Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Terrestrial biomes are large-scale ecological communities characterized by distinctive climates, soils, and vegetation structures.
Step 2: Detailed Explation:
Grasslands are biomes domited by grasses rather than large trees, and they are divided into tropical and temperate categories:
- Steppe is the term used for temperate grasslands that receive low-to-moderate annual rainfall (semi-arid zones).
They are characterized by vast, flat plains domited by short grasses, with cold winters and hot, dry summers.
Examples include the Eurasian steppes and the Great Plains of North America.
- Savans are tropical grasslands characterized by warm temperatures year-round and scattered, drought-resistant trees.
- Taiga refers to subarctic coniferous forests domited by needle-leaved trees.
- Tundra refers to cold, treeless high-latitude regions characterized by permafrost.
Step 3: Fil Answer
Thus, "Steppe" is the correct ecological term for temperate grass-covered plains.