A steppe <> is an space coated primarily by brief grasses. Steppes are present in dry areas which have scorching summers and chilly winters. Typically, the summers are so scorching that the grasses catch on hearth. When hearth happens, it’s extra harmful than traditional as a result of the grass is so dry that the flames unfold shortly. Most steppes obtain a mean of from 10 to twenty inches (25 to fifty one centimeters) of rain a yr. This quantity of rain is lower than a prairie will get, however greater than a desert receives. In North America, steppes cowl a lot of the space from northern New Mexico to southern Alberta, which is in Canada. In Europe and Asia, they prolong from southwestern Russia into central Asia.
Most steppe crops develop lower than 1 foot (30 centimeters) excessive. They don’t develop as thickly because the tall grasses of prairies develop. Crops of the North American steppes embrace blue grama <>, buffalo grass, cactuses, sagebrush, and spear grass. Earlier than individuals farmed the steppes, many bison, deer, jack rabbits, prairie canine, pronghorns, hawks, and owls lived there.
At the moment, individuals use steppes as grazing areas for livestock and as locations to develop wheat and different crops. Overgrazing, plowing, and extra salts left behind by water have harmed some steppes. Robust winds might blow away unfastened soil after plowing, particularly throughout a drought. A mixture of plowing, winds, and drought has brought about main mud storms within the Nice Plains area of the USA.
