Shrub-steppe

Shrub-steppe is a type of low rainfall natural grassland. Shrub-steppes are distinguishable from deserts, which are too dry to support a noticeable cover of perennial grasses or other shrubs, while the shrub-steppe has sufficient moisture levels to support a cover of perennial grasses and/or shrubs.

Sagebrush steppe in northeastern Nevada along US 93

North America

The shrub steppes of North America occur in the western United States and western Canada, in the rainshadow zone between the Pacific Coast Ranges, Cascades, and Sierra Nevada on the west, and the Rocky Mountains on the east. They extend from south-central British Columbia down into southeastern Washington state, eastern Oregon, and eastern California, and across through Idaho, Nevada, and Utah into western Wyoming and Colorado, and down into northern and central New Mexico and northern Arizona. Growth is primarily low-lying shrubs, such as sagebrush.

Shrub-steppe ecoregions of North America include:

See also

External links

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