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Thiswebsitewouldliketoremindyou:Yourbrowser(AppleSafari4)isoutofdate.Updateyourbrowserformore security,comfortandthebestexperienceonthissite. × EncyclopedicEntry steppe Forthecompleteencyclopedicentrywithmediaresources,visit: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/steppe/ 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. 1of4 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. 2of4 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. 3of4 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 ©1996–2015NationalGeographicSociety.Allrightsreserved. 4of4