Introduction to Temperate Grassland

Grassland -- Introduction to Temperate Grassland

Temperate grasslands are located in the mid-latitudes. There are six large areas of temperate grassland: the Pampas in South America, the Veld in Africa, the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand, the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia, the Prairies in North America and the Steppes in Central Asia. The appearances of grasslands in winter are generally brown in colour because grasses turn dry in winter.

Climate

Temperate grasslands have a temperate continental climate, which is cooler than savannas. Temperate grasslands have warm, humid summers with an average temperature of 18° C and cool, dry winters with an average temperature of 10° C. Most of the rain falls as convection rain in the summer and sometimes frost and snow may occur in the winter.

Structure

Temperate grasslands can be divided into tall-grass areas and short-grass areas. Tall grasses that are taller than two metres are usually found in wetter regions while short grasses that are shorter than sixty centimetres can be found in drier regions. The typical species of grasses are Andropogon, Panicum and Stipa and some herbs can be found between them. Trees are rare in the temperate grasslands because there is not enough moisture for them to grow as they have longer life cycles and need longer growing season than grasses.

Animals and Plants

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