Central Great Plains (ecoregion)
| Central Great Plains | |
|---|---|
Nearctic | |
| Biome | Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Borders | List
|
| Bird species | 228 Humid continental (Dfa) and humid subtropical (Cfa) |
| Conservation | |
| Habitat loss | 50.68%[1] |
| Protected | 0.48%[1] |
The Central Great Plains are a semiarid prairie ecoregion of the central United States, part of North American Great Plains. The region runs from west-central Texas through west-central Oklahoma, central Kansas, and south-central Nebraska.
It is designated as the Central and Southern Mixed Grasslands ecoregion by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Geography
This large
Environment
Flora
The predominant vegetation of the Central Great Plains ecoregion is a rich mixture of prairie
Fauna
The Central Great Plains
The grasslands are home habitat for resident prairie birds, while the wetlands of the region are important stopovers for birds migrating between North America and Mexico. The Cheyenne Bottoms near Great Bend, Kansas, and the Platte River in Nebraska are particularly important for migrating sandhill cranes and other waders.
The region is home to a large number of reptiles. Some of the prevalent wildlife in the southern area are coyotes, striped bark scorpions, prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), and Great Plains skink (Plestiodon obsoletus).
Conservation
Most of the grasslands have been converted for agriculture, with only about 5% of natural habitat remaining. Indeed, this area was so heavily overcultivated that it was damaged during the 1930s Dust Bowl period in which the topsoil was blown away in dust storms. The grasslands have since recovered, but are cropland and managed grazing ranges rather than unspoiled native grasses and perennials pasture.
Protected areas
The small remaining blocks of intact habitat include:
- Oklahoma — the Wichita Mountains, and the Great Salt Plains Lake in Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
- Nebraska — the Platte River State Park near Louisville, Nebraska, and the Rainwater Basins to the south
- Kansas — the Red Hills, and the Smoky Hillsareas
These protected areas consist of patches of intact native grassland amid cultivated rangeland, and most of the remaining natural habitats of the Great Plains are unprotected. The two largest protected areas are the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge for bison and black-capped vireo, and the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge.
See also
- The Great Plains Ecoregion
- Flora of the Great Plains (North America)
- Great Plains—related topics
- Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands in the United States — biome's ecoregions in the U.S.
- List of ecoregions in the United States (EPA)
- List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF) — Region 109 on the map
References
- ^ a b c d
Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L. (ed.). The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. ISBN 978-0-520-26256-0.
- ^ World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Central and Southern mixed grasslands". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08.