PRAIRIE AND STEPPE

What makes the Prairie and Steppe unique habitats?

Prairies

Prairie refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically supported grasses and herbs, with few trees, and having a moderate climate.

Lands typically referred to as "prairie" tend to be in North America. The term encompasses much of the area referred to as the Great Plains of the United States and Canada. In the U.S., the area is constituted by most or all of the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, and sizeable parts of the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Canadian Prairies occupy vast areas of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. French explorers called these areas prairie, from the French word for "meadow". Almost all of the North American prairies has been converted into farmland in the last two hundred years (the shortgrass area can be considered to be a steppe).

Steppes

As opposed to a prairie, a steppe is a plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally considered as being dominated by tall grasses, while short grasses are normal in the steppe. Peaks in temperature can be recorded in the summer of up to 40 °Celsius and in winter -40 °Celsius. Besides this huge difference between summer and winter, the differences between day and night are also very great. In the highlands of Mongolia, 30°Celsius can be reached during the day and sub-zero temperatures at night.

Also, the mid-latitude steppes can be summarized by hot summers and cold winters, averaging 250-500 mm (10-20 inches) of rain or equivalent in snowfall per year. In tropical locations, necessary rainfall to separate steppes from true deserts may be half as much again due to greater evapotranspiration. Contents

What kind of animals can be found there?

The animals roaming the world's prairies and steppes are similar to those found in desert and savanna habitats. This is because of the similar physical features of these habitats. A relatively mild climate and average rainfall allow a variety of flora and fauna to flourish. You can find Camels, Giant Anteaters and Porcupines in the Prairie and Steppe habitats.

Would you like to know more about the Prairie and Steppe inhabitants?

Andean_Condor   Bald_Eagle   Bee   Beetle   Bobcat   Butterfly   Camel   Caracal   Chameleon   Cobra   Dhole   Emu   Frog   Giant_Anteater   Hummingbird   Iguana   Jaguar   Kingfisher   Kingsnake   Kiwi   Ladybug   Leopard   Lizard   Lynx   Monkey   Mountain_Lion   Newt   Ocelot   Oryx   Owl   Porcupine   Prairie_Dog   Przewalski's_Horse   Rattlesnake   Red-tailed_Hawk   Salamander   Scorpion   Small_Cat   Spectacled_Bear   Spider   Stork   Striped_Hyena   Toad   Tortoise   Turtle   Wild_Ass   Wild_Cattle