Discuss the various examples of the temperate grasslands

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Steppe
The name steppe has been applied to the wild grasslands of Europe and Asia. The life forms are similar to the prairies in North America. Tussocky grasses form tufts of grass or clumps of grass. The grasses grow to one metre in height.

Prairies
The dominant grasses grow to about 1 metre in height. A mixture of sword forming grasses occurs in areas as well as bunch grass. In spite of the general tussocky appearance, particularly in winter, the true prairie forms a continuous sward or green turf over the ground. The turf is short grass bound closely to the earth by matted roots. The mixed prairie is composed of grasses of two distinct lifeforms, those growing to a
height of one metre and the dwarf grasses whose fruiting stems reach only a few centimetres high such as buffalo grass. The desert plains tend to have a dry prairie dominated by dwarf species of grass, cactus
and sagebrush.

Veld
Warm temperate grasslands cover much of the eastern portion of the plateau of South Africa, which is known as the high veld. Here there are few trees and in summer the grass grows tall reaching a height of 1 metre. In winter, however, the grass withers away and becomes brown in colour. The southern Transvaal and Orange Free State are almost entirely grassland areas. The grass cover extends unbroken over very long distances.

Pampas
The pampas of Argentina were predominantly grass covered with species of feather grass and other tall species similar to the tall prairies of North America. The dominant species of the moist pampas are bunch grasses where a large percentage of the soil surface lay bare between individual tussocks.

Downs
In Australia, tall grass isolated with trees and areas of scrub are similar to the savannah grasslands. In New Zealand the grass is tussocky and very uniform in structure and appearance. The leaves of the grasslands wither and die during the cold season, however the roots do not die and in the warm season when the snow thaws, the aerial parts grow. These grasslands have been replaced by cultivated vegetation and heavy grazing has altered the vegetation immensely.

francis1897 answered the question on October 11, 2022 at 07:01

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Discuss the various examples of the temperate grasslands

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