Grasslands of Nebraska

by Elizabeth Winter

Title

Grasslands of Nebraska

Artist

Elizabeth Winter

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Nebraska Sand Hills and Grasslands

The Nebraska Sand Hills (hereafter, Sand Hills), located almost entirely within the state of Nebraska, is considered by Küchler (1964) to be one of three major grassland associations which he grouped as the tallgrass prairie. One of the smallest of the Great Plains ecoregions, the Sand Hills covers an area of about 61,100 km2. The Sand Hills can be distinguished from other tallgrass and mixed grass ecoregions by a combination of physiography, soils, elevation, surface water characteristics, and natural vegetation. The Sand Hills consist of various dune types and interdunal valleys, dominance of Cenozoic sands, and a distinct soil type (entisols). The irregular dunes and sandy soils of the Sand Hills are so distinct within the Great Plains as to warrant elevation of the Nebraska Sand Hills to its own ecoregion. The western and portions of the northern Sand Hills are dotted with small lakes and wetlands. Precipitation and temperature are average among the Great Plains ecoregions. Historically, fire and grazing by migratory herds of bison played a major role in shaping the landscape. Today, the major disturbance factor is cattle grazing on the large ranches that cover much of the ecoregion.

Uploaded

April 26th, 2015

Statistics

Viewed 1,218 Times  -  Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/24/2024 at 2:31 AM

Colors

Embed

Share

Sales Sheet

Tags