STEPPE: CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES, FLORA, FAUNA, RELIEF, CLIMATE - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The steppe is an extensive meadow that develops in a dry and cold continental climate. Herbaceous elements predominate in this plant formation with grasses as dominant herbs.

There are some steppes with isolated trees, especially on the border with the forests and the vegetation is xerophilous (adapted to a dry environment and in this case cold). The soils of the steppes are generally of low fertility and little organic matter.

Steppe in Kazakhstan. Source: The original uploader was Carole a at English Wikipedia.

This vegetal formation is found distributed in Eurasia, extending from Eastern Europe to Eastern Asia. Likewise, steppes can be found in the southern cone of South America, in Patagonia in Argentina and covering a small part of Chile.

The World Wildlife Foundation or World Wildlife Fund (WWF) identifies up to 21 ecoregions that include steppes. In Patagonia there are 3 of these ecoregions, while in Eurasia the other 18 are present.

Among the Eurasian steppes, in Europe are the Pontic steppe (north and east coast of the Black Sea) and the Puszta in Hungary. Then in Asia, the Western Asian steppe, the Central Asian steppe, the East Asian steppe and the Siberian steppe.

The relief in the steppe is flat to slightly undulating in floodplains or high plateaus. In them, a flora consisting mainly of grass species (Poaceae or Gramineae) develops. The most common genera are Stipa, Festuca, and Poa. Among the shrubs, those of the genus Artemisia de las composites (Asteraceae) stand out.

The steppe is established in a cold semi-arid continental climate, with strong temperature variations between winter and summer. In winter the temperature can be as low as -52 ºC, while in summer it can reach 42 ºC. On the other hand, rainfall is scarce, reaching only between 200 and 400 mm on average per year.

The fauna varies according to the region, ranging from small rodents such as field mice, hares and squirrels, to large herbivores. Among the latter are the saiga antelope and the Mongolian horse in Eurasia, as well as the pampas deer in Patagonia. Other animals that also inhabit the Patagonian steppe are some carnivores such as the puma, Geoffroy's cat and the fox.

The steppe has traditionally been dedicated to livestock and agriculture and works mainly with cattle and sheep, as well as cereals such as wheat. Tourism activities are also developed in protected areas.

Unfortunately hunting continues to be an activity present in the steppe, threatening the species that inhabit there. In the steppes of Asia, hunting endangers the saiga antelope and in Patagonia the pampas deer.

Some relevant examples of steppes in the world are the Western Asian steppe, the wide Siberian steppe and the Patagonian steppe. The first two located in Eurasia (Northern Hemisphere) and the last one in Argentina-Chile (Southern Hemisphere). It is of interest to highlight that the steppes of Western Asia (Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran) are a center of diversity of wheat species.

General characteristics

- The terms prairie and steppe

There is some confusion between the terms prairie and steppe because some authors use them as synonyms while others consider them subordinate categories.

In this sense, in some cases the term prairie is used to refer to all grass plains in a temperate or cold zone. Other authors consider that these same areas can be classified into temperate grasslands and dry grasslands.

On the other hand, some vegetation classifications use the term “prairie” for all grass vegetation in temperate zones. In these cases they restrict the steppe category to the Eurasian grasslands and the dry zone of Patagonia.

In this case we will use the term steppe to refer to a type of non-wooded meadow with a very dry and cold continental climate. While other types of prairies such as North American or Australian prairies, correspond to humid or sub-humid climate.

- Biogeography

The steppe arises in northern and southern latitudes in the continental interior where a dry and cold climate is generated. This limits the development of arboreal vegetation, installing herbaceous vegetation where grasses dominate.

Europe

In this climatic context, the steppe is located in the Old Continent in the plains of central and eastern Europe. They are in Hungary, Moldova and Ukraine up to the shores of the Black Sea through Romania and Bulgaria.

Therefore, they include the Pannonian or Puszta steppe in Hungary and the Pontic steppe that extend along the west and north coast of the Black Sea. This plant formation continues through southern European Russia into Asia and connects with the extensive Kazakh steppe (Kazakhstan).

There is also steppe vegetation in the central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, mainly due to its altitude (around 600 to 1,000 meters above sea level). In these areas, the altitude and its remoteness from the marine influence determine an arid climate with harsh winters and hot summers.

