The temperature range is very large over the course of the year. There are also environmental concerns regarding the temperate grasslands. Few natural prairie regions remain because most have been turned into farms or grazing land. This is because they are flat, treeless, covered with grass, and have rich soil. Temperate grasslands can be further subdivided.
Prairies are grasslands with tall grasses while steppes are grasslands with short grasses.
Steppes are dry areas of grassland with hot summers and cold winters. Steppes occur in the interiors of North America and Europe. Plants growing in steppes are usually greater than 1 foot tall. They include blue grama and buffalo grass, cacti, sagebrush, speargrass, and small relatives of the sunflower. Steppe fauna includes badgers, hawks, owls, and snakes.