Grasslands are divided between tropical savannas and the more temperate, grasslands. Temperate grasslands, like all biomes are characterized by the predominant vegetation. In this case, the dominant vegetation is grasses. Unlike savannas, that have a good deal of trees and shrubs scattered throughout, temperate grasslands generally have no trees. Temperatures can vary dramatically in this biome. In winters, the temperatures can be bitterly cold while in the summer the temperature can reach over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
What are some examples of temperate grasslands?
- Plains and Prairies in North America.
- Steppes of Russian and China
- Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay
- Puszta of Hungary
- Veldts of South Africa
How much rain does the temperate grassland have?
In general, temperate grasslands receive from 20 to 35 inches of rain a year. While seasonal droughts play less of a roll in this biome than tropical savannas, rain usually falls seasonally - mostly in late spring and early summer.
The amount of rain that falls in a grassland determines the height of the grasses. In North America there are two types of grasslands - short grass steppes and tall grass prairies. Short grass steppes are characteristic of many parts of Utah, Montana and Colorado. In wetter areas, such as Iowa and Minnesota, one will find the tall grass prairies.
