Life in temperate grasslands

NCERT
CLASS 7
CHAPTER 11
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1. LIFE IN TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS (The Prairie & Veld) Class 7 NCERT Chapter- 11

2. THE PRAIRIE Found both in USA and Canada Stretches from west of Mississippi river to the foothills of Rocky mountains N-S extent- 6000km; E-W extent- 2000km The Prairie is mainly drained by the Saskatchewan river in Canada and by Mississippi river in USA

3. CLIMATE Experiences a continental climate; fairly warm summers and cold winters Chinook, a warm wind, blown down the slopes of Rockies, keeps the grasslands clear of snow Average rainfall is about 50cm Wind velocity is high due to absence of trees

4. FLORA & FAUNA Grasses are most dominant vegetation Mainly treeless plain, but some trees grow near river valleys like poplars and willows The prairie dog of central USA is a popular animal

5. PEOPLE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Agriculture is the most important occupation Wheat farms in prairie are very large In the western part, where climate is too dry, cattle rearing is done The prairie is also known as the ‘ Granary of the World’ Most of the towns in this region are industrial towns

6. THE VELD Temperate grasslands found in South Africa are known as Velds ‘Veld’ in Dutch means ‘field’ The NE-part is known as High Veld Height ranges from 600m to 1100m above the sea level Bounded by Drakensberg mountains on the East and Kalahari desert on the West The Orange and Limpopo rivers, drain the region

7. CLIMATE This region experiences a mild climate In the High Veld, summers are warm and wet Most of the rainfall occurs during summers The winters are cold and dry and temperature varies from 5⁰C to 10⁰C July is the coldest month Rainfalls is scanty and droughts can occur during June, July and August

8. FLORA & FAUNA Limited forests are found due to semi-arid weather conditions Red grass grows in Bush Veld Acacia and Marula grow in High Veld Due to high elevation(1000-2000m), there is a frost period of 100 days Main animals found are lions, leopards, cheetah and kudos

9. PEOPLE & ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Veld is more suitable for cattle rearing than for cultivation Cattle are reared for milk and meat Creameries make butter and cheese The main cultivated crops are maize, wheat, barley, oats, sugarcane, cotton, and potatoes Frozen meat and beef are exported to S. Europe Sheep rearing is main occupation It is also rich in minerals