Badlands National Park's Mixed-Grass Prairies
In a transitional zone of tall and short grass prairies, the park supports over 400 different plant species. Semi-arid with typically low unpredictable rainfall, with hot dry summers, and winters being the wettest with cold blizzards, periodic floods. High winds, frequent wildfires, and other factors makes a place for hardier plants. Trees do grow here in the lower drainage areas where water collects.
Fun Fact: Western Wheatgrass is the most common grass here. Growing up to three feet tall and is the state grass of South Dakota
Why Is It Important?
Shrinking Prairie
Tallgrass, Shortgrass and Mixed-grass prairies are some of the most important ecosystems in the continental United states and currently one of the smallest. This is because of the homesteading act and other agricultural and urbanization practices that have reduce the prairie down to fragmented parts with few large areas left in the modern day.
Historic and Current Range of Tall Grass Prairies only
Why We Should Care
There are many reasons why we should care about this. Other then just the intrinsic value of the prairie existing as a habitat for humans. Other animals also live there that offer a variety of important ecological roles. Even if it seems at first glance it looks like they don’t.
So
Lets Explore
