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An Argentinian meadow in summer

Temperate grassland

Temperate grasslands include the prairies of North America, the steppes of Russia and the pampas of Argentina. Summers here are mild to hot and the winters can sometimes be very cold – for instance, blizzards can blanket the great plains of the United States. Although large areas have now been converted to agriculture, in the past temperate grasslands were home to herds of large grazing animals such as bison, deer or kangaroos.

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What lives here?

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Insects

Arachnids

Where you find Temperate grassland

Map showing the location of the Temperate grassland habitat

About Temperate grassland

Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome whose predominant vegetation consists of grasses and/or shrubs. The climate is temperate and ranges from semi-arid to semi-humid.

  • Temperature: warm to hot season (often with a cold to freezing season in winter)
  • Soil: fertile with rich nutrients and minerals
  • Plants: grass; trees or shrubs in savanna and shrubland
  • Animals: large, grazing mammals; birds; reptiles

Steppes/shortgrass prairies are short grasslands that occur in semi-arid climates. Tallgrass prairies are tall grasslands in areas of higher rainfall. Heaths and pastures are, respectively, low shrublands and grasslands where forest growth is hindered by human activity, not climate.

Tall grasslands, including the tallgrass prairie of North America and the Humid Pampas of Argentina, have moderate rainfall and rich soils which make them ideally suited to extensive agriculture, and tall grassland ecoregions include some of the most productive grain-growing regions in the world.

Savannas are areas with both grass and trees, but the trees do not form a canopy as they would in a forest.

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Ecozones

Ecozones where this habitat is found

Habitats

Other Terrestrial habitats

BBC News about Temperate grassland

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