Temperate Grassland Biome

The grassland biome is an ecosystem wherein the vegetation is usually dominated by various type of grasses, some as tall as 5-6 ft, and shrubs. This biome is broadly categorized into two sub-divisions on the basis of the latitudinal location -

• The tropical grassland biome
• The temperate grassland biome

When we talk about this biome, we most often picture African Savannah or American Prairies. While Savannah is an example of tropical grassland biome, the Prairie is an example of temperate grassland - and both differ from each other by a significant extent.

Facts about Temperate Grasslands

These grasslands, which include the Prairies of North America, Pampas of South America and the Steppes of Eurasia, are located in the mid-latitudes on planet Earth. They are further divided on the basis of their general characteristics. The best example of this is the Prairie biome of North America. In semi-arid regions, which are typically characterized by growth of short grass, the Prairies are known as Short-grass Prairies, and in regions with high rainfall, typically characterized by growth of tall grass, they are known as Tall-grass Prairies.

Climate
The tropical grasslands and temperate grasslands differ from each other in various aspects, and climate is one the most prominent among them. It is basically the location of these areas which determines the climatic conditions in these biomes. The temperature falls as we move from the equator towards the poles, and this becomes the driving factor when it comes to the difference in weather in these biomes. The semi-arid climate of this region is typically characterized warm and hot seasons, and annual precipitation ranging between 10-20 inches. A significant portion of this precipitation is in form of snow, which acts as a water reservoir for summer season when most of the grasslands tend to go dry.

Animals
These grasslands are less diverse as compared to tropical grasslands. However, there do exist quite a few animal species which are endemic to this biome. The list of grassland animals is dominated by herbivorous animals ranging from small rodents to large grazing animal species. Some of the most common animals include herbivores such as bison, zebras, rhinos, deer, etc.; carnivores such as the cheetahs, wolves, Prairies dogs, coyotes, etc.; as well as other small mammals, insects and birds. If animal adaptations are taken into consideration, most of these animals have same features as their tropical grasslands counterparts - flat topped teeth, sharp claws to burrow, etc.

Plants
That brings us to plants in temperate grasslands, i.e. grassland vegetation to be precise. The various types of grasses and shrubs found in this region form the basic identity of these grasslands. The occurrence of trees is even more sparse as compared to tropical grasslands. These grasslands also boast of having one of the most fertile soils among various biomes of the world, and this fertile soils play a key role in growth of myriad species of grass in this biome. Some of the most common species native to this region include buffalo grass, goldenrods, Johnson grass, gamma grass, crazy weed, Blazing stars, etc.

Human encroachment on pretext of agriculture has surfaced as a major threat for this biome over the last few years. These vast open lands with fertile soils are being converted into farmlands and ranches at an alarming rate - a practice which will eventually reduce this biome to several pockets as opposed to vast stretches of land that it is today - and affect the biodiversity of this region.