PLANTS: Grasses dominate temperate grasslands. Trees and large shrubs are rarely found in grassland areas. There are many species of grasses that live in this biome, including, purple needlegrass, wild oats, foxtail, ryegrass, and buffalo grass.

Known as prairies in North America, pampas in South America, veld in Southern Africa and steppe in Asia, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands differ largely from tropical grasslands in the annual temperature regime as well as the types of species found here.

Temperate grasslands are characterized as having grasses as the dominant vegetation. Trees and large shrubs are absent. Temperatures vary more from summer to winter, and the amount of rainfall is less in temperate grasslands than in savannas.

Grasslands are generally located between deserts and forests. The major temperate grasslands are located in central North America in the United States, in Southeast South America in Uruguay and Argentina, and in Asia along the southern portion of Russia and Mongolia.

Grassland plants and animals Grasslands support a variety of species. Vegetation on the African savannas, for example, feeds animals including zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, and giraffes. On temperate grasslands, you might find prairie dogs, badgers, coyotes, swift foxes, and a variety of birds.

Plants found in grassland habitats include:

• grasses, long and short.
• sunflowers.
• goldenrod.
• clover.
• wildflowers.
• cottonwood trees.
• acacia trees.
• baobab trees.

Temperatures in temperate grasslands vary according to the season. In winter, temperatures can plummet to well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. In summer, temperatures can reach above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperate grasslands receive low to moderate precipitation on average per year (20-35 inches).

While temperatures are often extreme in some grasslands, the average temperatures are about -20°C to 30°C. Tropical grasslands have dry and wet seasons that remain warm all the time. Temperate grasslands have cold winters and warm summers with some rain.

Climate: There is a large temperature range between this region’s cold winters and hot summers, as this region is far from the moderating effect of sea breezes (warming in winter, cooling in summer) because they are found inland. A great variety of temperatures may also occur in the same place within a single day.

Because of their locations, the grasslands have all four seasons. The temperate grassland heats up very quickly. The falls and springs are shorter than the summers and winters.

Important Famous Grasslands of the World

And these herds in turn support iconic predators, including lions and cheetahs. Grassland ecosystems are particularly fragile because water is scarce. Humans plow grasslands to plant wheat and other crops, replace wildlife with domestic livestock, and kill predator and prey alike.

Africa

The largest savannas are located in Africa near the equator. One of the most famous African savannas is Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, which is known for its large wildebeest and zebra populations. The park is also home to lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, and gazelles.

The Savanna Biome is the largest Biome in southern Africa, occupying 46% of its area, and over one- third the area of South Africa. It is well developed over the lowveld and Kalahari region of South Africa and is also the dominant vegetation in neighboring Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The African savannah, the savannah with which most people are familiar, is home to a wide variety of animals. A short list of some of those animals includes wildebeest, warthogs, elephants, zebras, rhinos, gazelles, hyenas, cheetahs, lions, leopards, ostrich, mousebirds, starlings, and weavers.

Forests