Steppe (original) (raw)
A steppe is a dry, grassy plain.
Steppes
occur in temperate climates, which lie between the tropics and polar regions.
Temperate
regions have distinct seasonal temperature changes, with cold winters and warm summers.
Steppes
are semi-arid, meaning they receive 25 to 50 centimeters (10-20 inches) of rain each year. This is enough
rain
to support short
grasses
, but not enough for tall grasses or trees to grow. Many kinds of
grasses
grow on
steppes
, but few grow taller than half a meter (20 inches).
Eurasian Steppe
The largest
temperate
grassland in the world is the
Eurasian
steppe
, extending from Hungary to China. It reaches almost one-fifth of the way around the Earth. The
Eurasian
steppe
is so well-known, the area is sometimes referred to as just The
Steppe
.
The
Eurasian
steppe
has historically been one of the most important routes for travel and trade. The flat expanse provides an ideal
route
between Asia and Europe. Caravans of horses, donkeys, and camels have
traveled
the
Eurasian
steppe
for thousands of years. The most famous trade route on the
Eurasian
steppe
is the Silk Road, connecting China, India, and Europe. The
Silk Road
was established around 200 BCE, and many
Silk Road
trade
routes
are still in use today.
During the 13th century, Mongolian leader Genghis Khan conquered almost the entire
Eurasian
steppe
. With expert horsemen, Khan
conquered
territory from his home in what is now Mongolia, through China, Central Asia, and the land around the Caspian Sea.
The equestrian culture that was so important to
Genghis Khan
is still important for most
cultures
native to the
Eurasian
steppe
. From the Mongolian tradition in the east to the Cossack traditions of western Russia, these
cultures
have relied on horses for
travel
,
trade
, and conquest on the vast
steppe
. To this day, many festivals and community activities focus on horseback riding.
Other Steppes
The dry, shortgrass prairie of North Americas Great Plains is also a
steppe
. The
short
grass
prairie
lies on the western edge of the
Great
Plains
, in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains. It
extends
from the U.S. state of Texas in the south to the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, in the north.
Many of the worlds
steppes
have been converted to cropland and pasture. Short
grasses
that grow naturally on
steppes
provide grazing for cattle, goats, horses, camels, and sheep. Sometimes
steppes
are overgrazed, which occurs when there are more animals than the land can support.
When the short
grasses
of the
steppe
are plowed under for agriculture, the soil can erode very quickly. Important nutrients anchored in the
soil
by
grasses
are simply blown or washed away. Agricultural development can also degrade the
soil
with fertilizer and other chemicals. This is called overcultivation.
Overcultivation
can make
grasslands
look like deserts. The
soil
cannot retain enough water or
nutrients
for vegetation to grow. True
deserts
, however, receive less
rainfall
(less than 25 centimeters per year) than
steppes
.
Fast Fact
Where Fewer Buffalo Roam
The American bison (also called the American buffalo) roams the North American steppe. During the 1800s, the bison population dropped from more than 60 million to fewer than 2,000, mostly due to hunting by settlers from the East Coast. Conservation efforts have helped bring the bison population back up to more than 350,000 today.
Fast Fact
Steppe Up to Space
The wide, open space of the Eurasian steppe is an ideal spot for a spaceport. (Spacecraft need a lot of room to take off and land safely.) Russia began operating the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakhstan steppe in 1955. It is still successfully launching manned and unmanned spacecraft today.