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Biomes, large areas with a characteristic climate, flora and fauna, are the main habitats on Earth. Prairies or grasslands, like jungles or forests, are a type of biome. The type of prairie is determined by the climate of the region; They can be grasslands of tropical zones or grasslands of temperate zones. The pampas in South America and the grasslands in North America are examples of biomes characterized by temperate grasslands.
Temperate grasslands are open areas, with vegetation dominated by herbaceous plants and very few trees, just like savannahs. They are found in areas with intermediate temperatures and rainfall, halfway between the characteristics of tropical and cold regions, clearly differentiated into two annual seasons, summer and winter. In winter the temperature can drop below zero degrees Celsius, reaching and even exceeding thirty degrees in summer. The annual average of the precipitations of the regions with temperate prairies can oscillate between the 500 and the 1,000 millimeters, being able to be these precipitations in form of rain or snow.
Grasslands are found on all continents except Antarctica. The grasslands and plains in North America, the pampas in Argentina, the steppes in Russia and the veldts in South Africa are some examples.
weather events
Tornadoes, thunderstorms, and fires are three high-impact natural events in the temperate prairies. Due to the hot and dry summer weather, wildfires are common in temperate grasslands (see figure below). These fires are usually caused by lightning, but are also sometimes the result of human activity. The dense dry grasslands are a fuel that, with the help of the winds, generates fires that spread over large areas. These fires also promote the further development of grasslands by limiting the growth of shrubby vegetation, the scrub.
In the pampean areas of South America, which include regions of central Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, storms called “pamperos” are frequent. They are short-lived storms, with a sudden drop in temperature, generated by the anticyclone winds from the South Pacific Ocean that move through the Pampean plains. Tornadoes are typical of the North American plains. The region called Tornado Alley (alley of the tornadoes), which extends from the north of Texas to the east of Ohio, passing through North Dakota, is characterized by the large number of tornadoes. These tornadoes are spawned when warm air currents from the Gulf of Mexico meet cold air from Canada, producing about 700 tornadoes per year.
Vegetation and fauna
Moderate temperatures, as well as low to moderate rainfall, make temperate grasslands a place where the typical vegetation is not large. Herbaceous plants, particularly grasses, have adapted to cold temperatures, droughts and fires. Grasses have deep, massive root systems that take hold in the soil. This allows this type of vegetation to remain firmly rooted in the soil, helping to reduce erosion and conserve water. Vegetation of temperate grasslands is also considered to be extensive crops that man carries out for different purposes, such as fodder for cattle or wheat plantations.
Temperate grasslands are home to many herbivorous animals and their predators. Bison, gazelles, guanacos, deer, zebras, and rhinos are some of the large herbivores; various birds, hares and rabbits, vizcachas, mulita, weasels, foxes and skunks, and carnivorous predators such as pumas or jaguars, are some of the animals found in temperate grasslands.
Sources
Ben Hoare. Temperate Grasslands . Raintree, 2011.
Christina Nuñez. Grasslands Information and Facts . National Geographic, 2019. www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/grasslands/.
