The sky is clear blue, vast meadows stretch endlessly, herds of cattle and goats roam freely, and horses gallop with vigor… This is the natural landscape that can only be found in the steppe, shaped by its unique climatic conditions.
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In summer, the air is dry, making it difficult for large trees to survive(Photo: angelfire) |
The steppe climate is widely distributed across various regions of the world: Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang in China, Central Asia, Southern Europe, and the western United States from the Rocky Mountains eastward, all exhibit steppe-like climates.
The steppe climate is characterized as being between desert and humid climates. It is marked by relatively low rainfall, mainly occurring in the summer, with dry air that makes it challenging for large trees to thrive. Winters on the steppe are usually long and very cold, while summers are short and extremely hot. However, the number of sunshine hours throughout the year is relatively high, creating favorable conditions for grasslands to flourish.
Due to the uneven distribution of rainfall throughout the year, winter and spring often experience drought, impacting seed sowing and grass growth. During summer, concentrated rainfall and abundant sunshine provide ideal conditions for plant development; thus, July and August are considered the peak seasons for the steppe.
In winter, the cold and windy weather often brings snowstorms, which significantly affect livestock during the harsh winter months.
