Figure 8.13

Temperate grassland. (A) The pampas grassland biome near Córdoba, Argentina. (B) Climate diagram for Córdoba. (Note that Córdoba is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the temperature is coolest in June through August.) Most temperate grassland regions have a large annual temperature range, with warm summers and cold winters. Average annual temperatures vary from 18°C (64°F) in South Africa to 2°C (35°F) or less in Canada and Eurasia. Precipitation in grasslands ranges from 30 to 100 cm (12 to 40 in). (C) Temperate grasslands occur extensively in interior North America, Eurasia, southern South America, and southern Africa. There are also scattered temperate grasslands in Madagascar, New Zealand, California, and Australia. Grasslands go by many local names, as shown on this map.