| Mongolian-Manchurian grassland | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map of ecoregion in China and Mongolia | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Palearctic |
| Biome | Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Geography | |
| Area | 887,000 km2 (342,000 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered[1] |
| Protected | 5.09%[2] |
TheMongolian-Manchurian grassland, also known as theMongolian-Manchurian steppe orGobi-Manchurian steppe, in thetemperate grasslandbiome, is anecoregion inEast Asia covering parts ofMongolia, theChinese Autonomous region ofInner Mongolia, andNortheast China.
The Mongolian-Manchurian grassland (Chinese:蒙古高原草原-内蒙古草原-东北草原) covers an area of 887,300 square kilometers (342,600 sq mi). Thistemperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublandsecoregion of thePalearctic realm forms a large crescent around theGobi Desert, extending across central and easternMongolia into the eastern portion ofInner Mongolia and eastern and centralManchuria, and then southwest across theNorth China Plain. To the northeast and north, theSelenge-Orkhon andDaurianforest steppes form a transition zone between the grassland and the forests ofSiberia to the north. On the east and southeast, the grasslands transition totemperate broadleaf and mixed forests, including theManchurian mixed forests,Northeast China Plain deciduous forests, andCentral China loess plateau mixed forests. On the southwest, the grasslands extend to theYellow River, across which is theOrdos Plateau steppe. It lies between theAltai Mountains in the west and theGreater Khingan Region in the east.
The Mongolian-Manchurian grassland was a part of theNorthern Silk Road under theMongol Empire when the Mongols took control of China. The grasslands were not a part of the originalSilk Road, but were an addition once the Mongol Empire gained control of several routes of the trade route. Many Europeans would utilize these grasslands to go east to west or west to east across the region. The grasslands also made it easier for the Mongols to expand their empire and expand into parts of China andKorea. Many travelers also utilized these grasslands to make travelling the region easier, howeverMarco Polo was not one of those travelers. These grasslands allowed many travelers and voyagers to bypass mountains to more easily traverse the Mongol Empire. These grasslands were at the center of the Mongol Empire, which is a main reason they were vital to the Mongols and people traveling to the Empire.[3]
The climate is hypercontinental sub-humid orsemi-arid, with theKöppen classificationsBSk or in the extreme east,Dwa orDwb. The region features warm summers with decreasing rainfall from east to west, alongside frigid, extremely dry winters. Being relatively dry, from a combination of being landlocked and the proximity of theSiberian High, only select animals can live here.
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The dominant flora consists of medium to tall grasslands, dominated byfeather grass (Stipa baicalensis,S. capillata, andS. grandis),sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina),Aneurolepidium chinense,Filifolium sibiricuman, andCleistogenes sqarrosa. The drier regions surrounding the Gobi host drought-tolerant grasses, together with forbs and low, spiny shrubs.
The southwestern slopes of theGreater Khingan range support pockets of broadleaf deciduous forest, of eitherMongolian oak (Quercus mongolica), or a mixture ofpoplar (Populus davidiana andP. suaveolens),Siberian silver birch (Betula platyphylla), andwillow (Salix rorida).
There are also grasses such as:
Despite its landscaping,[clarification needed] wildlife can be found in a variety of habitats not restricted solely to the open steppe. Many are programmed to traverse vast distances inextreme weather and terrain by running, digging, and/or flying.
In the winter the grass becomes dry and very flammable, making wildfires more common. Grass recovers quickly from the fire, but trees do not. This partially explains the absence of trees in the area. There are also seasonal droughts in the grasslands, typically occurring during summer.
The majority of people in the steppe are Mongolian nomads. Families in the Mongolian steppe live in "gers" which are a type of large portable tent. Mongolians are also master horse riders so many families own many horses that roam the steppe. The people in the steppe use the animals there for their food and drink. They also have a very prominent musical culture with a wide variety of traditional Mongolian songs.
The Mongolian-Manchurian grassland faces threat from human expansion, though in most of its eastern area, it has not been altered by agriculture as much as its reaches in its western area, or similar grasslands inNorth America.[5][6]
5.09% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include:[2]
Media related toMongolian-Manchurian Grassland Ecoregion at Wikimedia Commons