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Things About the Grasslands-Temperate Ecosystem

Approximately one fourth of the Earth's land area is covered in grasslands, which, as the name suggests, are regions in which grasses are the dominant plant life. There are two types of grasslands: tropical and temperate. The latter have more distinct seasons. Grasslands are described as a transitional biome because they are generally located between forests and deserts.

Distribution
- Temperate grasslands occur north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica. In Europe and Asia, temperate grasslands are called steppes; in North America and South America, they are known as prairies and pampas, respectively. The temperate grasslands of South Africa are referred to as veldts.
Climate
- Temperate grasslands average between 10 and 30 inches of rain a year -- not enough for a forest to grow, but not arid enough for a desert to form. Unlike tropical grasslands, which are warm all year, temperate grasslands experience hot summers and very cold winters. The former usher in the growing season, whereas the latter mark the dormant season during which no grasses grow. In the summer, temperatures can climb up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The harshest grassland winters are those of the Eurasian steppes and the prairies of northwestern North America, where temperatures can plummet to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Soil
- Temperate grasslands boast some of the deepest and most fertile soils in the world, which has made them very conducive to agriculture. Among the most nutrient-rich are the eastern prairies of North America, the steppes of Ukraine and Russia and the pampas of South America. The fertility of temperate grasslands is due in part to the presence of deep grass roots that, when decayed, nourish living vegetation and help hold the soil together.
Flora
- A combination of climate, grazing by large mammals and fires -- natural and human-caused -- limit the growth of trees and shrubs in grasslands. The height of grasses depends on the amount of rainfall the region receives. Prairies generally have the tallest grasses, which can grow over five feet tall. Steppes tends to have the shortest grasses. Examples of grasses found in this biome include purple needlegrass, ryegrass, blue grama, foxtail and buffalo grass. Typical grassland wildflowers include asters, blazing stars, wild indigo, clovers and sunflowers.
Fauna
- Most temperate grasslands are home to grazing hoofed animals. These include the pronghorn and bison of the North American prairies; the zebras, gazelles and rhinoceroses of the African veldts; South America's pampas deer; and the imperiled Przewalski's horse and Saiga antelope of Eurasia. Also common are burrowing rodents, such as gophers, badgers and prairie dogs, which occur in North America, and the pampas-dwelling viscacha.
  
  Among the predators that inhabit grasslands are the coyote, found in North America, and the maned wolf of South America. In addition, grasslands support a variety of snakes and birds such as grouses, meadowlarks, quails and raptors, including hawks and owls. The South American pampas are home also to the common rhea, an endemic, flightless bird.

Nature