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=//__GRASSLANDS__ //=

__// Short grass prairies //__

The grasslands in North America are dry, flat and hot with a very cold winter, we call these prairies. The animals that live in the prairies have adapted to the cold winters, constant winds and treeless enviornment. The short grass praires grow where moisture from the pacific ocean is blocked by the mountains. The map below shows the short grass prairies on a world map. The short grass prairies cover most of western America and part of Saskatchewan.



In other parts of the world they can be very tropical places, called Pampas, Steppes, Savannahs and veldts.

//__Climatogram__ //

The average temperature for the prairies is -6C in january and 21C in july. Max precipitation is 100cm and the min is 20cm

The pampas and hot and full of tropical air, as the veldts and savannahs are almost the same they have a very hot, wet season followed by a cooler dry season that can last 8+ months. The only difference is the savannahs and veldts are located in two different hemispheres.
 * The pampas are moist and full of tropical air. Varieties of tall grass grow here because there is alot of rain.
 * In the steppes it is a cold dry climate with short grass and cold winters, the Himalayas block the warm moist air from the Indian ocean. So there is very little precipitation. There is nothing blocking the Arctic winds, this is why winter can get cery cold.
 * Grasslands can be found on every continent exept Antarctica.



//__Enviornmental concerns__ //


 * Conversion to agriculture
 * Global warming causes attendant changes in precipitation
 * Some grasslands are in habitats which are marginal for plant growth. Meaning they are on the verge of being deserts