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steppe
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Asteppeisadry,grassyplain.Steppesoccurintemperateclimates,whichliebetweenthetropicsandpolar
regions.Temperateregionshavedistinctseasonaltemperaturechanges,withcoldwintersandwarmsummers.
Steppesaresemi-arid,meaningtheyreceive25to50centimeters(10-20inches)ofraineachyear.Thisisenough
raintosupportshortgrasses,butnotenoughfortallgrassesortreestogrow.Manykindsofgrassesgrowon
steppes,butfewgrowtallerthanhalfameter(20inches).
EurasianSteppe
ThelargesttemperategrasslandintheworldistheEurasiansteppe,extendingfromHungarytoChina.Itreaches
almostone-fifthofthewayaroundtheEarth.TheEurasiansteppeissowell-known,theareaissometimes
referredtoasjustTheSteppe.
TheEurasiansteppehashistoricallybeenoneofthemostimportantroutesfortravelandtrade.Theflatexpanse
providesanidealroutebetweenAsiaandEurope.Caravansofhorses,donkeys,andcamelshavetraveledthe
Eurasiansteppeforthousandsofyears.ThemostfamoustraderouteontheEurasiansteppeistheSilkRoad,
connectingChina,India,andEurope.TheSilkRoadwasestablishedaround200BCE,andmanySilkRoadtrade
routesarestillinusetoday.
Duringthe13thcentury,MongolianleaderGenghisKhanconqueredalmosttheentireEurasiansteppe.With
experthorsemen,KhanconqueredterritoryfromhishomeinwhatisnowMongolia,throughChina,CentralAsia,
andthelandaroundtheCaspianSea.
TheequestrianculturethatwassoimportanttoGenghisKhanisstillimportantformostculturesnativetothe
Eurasiansteppe.FromtheMongoliantraditionintheeasttotheCossacktraditionsofwesternRussia,these
cultureshavereliedonhorsesfortravel,trade,andconquestonthevaststeppe.Tothisday,manyfestivalsand
communityactivitiesfocusonhorsebackriding.
OtherSteppes
Thedry,shortgrassprairieofNorthAmericasGreatPlainsisalsoasteppe.Theshortgrassprairieliesonthe
westernedgeoftheGreatPlains,intherainshadowoftheRockyMountains.ItextendsfromtheU.S.stateof
TexasinthesouthtotheprovinceofSaskatchewan,Canada,inthenorth.
Manyoftheworldssteppeshavebeenconvertedtocroplandandpasture.Shortgrassesthatgrownaturallyon
steppesprovidegrazingforcattle,goats,horses,camels,andsheep.Sometimessteppesareovergrazed,which
occurswhentherearemoreanimalsthanthelandcansupport.
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Whentheshortgrassesofthesteppeareplowedunderforagriculture,thesoilcanerodeveryquickly.Important
nutrientsanchoredinthesoilbygrassesaresimplyblownorwashedaway.Agriculturaldevelopmentcanalso
degradethesoilwithfertilizerandotherchemicals.Thisiscalledovercultivation.
Overcultivationcanmakegrasslandslooklikedeserts.Thesoilcannotretainenoughwaterornutrientsfor
vegetationtogrow.Truedeserts,however,receivelessrainfall(lessthan25centimetersperyear)thansteppes.
VOCABULARY
Term
PartofSpeech
Definition
adapt
verb
toadjusttonewsurroundingsoranewsituation.
agricultural
development
noun
modernfarmingmethodsthatincludemechanical,chemical,engineeringand
technologicalmethods.Alsocalledindustrialagriculture.
agriculture
noun
theartandscienceofcultivatingthelandforgrowingcrops(farming)orraising
livestock(ranching).
American
buffalo
noun
wildruminantnativetotheNorthAmericanprairie.Technicallycalledbison.
anchor
verb
toholdfirmlyinplace.
arid
adjective
dry.
Baikonur
Cosmodrome
noun
(1955)RussianspaceportinBaikonur,Kazakhstan.
bison
noun
largemammalnativetoNorthAmerica.AlsocalledAmericanbuffalo.
caravan
noun
groupofpeoplewhotraveltogetherforsafetyandcompanionshipthroughdifficult
territory.
climate
noun
allweatherconditionsforagivenlocationoveraperiodoftime.
conquer
verb
toovercomeanenemyorobstacle.
conservation
noun
managementofanaturalresourcetopreventexploitation,destruction,orneglect.
convert
verb
tochangefromonethingtoanother.
