Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands facts for kids

Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are types of natural areas, or biomes, found around the world. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) helps us understand these places. These biomes are mostly covered in grass and shrubs. They have a temperate climate, which means it's not too hot or too cold. The weather can range from a bit dry (semi-arid) to a bit wet (semi-humid). These areas are different from tropical grasslands because of their yearly temperatures and the kinds of plants and animals that live there.

Extent of temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands

These special places have different names depending on where they are in the world. In North America, they are called prairies. In South America, they are known as pampas. Southern Africa has areas called veld, and in Asia, they are known as steppes. Most of these regions do not have many trees. Trees usually only grow near streams and rivers, forming what are called riparian or gallery forests.

Types of Grasslands

There are different kinds of grasslands based on their climate and how tall the grass grows.

Short and Tall Grasslands

Steppes and shortgrass prairies are areas with short grasses. They grow in places that are quite dry, known as semi-arid climates. On the other hand, Tallgrass prairies have very tall grasses. These areas get more rainfall.

Other Shrublands and Grasslands

Heaths are areas with low shrubs. Pastures are grasslands where people have stopped forests from growing. This happens because of human activities, not because the climate prevents trees.

Life in the Grasslands

These areas are home to many plants and animals. They are also very important for farming.

Farming and Food

Tall grasslands are great for agriculture because they get enough rain and have rich soil. This includes the tallgrass prairie in North America and parts of the Eurasian steppe (like Ukraine and southern Russia). The Humid Pampas in Argentina are also very fertile. These regions are some of the best places in the world to grow grain.

Amazing Animals

Long ago, huge herds of animals roamed these vast grasslands. In North America, there were many bison (Bos bison). In Eurasia, animals like saiga (Saiga tatarica), Tibetan antelopes (Pantholops hodgsoni), and kiang (Equus hemionus) migrated across the land. Today, you can only see these large migrations in a few special places. These include the Daurian Steppe and the Tibetan Plateau.

Temperate Savannas

Temperate savannahs are a mix of grassy areas and woodlands. They are found in places like Southern South America, parts of West Asia, South Africa, southern Australia, and some parts of the United States. In savannas, trees are spread out. Their branches do not form a closed roof, or canopy, like in a dense forest. Even though they are similar to tropical savannas, temperate savannas do not have warm weather all year round. Sometimes, savannas can even have more trees than forests, but the trees are more evenly spaced.

Plant Diversity

Many of the original plant communities in the Eurasian steppes and North American Great Plains have been replaced by farms. However, some areas still have amazing plant life. For example, less than three acres of North American tallgrass prairie can have as many as 300 different kinds of plants. This small area can also be home to over 3 million individual insects! The Patagonian Steppe and Grasslands are also special because they have unique types of plants and animals.

Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregions

See also

In Spanish: Pastizales y matorrales templados para niños

• Oak savanna
• Tussock grass
• Great Plains