Asia

The steppe stretches across southern European Russia, continuing east through Asia (from Russia to Manchuria in China). It develops south of temperate deciduous forests.

The plant formation is distributed by the Anatolian plateau, in Turkey, south of the Black Sea and towards the south of the Tibetan plateau.

Patagonian steppe

Outside of Eurasia, there are conditions for the development of the steppe in the southern cone of South America, in Argentine Patagonia.

It is an extensive strip that goes from north to south between the foothills of the Andes and the Atlantic Ocean. These steppes are bordered to the north by the Pampas with a subhumid to humid climate.

- Plant structure

The steppe has a simple plant structure with a single layer formed by grasses, some subshrubs and shrubs. The herbaceous stratum is formed mainly by grasses of low to medium size, reaching heights of 30-150 cm.

There are some cases of transition between the steppe and the taiga, where a type of wooded steppe is formed with gymnosperms and angiosperms. This is the case of the Orjón and Selenga river basin near Lake Baikal, although it should be noted that 88% of the area is typical dry steppe.

- Floor

In general, the steppe soils, although rich in minerals, are sandy, sandy loam or sandy clay. In some cases, as in the Hungarian steppe (puszta) it is alkaline soils, which also limits the type of vegetation.

- Herbivore

Like all grass-dominated formations, steppes are characterized by an association between grasses and herbivorous animals. This condition has been exploited by humans to develop productive animal husbandry systems (mainly cattle and sheep).

- Plant adaptations

The plants of the steppe are adapted to the dry and cold conditions of that environment. The grass species of the steppe are characterized by a high proportion of mechanical, supportive and rigid tissue (sclerenchyma).

The subshrubs and shrubs have small leaves, also with abundant sclerenchyma.

Predominant biotype

The predominant biotype in grasses is that of tufted or tufted grass where the same individual produces numerous shoots at its base from the center outwards.

Cushion plant in the Patagonian steppe of Lake Jeinimeni (Chile). Source: Lin linao

This forms a thick bundle of culms or stems, which creates a microclimate inside that protects the plant against frost and dry winds.

Types

The World Wildlife Foundation or World Wildlife Fund (WWF) identifies 18 ecoregions in the Palearctic that include steppes. Additionally, it recognizes 3 ecoregions in the Neotropics, corresponding to Patagonia in the southern cone of South America.

Each of these ecoregions includes a type of steppe given by the particular combination of climate, geography and biodiversity.

Two general types of well-contrasting steppes can be established: Eurasian and Patagonian, fundamentally differentiated in their biogeographic influences.

- The Eurasian steppe

It is located in the northern hemisphere in the Holartic biogeographic kingdom (Palearctic sub-kingdom), limiting to the south with the Paleotropical (specifically the Indomalayo - Polynesian).

The geographical barriers between the two biogeographic kingdoms are considerable, so its flora and fauna is fundamentally Arctic.

The Eurasian steppes cover a very wide area, so they can in turn be subdivided. Differences in flora (at the level of certain genera and species) and fauna are detected, as well as certain variants of climate and soil.

Within the Eurasian steppes we find:

The Pontic Steppe

It extends through Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Moldova bordering the Carpathian Mountains to the Black Sea. It then covers the coast of the Dead Sea to the east, through southern Russia to the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.

The Hungarian steppe (

It is a very particular steppe enclave located in Hungary.

The steppe of Western Asia

Located in the elevations of the Lesser Caucasus, the Anatolian Plateau, and the Iranian Plateau. They are spread over much of Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and part of Iran.

The Central Asian Steppe

It extends across the plain of Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and western China (Tian Mountains or Heavenly Mountains).

The East Asian Steppe

It includes the extensive steppes of Mongolia and northern China to Manchuria.

The siberian steppe

The great Siberian steppe, bounded to the north by the strip of temperate broadleaf forest (angiosperm forest) and mixed forest.

Siberian steppe (Russia). Source: The original uploader was Kobsev at Russian Wikipedia.

- Patagonian steppe

This steppe is located in the southern hemisphere in the Antarctic biogeographic kingdom, limiting to the north with the Neotropical kingdom. In this case there are no major geographic barriers, only the climate transition.

Due to this, these steppes receive an important tropical influence, especially in fauna.

Relief

- Plains

The steppe is a region of very flat relief, although in some cases it may show slight undulations of the terrain. In some cases, these are wide plains developed in alluvial plains (product of the action of large rivers).

