Short Answer Questions: The Temperate Grasslands-Prairies

Q1: What are the different names given to temperate grasslands in different continents?
Ans: The temperate grasslands have different names in different continents. In North America, they are called Prairies.

Q2: How does the amount of rainfall vary in the Prairies of North America?
Ans: The Prairies in North America receive about 100 cm of rainfall at the eastern edge and only about 30 cm on the desert-like western edge.

Q3: What are the three basic subtypes of vegetation in the Prairies?
Ans: The Prairies have three basic subtypes of vegetation: tall grass prairie, mixed grass prairie, and short grass plains.

Q4: Name some animals that used to live in the Prairies but have disappeared over time.
Ans: Some animals that used to live in the Prairies but have disappeared include the bison, wolf, and prairie chicken.

Q5: What types of insects are commonly found in the Prairies?
Ans: In the Prairies, you can find plenty of insects, especially grasshoppers and flies.

Q6: How do people in the Prairies benefit from the presence of the rivers Mississippi and Missouri?
Ans: People in the Prairies benefit from the presence of the rivers Mississippi and Missouri because they provide irrigation facilities in addition to the natural rainfall.

Q7: Why are the Prairies called "treeless grasslands"?
Ans: The Prairies are called "treeless grasslands" because they lack trees, except for some on the river banks like Willow.

Q8: What is the main reason for calling Prairies the "Wheat basket of the World"?
Ans: Prairies are known as the "Wheat basket of the World" because they produce a large amount of wheat, more than what the nation needs, and it is exported to other countries.

Q9: How have machines affected farming in the Prairies?
Ans: Machines have replaced human labor in farming activities like ploughing, sowing, harvesting, and threshing in the Prairies.

Q10: What are the main economic activities in the Prairies, besides farming?
Ans: Besides farming, the main economic activities in the Prairies include animal rearing, processing of meat and meat products, processing of milk and milk products, and oil refining.