Northern Tallgrass Prairie

The Northern Tallgrass Prairie is one of 844 terrestrial ecoregions defined by One Earth.^[3] This ecoregion largely follows the Red River Valley in the Canadian province of Manitoba and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota.^[2]

Northern Tallgrass Prairie
Tall grasses of Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve
Ecology
Realm	Nearctic
Biome	Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Borders	List Canadian aspen forests and parklands Mid-Continental Canadian forests Western Great Lakes forests Upper Midwest forest-savanna transition Central tall grasslands
Bird species	212[1]
Mammal species	63[1]
Geography
Area	76,000 km2 (29,000 sq mi)
Countries	United States Canada
States/Provinces	Minnesota North Dakota Manitoba
Climate type	Humid continental (Dfb)
Conservation
Conservation status	Critical/Endangered[2]
Global 200	Yes
Habitat loss	88.245%[1]
Protected	4.21%[1]

Climate

The Northern Tallgrass Prairie has a humid continental climate with moderate precipitation, usually between 450-700mm. Winters here are very cold, with a mean winter temperature of −12.5 °C (9.5 °F), and summers are warm, with a mean temperature of 16 °C (61 °F). The ecoregion's mean annual temperature is 2.5 °C (36 °F).^[2]

Flora

Dominant grasses include big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans). In wetter areas, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) can be found.^[2]

Fauna

Like other North American prairie ecoregions, the Northern tall grasslands once supported large herds of bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus canadensis), which were hunted by the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and coyote (Canis latrans). All of these save for the coyote have been largely eliminated from the region, though the bison and wolf are recovering. Other, more common species in the ecoregion include white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), rabbit (Sylvilagus spp.), ground squirrel (Spermophilus spp.) and large populations of waterfowl.

Conservation

Some protected areas of this ecoregion include:

• Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve

See also

• Tallgrass prairie
• List of ecoregions in Canada (WWF)
• List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)

References

1. 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. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-26256-0.
2. "Northern tall grasslands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
3. "Northern Tallgrass Prairie".

External links

• Media related to Northern tall grasslands (WWF) at Wikimedia Commons