While others are colluvial plains (formed by deposition of the erosion of nearby slopes).

- Plateaus

Steppes develop on high plateaus, such as south of the Tibetan plateau. This plateau covers 2.5 million km2 and reaches an average elevation of 4,500 meters above sea level.

They are also found on the Iberian Plateau, in the center of the peninsula, and on the Anatolian plateau in eastern Turkey.

Flora

- Eurasian steppe

Asian steppe

There are grasses such as Leymus chinensis, Stipa baicalensis, Stipa grandis and Festuca ovina. Another genus of grass with diverse species in the steppe is Cleistogenes.

Abundance of grasses in the Ayagoz steppe (Kazakhstan) Source: Ghilarovus

Among the shrubs, Reaumuria soongarica (Tamaricaceae) and sub-shrubs such as Ajania fruticulosa (Compositae) stand out. Likewise, you can find Ephedra equisetina, a thorny shrub belonging to gymnosperms.

In the steppe-taiga transitional wooded steppe, the tree species found are Pinus sylvestris and aspen (Populus tremula).

Central and Eastern European Steppe

In the Pontic steppe, grasses of the Festuca and Stipa genera, among others, are found. Also species from other families with structures adapted to extreme environmental conditions belonging to the Carex, Hyacinthus, Iris and Tulipa genera.

In the Hungarian Puszta grasses of genera such as Festuca, Chrysopogon and Bromus are found, as well as subshrubs of Artemisia and other genera.

- Patagonian steppe

It has a high level of endemism (species exclusive to the region), especially legumes (60%) and composites (33%). Grass species of the genera Poa and Stipa, such as Poa ligularis, Stipa tenuissima, and Stipa filiculmis, abound.

Likewise, other species of grasses can be found, such as Panicum urvilleanum, Elionurus muticus, Sorghastrum pellitum and Eragrostis lugens. You can also find shrubs of other families such as the neneo (Mulinum spinosum) of Apiaceae.

Weather

It is an extreme, semi-arid continental climate (far from oceanic influence), with extreme temperature differences between winter and summer.

- Temperatures

Winter temperatures are extremely low and summer temperatures are very high. For example, in the steppe of Kazakhstan the minimum temperature reaches -52 ºC (January) and the maximum temperature reaches 42 ºC (July).

In the Hulun Buir steppe (Inner Mongolia, China) there are night frosts for most of the year and average temperatures range between 0 and 3 ºC.

In the Patagonian steppe the average temperature of the coldest month is -1 to -3 ºC. In addition, strong dry winds blow from the west, especially in summer.

- Precipitation

Annual rainfall is low, varying from 200 to 400 mm average per year, and in the Hulun Buir steppe rainfall varies from 250 to 350 mm.

On the other hand, in the Patagonian steppe the average annual rainfall is not greater than 200 mm.

Fauna

- Eurasian steppe

These steppes are particularly rich in rodents, including hares such as Lepus tolai, the Korean bush mouse (Apodemus peninsulae) and squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris).

The largest herbivores of the Asian steppe are the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) and the Przewalski or Mongolian horse (Equus ferus). The saiga antelope inhabits from Russia to China, spreading into central Asia and is endangered by poaching.

Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica). Source: Navinder Singh

The Mongolian horse is the only wild horse species in the world and lives in the steppes, from China and Mongolia to Ukraine. There is also the Siberian or Asian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus), a relative of the European roe deer, capable of horizontal jumps of up to 15 meters.

Among the reptiles, the steppe tortoise or Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii = Agrionemys horsfieldii), distributed throughout Eurasia, stands out.

- Patagonian steppe

Birds

Birds abound in the Patagonian steppe, among them we have the Patagonian tinamou (Tinamotis ingoufi). There is also the Patagonian nightingale (Mimus patagonicus) and the Patagonian yellow finch (Sicalis lebruni).

Among some endemic bird species, the red-billed pajonalera (Limnornis curvirostris) stands out.

Of the two species of rhea in the southern cone of South America, Rhea pennata inhabits the Patagonian steppe. It is an omnivorous running bird that feeds on seeds, fruits, and small animals.

Mammals

Among the mammals that inhabit the steppe are the pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus celer) and the guanaco (Lama guanicoe). It is also part of the range of the puma (Felis concolor), which is the largest carnivore in the region.

