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Temperate grassland
A biome that is characterized by fertile soils that
are able to support a thick cover of grasses is
called
grassland.
Drought, grazing, fires, and
animals like the bison in
Figure 11
keep grass-
lands from becoming forests. Due to their
underground stems and buds, perennial grasses
and herbs are not eliminated by the fires that
destroy most shrubs and trees. Temperate
grasslands are found in the middle latitudes of
North America, South America, Asia, Africa,
and Australia. Grasslands are called prairies in
North America, pampas and llanos in South
America, steppes in Asia, savannas and veldts in
Africa, and rangelands in Australia.
Figure 11
Temperate grassland
Average precipitation:
50–89 cm per year
Temperature range:
–40˚C to 38˚C
Plant species:
grasses, herbs, flowers
Animal species:
gazelles, bison, horses, lions, deer, mice,
coyotes, foxes, wolves, birds, snakes, grasshoppers,
spiders
Geographic location:
North America, South America, Asia,
Africa, and Australia
Abiotic factors:
summers are hot, and winters are cold;
moderate rainfall; fires possible
Figure 12
Desert
Average precipitation:
2–26 cm per year
Temperature range:
high: 20˚C to 49˚C, low: −18˚C to 10˚C
Plant species:
cacti and other succulents such as Aloe
vera and Joshua trees
Animal species:
lizards, bobcats, birds, tortoises, rats,
antelope, desert toads
Geographic location:
every continent except Europe
Abiotic factors:
varying temperatures; low rainfall
Desert
Deserts exist on every continent except Europe.
A
desert
is any area in which the annual rate of
evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation.
You might imagine a desert as a desolate place
full of sand dunes, but many deserts do not
match that description. Deserts can be home to a
wide variety of plants and animals, including
reptiles like the western diamondback rattle-
snake shown in
Figure 12
.
Lesson 2 • Terrestrial Biomes
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