Steppe

A broad, mostly treeless grassland of temperate regions with relatively low precipitation. Its grasses and shrubs grow where rainfall is too limited for forests but generally sufficient for continuous vegetation.

Continental climate: A climate with large seasonal temperature contrasts, usually found far from oceans. Seasonal extremes and limited ocean moisture help shape many steppe regions.
Drought: A prolonged period of unusually low water availability relative to local conditions. Recurring drought restricts tree establishment and favors drought-tolerant steppe plants.
Eurasian Steppe: A vast belt of temperate grassland extending across Eurasia from Eastern Europe to Mongolia and northern China. It is the largest continuous steppe region and a defining example of the biome.
Pastoralism: A livelihood based on raising and moving livestock across grazing lands. Mobile herding has long used steppe vegetation where cultivation is difficult.
Evapotranspiration: The combined transfer of water to the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. Steppe vegetation depends on precipitation remaining available after atmospheric water loss.
Fire ecology: The study of how fire interacts with organisms and ecosystems. Fires can suppress woody encroachment and renew steppe grasses.
Pontic–Caspian steppe: A grassland region north of the Black and Caspian seas, spanning parts of eastern Europe and western Asia. Its grasslands form the western section of the Eurasian Steppe.
Transhumance: The seasonal movement of livestock between distinct grazing areas. Seasonal movement can match herds to changing steppe forage and water.
Grassland: An ecosystem dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants, with few or no trees. Steppe is a temperate, relatively dry form of grassland.
Grazing: The consumption of plants by herbivores, especially livestock or wild mammals. Grazers shape steppe plant composition and can alter vegetation cover.

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