Definition: A plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally considered as being dominated by tall grasses, while short grasses are said to be normal in the steppe. It may be semi-desert, or covered with grass or shrubs or both, depending on the season and latitude.
Comment: Preliminary definition. The semantics and definitions of "mediterranean", "subtropical", "tropical", "temperate", "polar", and similar climate types may be transferred to an "environmental condition" class once the semantics of this class have been established.
Definition: A desert biome is a terrestrial biome which loses more liquid water by evapotranspiration than is supplied by precipitation and includes communities adapted to these conditions.
