NCERT CLASS 7 CHAPTER 11 youtube link: https://youtu.be/46kZ5-juwbo

1. LIFE IN TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS
(The Prairie & Veld)
Class 7
NCERT
Chapter- 11

2. THE PRAIRIE
• Found both in USA and Canada
• Stretches from west of Mississippi river to the
foothills of Rocky mountains
• N-S extent- 6000km; E-W extent- 2000km
• The Prairie is mainly drained by the Saskatchewan
river in Canada and by Mississippi river in USA

3. CLIMATE
• Experiences a continental climate; fairly warm
summers and cold winters
• Chinook, a warm wind, blown down the
slopes of Rockies, keeps the grasslands clear
of snow
• Average rainfall is about 50cm
• Wind velocity is high due to absence of trees

4. FLORA & FAUNA
• Grasses are most dominant vegetation
• Mainly treeless plain, but some trees grow
near river valleys like poplars and willows
• The prairie dog of central USA is a popular
animal

5. PEOPLE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
• Agriculture is the most important occupation
• Wheat farms in prairie are very large
• In the western part, where climate is too dry,
cattle rearing is done
• The prairie is also known as the ‘Granary of
the World’
• Most of the towns in this region are industrial
towns

6. THE VELD
• Temperate grasslands found in South Africa
are known as Velds
• ‘Veld’ in Dutch means ‘field’
• The NE-part is known as High Veld
• Height ranges from 600m to 1100m above the
sea level
• Bounded by Drakensberg mountains on the
East and Kalahari desert on the West
• The Orange and Limpopo rivers, drain the
region

7. CLIMATE
• This region experiences a mild climate
• In the High Veld, summers are warm and wet
• Most of the rainfall occurs during summers
• The winters are cold and dry and temperature
varies from 5⁰C to 10⁰C
• July is the coldest month
• Rainfalls is scanty and droughts can occur
during June, July and August

8. FLORA & FAUNA
• Limited forests are found due to semi-arid
weather conditions
• Red grass grows in Bush Veld
• Acacia and Marula grow in High Veld
• Due to high elevation(1000-2000m), there is a
frost period of 100 days
• Main animals found are lions, leopards,
cheetah and kudos

9. PEOPLE & ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
• Veld is more suitable for cattle rearing than for
cultivation
• Cattle are reared for milk and meat
• Creameries make butter and cheese
• The main cultivated crops are maize, wheat, barley,
oats, sugarcane, cotton, and potatoes
• Frozen meat and beef are exported to S. Europe
• Sheep rearing is main occupation
• It is also rich in minerals