semiarid
Between wet, desert
Semiarid describes climates or regions that receive low but not minimal rainfall, typically between 10 and 20 inches annually.
These areas are drier than humid zones but wetter than true deserts, supporting sparse vegetation like shrubs and grasses rather than lush forests.
The semiarid plains required drought-resistant crops.
Much of the American Southwest and parts of Australia are characterized as semiarid.
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
- chaparralDense, drought-adapted shrubbery
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- rangelandLand for grazing animals
- plateauFlat highland area
mesa · butte · escarpment · badlands · canyon · arroyo · gulch · outback
Treeless Eurasian grassland
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- drylandArid agricultural zone
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
evapotranspiration · rainfall · moisture · temperature · weather · seasonality · continental · subtropical
Aromatic arid-land shrub
- mesquiteThorny desert legume
- acaciaThorny warm-climate shrub
- juniperAromatic berry-bearing conifer
- creosoteCoal-tar distillate for preservation
manzanita · scrub · brushwood · thicket · heath · maquis · tumbleweed · yucca
Artificial water supply for agriculture
- ranchingOperating a livestock farm
- grazingFeeding on pasture
- pasturelandLand for grazing animals
- fallowUnplanted field recovering
aquifer · groundwater · terracing · windbreak · drought-resistant · sorghum · millet · fodder
Swift horned grazer
- jackrabbitLarge North American hare
- coyoteWild North American canid
- roadrunnerFast terrestrial cuckoo
- lizardFour-legged scaled reptile
rattlesnake · scorpion · prairie-dog · tortoise · vulture · hawk · kangaroo-rat · armadillo
shrubland
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
- chaparralDense, drought-adapted shrubbery
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- rangelandLand for grazing animals
plateau · mesa · butte · escarpment · badlands · canyon · arroyo · gulch · outback · veldt
steppe
Treeless Eurasian grassland
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- drylandArid agricultural zone
precipitation · evapotranspiration · rainfall · moisture · temperature · weather · seasonality · continental · subtropical · biome
sagebrush
Aromatic arid-land shrub
creosote · manzanita · scrub · brushwood · thicket · heath · maquis · tumbleweed · yucca · saltbush
irrigation
Artificial water supply for agriculture
- ranchingOperating a livestock farm
- grazingFeeding on pasture
- pasturelandLand for grazing animals
fallow · aquifer · groundwater · terracing · windbreak · drought-resistant · sorghum · millet · fodder · livestock
antelope
Swift horned grazer
- jackrabbitLarge North American hare
- coyoteWild North American canid
- roadrunnerFast terrestrial cuckoo
lizard · rattlesnake · scorpion · prairie-dog · tortoise · vulture · hawk · kangaroo-rat · armadillo · quail
- habitatsforest, ocean, lake, river, pond
- place adjectivescoastal, suburban, urban, rural, northern
- Semi- wordssemicircle, semifinal, semicolon, semiconductor, semitruck
- climatestropical, subtropical, temperate forest, equatorial, continental
- sagebrush steppesagebrush, big sagebrush, Artemisia, rabbitbrush, greasewood
- sunny climatesunshine, sunlight, warmth, clear skies, blue sky