Shrub-steppe is a type of low-rainfall natural grassland. While arid, shrub-steppes have sufficient moisture to support a cover of perennial grasses or shrubs, a feature which distinguishes them from deserts.
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (April 2020)
The primary ecological processes historically at work in shrub-steppe ecosystems are drought and fire. Shrub-steppe plant species have developed particular adaptations to low annual precipitation and summer drought conditions. Plant adaptations to different soil moisture regimes influence their distribution. A frequent fire regime in the shrub-steppe similarly adds to the patchwork pattern of shrub and grass that characterizes shrub-steppe ecosystems.[1]
Historically, much of the shrub-steppe in the state of Washington was referred to as "scabland" because of the deep channels cut into pure basalt rock by cataclysmic floods more than 10,000 years ago (see Channeled Scablands). Major threats to the ecosystem include overgrazing, fires, invasion by nonnative species, development (since much of it is at lower elevations), conversion to cropland, and energy development. Less than 50% of the state of Washington's historic shrub-steppe remains;[2] according to some estimates, only 12 to 15% remains.[3]
Snake–Columbia shrub steppe in south-central Washington state, eastern Oregon, northeastern California, northern Nevada, and Idaho.[5]
Wyoming Basin shrub steppe in central Wyoming, reaching into south-central Montana, northeastern Utah, southeastern Idaho, and northwestern Colorado.[6]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Shrub-steppe, and is written by contributors.
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