Biomes are global patterns of plants and animals and the communities they live in.
Biomes are strongly related to particular climates, but a study of biomes also reveals the ways in which animals and plants adapt to soils, temperature and altitude, and the physical environment of their area. Biomes, or biotic regions, are areas in which plant and animal populations are well-adapted to the soil and climate. The defining characteristics of the grassland biome in the Midwest include the climate, with its long, hot summers and dry, cold winters. Plants are well adapted to conserving water resources and finding new ones. Plant roots in the temperate grasslands grow deep into the soil to search out water.