What are the characteristics of grasslands?

Grassland biomes are ecosystems in which the predominant vegetation type consists of various grasses rather than trees or large shrubs. Grasslands may be divided into several types, including savannas, temperate grasslands, tallgrass prairies, steppes, alpine tundra and flooded grasslands, among others. read more

Different types of grasslands share similar characteristics. Savannas have scattered trees and predominate in certain parts of Africa, South America, Australia and Asia. Temperate grasslands are largely devoid of trees, receive less rainfall than savannas and endure broader temperature extremes. read more

Temperate grasslands can be further subdivided. Prairies are grasslands with tall grasses while steppes are grasslands with short grasses. Prairie and steppes are somewhat similar but the information given above pertains specifically to prairies — the following is a specific description of steppes. read more