World Biomes

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World Biomes

• Temperate Grasslands

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Climate

• Semiarid, continental climates of the middle
  latitudes typically have between 25 cm and 50 cm
  of precipitation a year. Much of this falls as
  snow, serving as reservoir of moisture for the
  beginning of the growing season. Warm to hot
  summers are experienced, depending on latitude.
• In the winter, grassland temperatures can be as
  low as -40 C, and in the summer it can be as
  high 20 C. There are two real seasons a growing
  season and a dormant season. The growing season
  is when there is no frost and plants can grow
  (which lasts from 100 to 175 days). During the
  dormant (not growing) season nothing can grow
  because its too cold.

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Distribution of biome

• Grassland biomes can be found in the middle
  latitudes, in the interiors of continents. They
  can have either moist continental climates or dry
  subtropical climates. In Argentina, South
  America, the grasslands are known as pampas. The
  climate there is humid and moist. Grasslands in
  the southern hemisphere tend to get more
  precipitation than those in the northern
  hemisphere, and the grass tends to be the
  tall-grass variety.

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Distribution
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Soil

• Calcification is the dominant soil-forming
  process in semiarid regions. When this process
  works on a loess that itself is rich in calcium,
  the world's most fertile soils are created, the
  chernozems (A Russian term meaning black soil).

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Plants

• Perennial grasses and perennial forbs are
  dominant growthforms. Two or more strata of
  grasses are recognized in the more humid
  expressions of the biome.
• Perennial grasses, with their growth buds at or
  just below the surface, are well-adapted to
  drought, fire, and cold. The narrow, upright stem
  reduces heat-gain in the hot summers the
  intricate root systems trap moisture and
  nutrients. Two basic types are
• The first type is with rhizomes or underground
  stems from which new plants spring forth
  associated with the more humid grasslands
• The second type is without rhizomes, that
  reproduce by seed associated with the drier
  parts of the biome.

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Rhubarb Sweet vernal
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Indian Grass
Purple Coneflower
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Pampas Grass
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Animals

• The temperate grassland fauna is very low in
  diversity, especially in comparison with the
  tropical grasslands or savannas of Africa. A lot
  of the animals that live in Steppe are grazing
  animals, such as rabbits, mice, antelopes,
  horses, etc. Smaller animals have little defence
  from predators. Since it is such an open
  environment and predators can find animals fast,
  they either form herds or make burrows. There are
  many endangered animals on the Steppe.

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Rhea
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Mongolian Gerbil
Saiga
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Prairie dog
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• Bison

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Coyote
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People

• Few natural temperate grassland 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.
  
• Overgrazing, ploughing, and excess salts left
  behind by irrigation waters harm temperate
  grasslands.
• Strong winds blow loose soil from the ground
  after ploughing, especially during droughts.

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