It is also possible to find other carnivores such as Geoffroy's cat (Felis geoffroyi), the pampas fox (Dusicyon gymnocercus) and the common skunk (Conepatus chinga).

Economic activities

Historically the extensive Eurasian steppes have been a route of migration, trade and invasion between Europe and Asia. On the other hand, they have traditionally been lands dedicated to agriculture and livestock.

- Agricultural and livestock production

From an agricultural point of view, cereals, especially wheat, rye and barley, as well as fodder are grown in the steppes.

The development of livestock is mainly of cattle, sheep and goats. For example, sheep farming is a very widespread activity in the Patagonian steppe.

- Mining operations

The steppes of Kazakhstan are areas of exploitation of oil and various minerals.

- hunting

Pampas deer populations are still poached. Similarly, in the Asian steppes, the saiga antelope continues to be hunted. This is mainly due to the demand for its horns for traditional Chinese medicine.

- Tourism

There are protected steppe areas under the figure of national parks in which tourist activities are developed. For example, the national parks of Kiskunság and Hortobágy in the Hungarian steppe (Puszta).

In turn, in the steppe of Hulun Buir (Inner Mongolia, China) winter sports and sport hunting are very common.

Examples of steppes in the world

- The Siberian steppe

This region extends into Western Siberia, in the eastern Asian part of Russia, including northern Mongolia. It is bordered to the north by temperate deciduous forests, mixed forests and in some areas directly with the taiga.

In Mongolia it is bordered to the south by the Gobi desert. The term "steppe" was coined with reference to this particular region.

Some areas are steppe proper, while in others there is a combination of wooded steppe. Large lakes such as Lake Baikal are located in the area.

Flora

The number of plant species in this region is estimated at 800 and it is considered the center of origin of some genera of grasses such as Stipa. Among the predominant species of this group are Stipa zalesskii, Stipa lessingiana and Stipa capillata, among others

Festuca valesiaca and Festuca rupicola are also abundant, as well as Koeleria cristata and species of Agropyron and Helictotrichon.

Among the shrubs and subshrubs the genus Artemisia dominates, with species such as Artemisia austriaca and Artemisia lerchiana, among many others.

Other shrubs are rosaceae of the genus Spiraea and legumes of the genus Caragana. There are also scattered tree species or in wooded patches, with Pinus sylvestris and Populus tremula.

Fauna

The largest herbivore is the saiga antelope and there are also rodents of the genus Spermophilus or hamsters (Cricetus, Cricetulus, Phodopus). Other common animals in this steppe are the moles (Microtus sp.) Or the steppe marmot (Marmota bobac).

Among the carnivores, wolves (Canis lupus) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Vulpes corsac) stand out.

- The steppes of Western Asia

This region is the confluence of the Anatolian plateau, the Lesser Caucasus and the Iranian plateau, which is why it has a high biodiversity. Unfortunately, agricultural and industrial development has contributed to the degradation of ecosystems.

Flora

Grasses of genera such as Poa and Stipa, and other species such as Triticum araraticum, Triticum urartu, and Secale vavilovii dominate. The latter are part of the ancestral groups of relevant crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rye (Secale cereale).

Fauna

The striped hyena (Hiena hiena) and the marbled ferret (Vormela peregusna) inhabit this region. Also birds such as the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), as well as reptiles such as the Iranian viper (Vipera raddei).

- The Patagonian steppes (Argentina)

To the south of Argentina and southeastern Chile, Patagonia has a region of low mountains, plateaus and plains. In these lands steppes (20%), shrub steppes (30%) and semi-desert areas (45%) as well as humid grasslands develop.

It is an area of ​​high biodiversity but lacks conservation figures and where agricultural activity is intense. Especially sheep farming has had a high impact in this area, causing desertification.

Flora

Among the grasses there are various species of Poa, Festuca and Stipa, accompanied by cushion shrubs such as Mulinum spinosum and Brachyclados caespitosus.

Fauna

Various species of mammals inhabit this steppe, among them the guanaco (Lama guanicoe). There are also the pigüis (Dolichotis patagonum), the Patagonian vizcacha (Lagidium wolffsohni) and the Patagonian ferret (Lyncodon patagonicus).

Another common animal that inhabits the Patagonian steppe is the Patagonian red fox (Lycalopex culpaeus magellanicus).

References

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