, owls, grasshoppers, etc. 

Conclusion

It can be concluded that this entire assignment has emphasized the grassland biomes and the famous grassland of the world, the “Temperate grasslands”. The entire chapter has discussed the temperature, climate, rainfall of the temperate grasslands and it has also discussed the temperate grasslands of the world and the animals of the temperate grasslands. Temperate grasslands are mainly found in Australia, North America, and Africa. Thus, Maximum Grasslands lie between deserts and forests. The grasslands cover 20 to 40 % of the land area of the whole world.