Locations Central Asia, North America, Australia, Central Europe, and the upland plateaus of south America.
Temperature Summer temperatures can be well over 38° C (100 degrees Fahrenheit), while winter temperatures can be as low as -40° C (-40 degrees Fahrenheit).
Precipitation Rainfall in the temperate grassland is moderate.Rain in the temperate grasslands usually occurs in the late spring and early summer. The yearly average is about 10 - 35 inches a year in the late spring and early summer.The amount of rainfall influences the height of grassland vegetation, with taller grasses in wetter regions.
Soil Temperate grasslands have some of the richest soils in the world. People who live in grassland regions often use soils for farming. The soil of the temperate grasslands are very fertile. It is nutrient-rich from the growth and decay of deep, many-branched grass roots. The rotted roots hold the soil together and provide a food source for living plants.
Fires Periodic fires keeps the grasslands full of short vegetation rather than trees and shrubs.
Threats Overgrazing by livestock and plowing are the two greatest threats to temperate grasslands. Since the development of the steel plow grasslands have been converted to agricultural lands because of their rich soil. About 47 percent of temperate grasslands have been converted to agriculture or urban development. The ongoing killing of prairie dog poisoning in North America’s plains and the bison slaughter of the 1800s also pose threats.