The Mongolian Grassland

The Mongolian Grasslands

The Mongolian Grasslands are over one million square kilometers of temperate, short grassland on the inland side of China’s coastal mountain ranges. The land is mostly flat and rolling. The elevation is 1000-1300 meters. Average temperature in January is -9 degrees Celsius. Average precipitation varies from 400-450 mm in the East to 150-200 mm in the West.

            This grassland biome is unique because of its “continental monsoon effect”. This effect is caused by low pressure over the South China Sea that occurs during the winter season. Cold air is pushed from the high latitude Central China regions in the Southeast into the Mongolian grasslands. This results in colder winter temperatures than areas of similar latitude.

Common Plants:

wild rosemary (Ledum palustre)

montane grassland communities

feathergrass (Stipa baicalensis, S. capillata,and S. grandis)

drought-resistant grasses (Stipa gobica, S. breviflora,and S. glareosa)

forbs (Reaumuria soongolica, Hippolytia trifida, and Ajania fruticosa)

spiny shrubs (Caragana microphylla, Ephedra equisetina, and E sinica)

Animals:

Asiatic Wild Ass

Snow Leopards

Bactrian Camel

Brown Eared Pheasant