What is shrub-steppe?
Shrub-steppe is the largest natural grassland in North America. It extends from southeastern Washington and eastern Oregon, through Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, and into western Wyoming and Colorado. Shrub refers to the most abundant plant species that grows in this ecoregion. “Steppe” is a Russian word that means a vast treeless plain. In the Mid-Columbia Basin, shrub-steppe winters are cold and wet with strong winds and blowing snow. Summers are hot and dry with temperatures that can reach above 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, then cool at night. Here, less than 7 inches of rain falls per year. What plants are common in the shrub-steppe? The kind of plants that grow in a region is determined by many things, including climate and soil, geology and topography. Under natural conditions, shrub-steppe lands are covered with grasses and shrubs. The most common shrub, or woody plant, is big sagebrush. Other shrubs you probably have seen in our area, but may not have recognized, are rabbi
