Prairie

Under prairie (French prairie, " meadow ", " pasture " ) is the North American expression of a steppe vegetation zone in the Midwestern United States and Canada.

• Desert climate
• Savanna climate ( prairie )
• Tundra
• Eisklima

The limited vegetation ( tree poverty, little dense grass and shrub landscape ) goes to the continental location and the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains and associated arid climate conditions ( lack of water) back. Especially in the cold periods of the Ice Age loess was blowing what is now repeated in the context of desertification caused by agricultural overuse ( Dust Bowl ). From east to west, an increase of height levels and a decrease in precipitation takes place. This affects the vegetation in a type series from East to West from: The tall-grass prairie ( with Andropogon species) is a mixed grass prairie in the short- grass prairie ( Buchloe and Bouteloua species ) and Plains over.

Today the prairies constitute a huge agricultural, partly deserted and further sclerosed, often irrigated acreage for wheat, corn and other products. Since about 2010, by white settlers in the 19th century almost extinct bison are located on these vegetation areas again amplified ( Buffalo Commons ).