Cossack
noun
peopleandculturenativetowesternRussia,Georgia,andUkraine.
crop
noun
agriculturalproduce.
culture
noun
learnedbehaviorofpeople,includingtheirlanguages,beliefsystems,social
structures,institutions,andmaterialgoods.
degrade
verb
tolowerthequalityofsomething.
desert
noun
areaoflandthatreceivesnomorethan25centimeters(10inches)ofprecipitationa
year.
distinct
adjective
uniqueoridentifiable.
equestrian
adjective
havingtodowithhorses.
erode
verb
towearaway.
establish
verb
toformorofficiallyorganize.
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Eurasian
steppe
noun
dry,flatgrasslandstretchingfromAsiatoEasternEurope.
expanse
noun
largearea.
extend
verb
toenlargeorcontinue.
fertilizer
noun
nutrient-richchemicalsubstance(naturalormanmade)appliedtosoiltoencourage
plantgrowth.
GenghisKhan
noun
(1162-1227)founderoftheMongolempire.
grass
noun
typeofplantwithnarrowleaves.
grassland
noun
ecosystemwithlarge,flatareasofgrasses.
graze
verb
tofeedongrass,usuallyoverawidepasture.
GreatPlains
noun
grasslandregionofNorthAmerica,betweentheRockyMountainsandthe
MississippiRiver.
habitat
noun
environmentwhereanorganismlivesthroughouttheyearorforshorterperiodsof
time.
horseman
noun
personwhoisskilledinridingandmanaginghorses.
ideal
adjective
perfect.
manned
adjective
carryingoneormorepeople.
nutrient
noun
substanceanorganismneedsforenergy,growth,andlife.
overcultivation
noun
processofgrowingtoomanycropsintooshortatimeperiodononeareaofland.
overgrazing
noun
processoftoomanyanimalsfeedingononeareaofpastureorgrassland.
pasture
noun
typeofagriculturallandusedforgrazinglivestock.
plain
noun
flat,smoothareaatalowelevation.
plow
noun,verb
toolusedforcutting,lifting,andturningthesoilinpreparationforplanting.
polar
adjective
havingtodowiththeNorthand/orSouthPole.
province
noun
divisionofacountrylargerthanatownorcounty.
rain
noun
liquidprecipitation.
rainshadow
noun
drylandonthesideofamountainfacingawayfromprevailingwinds.
retain
verb
tokeep.
route
noun
pathorway.
seasonal
adjective
likelytochangewiththeseasons.
shortgrass
prairie
noun
large,flatregionoflandcoveredbygrasseslessthanameter(3feet)tall.
SilkRoad
noun
ancienttraderoutethroughCentralAsialinkingChinaandtheMediterraneanSea.
soil
noun
toplayeroftheEarth'ssurfacewhereplantscangrow.
spacecraft
noun
vehicledesignedfortraveloutsideEarth'satmosphere.
spaceport
noun
facilityforlaunchingvehiclesorcapsulesintospace.
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steppe
noun
dry,flatgrasslandwithnotreesandacoolclimate.
tallgrass
noun
typeofgrassthatstandsanaverageof1.5meters(5feet)tall,suchasswitchgrass.
temperate
adjective
moderate.
temperature
noun
degreeofhotnessorcoldnessmeasuredbyathermometerwithanumericalscale.
territory
noun
landananimal,human,orgovernmentprotectsfromintruders.
trade
noun
buying,selling,orexchangingofgoodsandservices.
traderoute
noun
pathfollowedbymerchantsorexplorerstoexchangegoodsandservices.
travel
noun
movementfromoneplacetoanother.
tropics
pluralnoun
regiongenerallylocatedbetweentheTropicofCancer(231/2degreesnorthofthe
Equator)andtheTropicofCapricorn(231/2degreessouthoftheEquator).
unmanned
adjective
lackingthephysicalpresenceofaperson.
vegetation
noun
alltheplantlifeofaspecificplace.
ForFurtherExploration
Articles&Profiles
NationalGeographicNews:ClimateChangeDrivingMongoliansFromSteppetoCities
NationalGeographicEnvironment:Grasslands
Websites
USAID:Mongolia—SCAPES
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