Scientists Say: Steppe

Steppe (noun, “STEP”)

A steppe is simply a flat, adust grassland.

These grassy plains hap successful temperate regions with a adust climate. Steppes incorporate mostly grasses — often abbreviated — and shrubs. Because of the adust conditions, fewer trees tin turn successful this ecosystem. With fewer trees to artifact gusts, upwind sweeps astir perpetually crossed these flatlands. Trees hap on rivers and streams that whitethorn chopped done the plains.

The Eurasian steppe is the largest successful the world. It lies conscionable southbound of Siberia. It extends implicit 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) crossed Europe and Asia. These immense plains supply bully pasture for livestock. The portion is location to herd animals specified arsenic saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) and Przewalski’s horses (Equus przewalskii). Predators — specified arsenic the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) — besides hunt here, feeding connected birds and different tiny prey.

Another illustration of a steppe lies successful North America — the Great Plains. This steppe lies eastbound of the Rocky Mountains. As aerial from the westbound moves up and implicit the mountains, h2o vapor condenses and falls arsenic rain. This leaves the aerial connected the eastbound broadside — the “rain shadow” broadside — precise dry. This adust aerial descends to the plains beneath and cannot enactment forests. But it does enactment grasses, which signifier the steppe.

Grazing herd animals marque their location here. The American bison (Bison bison) is 1 example. Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana) are another. Pronghorns are the fastest onshore animals successful North America. They sprint up to 96 kilometers (60 miles) per hour. That’s accelerated capable to support gait with galore cars.

Sometimes, humans crook steppes into farmland. Crops that tolerate the adust clime — specified arsenic wheat, barley, and oats — thrive for a while. However, erstwhile the earthy grasses get plowed under, the portion tin go adjacent drier. Soil nutrients tin dwindle without earthy vegetation to anchor them successful place. This tin trim harvest accumulation implicit time.

In a sentence

Once extinct, the uncommon Przewalski’s horses were successfully reintroduced to the immense Mongolian steppes successful the 1990s.

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