Prairie is a major North American biome, or ecological region. It extends from central Canada to the Mexican border and from the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains to Indiana. Its topography ranges from rolling hills to the flatlands of former glacial lake bottoms. Its climate is characterized by relatively low annual precipitation (twenty to forty inches per year) and a high rate of evapotranspiration. This topography and climate contributed to the dominance of grasses, the subdomination of broadleaf plants, and sparse forest cover.
The region was originally sparsely populated by Native Americans who settled in greater numbers after the arrival of the horse. European Americans began settling the region in earnest only after the arrival of the railroads in the 1870s. The primary economic activity has been and continues to be Agriculture, with livestock production and grain production dominating. This activity has resulted in the loss of over 99 percent of the original prairie. Today the region is home to more than 33.5 million people. Concerns about the ecological region include the continuing loss of virgin prairie, topsoil erosion, and ground-water contamination and depletion.
Bibliography
Risser, Paul G. "Grasslands." In Physiological Ecology of North American Plant Communities. Edited by Brian Chabot and Harold A. Mooney. New York: Chapman and Hall, 1985.
