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Climate Description of the Temperate Grasslands

Temperate grasslands occur everywhere around the world except Antarctica. They exist as large areas of land where the main plant life consists of grasses and non-woody plants like rush and sedge. In the United States, the Prairie and Pacific Grasslands are home to bison and wild horses as well as deer, prairie dogs and coyotes and many other animals. What makes these areas so attractive to people is the generally pleasant climate.

Climate Controlling Factors
- Because grasslands exist in the midlatitudes, between the polar and tropical zones and the air masses that control them. The collision of polar and tropical air masses provides the variable weather environment in the grassland regions.
Temperatures
- Grasslands tend to have hot summers and cold winters, with temperatures warmer than the polar regions and lower humidity than tropical or subtropical region. The moderate humidity and general lack of trees allows the land to warm quickly during the day and cool quickly at night. Annual temperatures range from about -4 degrees Fahrenheit to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, though they can exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit at times.
Precipitation
- Grassland precipitation consists of some snow in winter and approximately 10 to nearly 30 inches of rain for the rest of the year. That compares to less than 10 inches a year of annual precipitation in desert regions and nearly 80 inches a year in tropical rain forests. The higher annual rainfall in grassland regions combined with other factors like minerals in the soil prevent the intrusion of forests. Grasslands do, however, go through periodic droughts where the annual rainfall drops to between 2 and 5 inches.
Topography
- Grasslands make up about 20 percent of the Earth's land surface. Where grasslands border forests along river basins, the rainfall is plentiful, and trees begin appearing mixed in with tall grasses. Where grasslands give way to deserts, the grasses thin out and grow shorter. In between forests and desserts are oceans of endless grasslands.
Continental Locations and Latitudes
- Grasslands occur in continental heartlands, in the midlatitudes, isolated from the oceans' influences. Some of the largest grassland biomes exist in the North American prairies, the steppes of Eurasia, the Argentine pampas and the grass velds of southern Africa.
Grassland Agriculture
- The climate of the temperate grasslands produces prolific agricultural lands, like North America's breadbasket. Some of the main products grown are corn and soy beans, with dairy farming in the northern reaches of the grasslands.

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