• Bordering the deserts, away from the Mediterranean regions & in the interiors of the continent are the Temperate grasslands
  • Feature semi-arid or steppe climate,which lies between the tropics & Polar Regions.
  • Though they prevarication in the westerlies current of air belt, they are and then remote from maritime influence that the grasslands are practically treeless.
  • Grass are generally distinct in natural vegetation as those lie in Due south-Hemisphere have a much moderate climate due to coastal effects of the seas & warm currents alongside
  • Whereas grasslands in North-Hemisphere are comparatively warmer in summers & colder in winters as they are entirely continental.

  • In Eurasia, they are called Steppes, which stretches eastward from the shores of Baltic Body of water across the Bang-up Russian plains, to the foothills of Altai Mountains, for approx. 2000 miles
  • In isolated sections of Hungary & Mongolian-Manchurian region, they are known every bit Pustaz
  • In North America, the grasslands are quite extensive & known every bit Prairies, lying between foothills of Rockies & the Neat lakes astride American – Canada border
  • In the southern hemisphere, due to the narrowness of temperate portions of southern continents, grasslands are rather restricted & less continental
  • In case of Pampas of Argentine republic & Uruguay, the grasslands extend right to the sea & enjoy much maritime influence
  • In South Africa, the grasslands are sandwiched between the Drakensberg & Kalahari deserts; & are further divided into the more tropical Bush Veld in the north, & more temperate High Veld in the south
  • In Australia, the grasslands are better known as Downs & are found in Murray-Darling basin of southern Commonwealth of australia

Steppe Climate

  • In northern hemisphere, they lie in the heart of continents & thus have little maritime influence
  • Hence climate is continental with extremes of temperature.
  • Summers are very warm, approx. 25* C, with winters are chilling cold, with well beneath freezing point viz. approx. – 20*C
  • Hence have high annual range of temperature
  • In dissimilarity, in southern hemisphere, climate is never astringent, with mild winters of ~ 10* C & warm summers with ~ 20* C, due to the maritime consequence of the coasts
  • Hence almanac range of temperature is way less than that in northern hemisphere steppes.
  • Annual precipitation in N – Hemisphere has a mean annual of approx. fifty Cm, with majority of rainfall in summers from convectional sources.
  • Winter rainfall of approx. 25 mm/ month is occasional by depressions of the westerlies & in class of snow.

  • Due to maritime influence in southern hemisphere, mean annual rainfall always averages more than 50 cm, mainly due to warm ocean currents that launder the shores of steppe lands.
  • On the eastern slopes of the Rockies in Canada & USA, a local air current similar to Fohn (Switz), called Chinook, comes in due south west direction to the Prairies, descending from the Rockies. It is a hot current of air that rises the temperature & melts snow covered pastures, generally in winters & early springs, hence frequent chinook means mild winters in the region.

Natural Vegetation of Steppe

  • Natural vegetation of steppes is generally referred equally temperate grasslands, differing only in density & quality of grass.
  • Their greatest difference from tropical savannas is that steppes are practically treeless & grasses are much shorter.
  • Regions in North – Hemisphere, where the rainfall averages to a higher place 50 cm, the grasses are tall, fresh & nutritious & are better described as long prairie grass
  • Examples include North America, Rich black world of Russian federation –Ukraine & ameliorate watered areas of Asiatic steppe.
  • Where the rainfall is light, less than l cm, or the soil is poor, equally in continental interiors of Asia, the short steppe blazon of grass prevails.
  • The grasses are not only shorter but besides wiry & thin, often found in discontinuous clumps, with bare soil exposed between them.

  • The climatic requirement of grass are quite different from copse every bit they crave less moisture than trees & an annual atmospheric precipitation of approx. 25 – l cm is adequate.
  • Their growth is not abruptly checked by summer drought & winter cold as they lie fallow throughout this menstruum & sprout instantly every bit soon as temperature is moist & warm over again.
  • Trees are very scarce in steppes, because of the scanty rainfall, long droughts & severe winters; with long rolling plains of endless grass.
  • Poleward, an increment in precipitation gives ascent to a transition zone of wooded steppes where some conifers gradually appear, but are very scattered & few in number.
  • Towards the equator, the steppe grass becomes shorter & sparser, till it merges into desert with thorny scrub.

Agricultural developments of Steppe

  • Grasslands have been ploughed upwardly for extensive mechanized wheat cultivation & are termed as granaries of the world.
  • Abreast wheat, maize is besides increasingly cultivated, mainly in warmer & wetter areas.
  • Farms are extensively long, hence due to less attention & loftier mechanization, average yield per acre is low, but the yield per man is very high
  • Hence grasslands of mid latitudes produce greatest exporters of wheat in the world.
  • The tufted grasses have been replaced by more nutritious lucerne & alfalfa grass for cattle & send rearing.

Natural conditions adapt animate being farming & with the introduction of more than nutritious grass & refrigerated ships, temperate grasslands became major pastoral regions, exporting large quantities of beef, mutton, wool, milk, butter, cheese & other dairy products viz. Pampas became lead exporter of beef & Australia became world's leading wool exporter.