Prairie (redirected from Prarie)

prairie

Level or rolling grassland, especially that found in central North America. Decreasing amounts of rainfall, from 40 in. (100 cm) at the forested eastern edge to less than 12 in. (30 cm) at the desertlike western edge, affect the species composition of the prairie grassland. The vegetation is composed primarily of perennial grasses, with many species of flowering plants of the pea and composite families. The three main types of prairie are the tallgrass prairie; midgrass, or mixed-grass, prairie; and shortgrass prairie, or shortgrass plains. Coastal prairie, Pacific or California prairie, Palouse prairie, and desert plains grassland are covered primarily with combinations of mixed-grass and shortgrass species.

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prairie

a treeless grassy plain of the central US and S Canada

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prairie [′prer·ē]

(geography)

An extensive level-to-rolling treeless tract of land in the temperate latitudes of central North America, characterized by deep, fertile soil and a cover of coarse grass and herbaceous plants.

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Prairie 

a tract of grassland in North America (Canada and the United States) resembling a steppe or, less frequently, a savanna. Prairie soils are similar to chernozems. The natural grass vegetation, which has survived in small areas, forms a thick, high (up to 1.5 m) cover consisting primarily of perennial grasses with deep root systems. The principal species are beard grass, feather grass, and couch grass. Trees are encountered primarily in river valleys and the least dry low-lying regions. In the north there are stands of aspen, poplar, and willow, and in the south oak, hazel, and poplar predominate. Forest-steppe areas with birch, aspen, and pine woodlands have survived in some parts of Canada. The term “prairies” is also used to designate level regions in North America having open woodlands and thick, high grassy vegetation.