Steppe 54048 225034115 2008-07-11T15:51:43Z Goodnightmush 809057 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/75.0.1.45|75.0.1.45]] to last version by Slashme (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{otheruses1|the ecological zone type}} [[Image:Mongolia Ger.jpg|thumb|250px|Steppe in [[Mongolia]]]] [[Image:Prokudin-Gorskii-18.jpg|thumb|250px|Steppe in [[Kazakhstan]] or [[Uzbekistan]]]] In physical [[geography]], a '''steppe''' (from {{lang-ru|степь}} - {{IPA-ru|sʲtʲepʲ}} "a flat and arid land", {{lang-uk|степ}} - {{IPA|/stɛp/}}, {{lang-mn|тал}} - tal, {{lang-kk|дала}} - {{IPA|/dɑlɑ/}}), pronounced in English as {{IPA|/stɛp/}}, is a [[grassland]] [[plain]] without [[tree]]s (apart from those near rivers and lakes). The [[prairie]] (especially the [[shortgrass prairie]]) can be considered a steppe. It may be semi-[[desert]], or covered with [[Poaceae|grass]] or [[shrub]]s or both, depending on the [[season]] and [[latitude]]. The term is also used to denote the [[climate]] encountered in regions too dry to support a [[forest]], but not dry enough to be a desert. Steppes are characterized by a [[continental climate|continental]] and [[dry climate]]. Peaks can be recorded in the summer of up to 40 °C and in winter -40 °C. Besides this huge difference between summer and winter, the differences between day and night are also very great. In the highlands of Mongolia, 30 °C can be reached during the day and sub-zero temperatures at night. Also, the mid-latitude steppes can be summarized by hot summers and cold winters, averaging 250-500 mm (10-20 inches) of rain or equivalent in snowfall per year. == Two types of steppe == Two types of steppe can be recorded<ref>[http://www.fs.fed.us/land/pubs/ecoregions/ecoregions.html Ecological Subregions of the United States]</ref>: * the temperate steppe, the "true" steppe, found in [[continental climate|continental]] areas of the world; it can further be divided in other subdivisions; as can be seen [http://www.fs.fed.us/land/pubs/ecoregions/ecoregions.html here] * the subtropical steppe, a similar association of plants that can be found in the driest areas with a [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]]-like climate; it has usually a short wet period. Peculiar types of steppe include [[Shrub-steppe]] and [[Alpine-steppe]]. ==Locations== ===Temperate steppe=== [[Image:windbreakers altai steppe.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Southern Siberian steppe: windbreaker trees in the wintertime.]] The world's largest zone of all steppes, often referred to as "the [[Great Steppe]]", is found in southwest [[Russia]] and neighbouring countries in [[Central Asia]], stretching from [[Ukraine]] in the west to the [[Ural Mountains]] and the [[Caspian Sea]]. To the east of the Caspian Sea, the steppes extend through [[Turkmenistan]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Kazakhstan]] to the [[Altay Mountains|Altai]], [[Koppet Dag]] and [[Tian Shan]] ranges. The vast [[Eurasian Steppe]], as it is called, incorporates all of these steppes. The area is bordered in the north, on the eastern side of the [[Ural Mountains|Urals]], by the forested [[West Siberian Plain]] [[taiga]], extending nearly as far as the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Another large steppe area is located in the central [[United States]] and western [[Canada]]. The [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]] steppe is the westernmost part of the [[Great Plains]] region. [[Patagonia]] is another land dominated by a steppe. A relatively small steppe can be found in [[New Zealand]], in the inner part of the [[South Island]] and in Hungary (the [[Puszta]]). ===Subtropical steppe=== In [[Europe]], some [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]] areas have a steppe-like vegetation, such as central [[Sicily]] and central-eastern [[Spain]], especially the southeastern coast (around [[Murcia]]) and places cut off from adequate moisture due to [[rain shadow]] effects such as [[Zaragoza]]. In [[Asia]], a subtropical steppe can be found in semi-arid lands that fringe the [[Thar]] desert of the [[India]]n subcontinent; in Australia it can be found in a belt surrounding the most severe deserts of the continent and around the [[Musgrave Ranges]]. In [[North America]] this environment is typical of transition areas between zones with a Mediterranean climate and true deserts, such as [[Reno, Nevada]] and the inner part of [[California]]; In [[South America]] the most important zone with a warm steppe is the [[Pampa]]. ==Tropical grasslands and shrublands similar to steppe== Other zones dominated by grasslands and [[shrubland]]s similar to steppe can be found in [[tropical climate|tropical]] areas of the world. In these locations, necessary rainfall to separate steppes from true deserts may be half as much again due to greater [[evapotranspiration]]. These include transition zones between [[savanna]] and severe desert such as the [[Sahel]] that fringes the true [[Sahara]]. Another significant "tropical steppe", noteworthy for not grading into desert, is the [[Sertão]] of northeastern Brazil. ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== {{cite book|title=Ecology and conservation of Steppe-Land birds|first=Gerard|last=Bota|publisher=Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya|date=2005|id=ISBN 84-87334-99-7}} ==See also== <div class="references-small"> {{col-begin}} {{col-break|width=25%}} *[[Shrub-steppe]] *[[Steppe-tundra]] *[[Alpine-steppe]] *[[Coastal plain]] *[[Coastal prairie]] {{col-break|width=25%}} *[[Field (agriculture)]] *[[Flooded grasslands and savannas]] *[[Flood-meadow]] *[[Grassland]] *[[Meadow]] {{col-break|width=25%}} *[[Pasture]] *[[Plain]] *[[Prairie]] *[[Rangeland]] *[[Savanna]] {{col-break|width=25%}} *[[Tundra]] *[[Water-meadow]] *[[Wet meadow]] *[[Veld]] {{col-end}} </div> ==External links== {{Commonscat|Steppes}} *{{cite web|title=The Steppes|url=http://www.barrameda.com.ar/ecology/the-steppes.htm|publisher=barramedasoft corporation|date=1998-2008|format=html|accessdate=2008-04-04}} [[Category:Grasslands]] [[Category:Climate]] [[Category:Russian loanwords]] [[bg:Степ]] [[cv:Çеçенхир]] [[cs:Step]] [[da:Steppe (biotop)]] [[de:Steppe]] [[el:Στέπα]] [[es:Estepa]] [[eo:Stepo]] [[eu:Estepa]] [[fr:Steppe]] [[gl:Estepa]] [[ko:스텝]] [[io:Stepi]] [[id:Stepa]] [[it:Steppa]] [[he:הערבה האירואסייתית]] [[ka:ველი]] [[nl:Steppe]] [[ja:ステップ (地形)]] [[no:Steppe]] [[nn:Steppe]] [[oc:Estèpa]] [[pl:Step]] [[pt:Estepe]] [[ro:Stepă]] [[ru:Степь]] [[sl:Stepa]] [[sr:Степа]] [[fi:Aro]] [[sv:Stäpp]] [[vi:Thảo nguyên]] [[tr:Bozkır (coğrafya)]] [[uk:Степ]] [[zh:沙地]]