Badlands Mixed-grass Prairies

The mixed-grass prairie is an important part of Badlands National Park's landscape. NPS Photo

There are many different types of grass in the park, like the green needlegrass shown here. NPS Photo

What is a prairie? What is a mixed-grass prairie?

A prairie is a large, open expanse of grasslands. A mixed-grass prairie is a grassland where grasses of many different heights grow. Mixed-grass prairies are the transition between eastern tall-grass prairies, where more rainfall means that taller grasses can grow, and western short-grass prairies, where the dry environment favors shorter grasses. In mixed-grass prairies, such as the grasslands surrounding Badlands National Park, grasses can range in height from ankle-high to waist-high.

Because they are in this transition zone, mixed-grass prairies have a greater number of plant species than any other type of prairie. There are over 400 plant species in Badlands National Park. Although trees, shrubs, and forbs grow in the Badlands, grasses dominate the landscape. The most common grass in the park is Western Wheatgrass, which grows one to three feet tall and is the state grass of South Dakota! For more information on the plant species in Badlands National Park, please see the species list at the bottom of this page.

Although trees are not common in grasslands, junipers like this one can be seen in the park. NPS Photo

Why do grasses grow in prairies?

Why do grasses thrive in prairie environments? The answer is simple: climate! Mixed-grass prairies grow in semi-arid climates where rainfall is low and unpredictable. Summers are hot and dry, winter brings cold blizzards, and periodic floods and droughts create a short growing season. Wind blows unimpeded over the open plains, increasing rates of evaporation. Frequent wildfires, a lack of moisture, and thin topsoil add to the list of challenges for plants growing in the prairie. Grasses are hardy and can survive these conditions where other plants cannot.

Although grasses are very successful in this environment, local conditions in mixed-grass prairies help other plants to grow. Trees like junipers and cottonwoods grow in drainages where rainwater gathers. Changes in seasonal weather patterns -- like a particularly wet summer -- can help water-dependent plants grow.

When bison wallow (roll around on the ground), they create depressions where water can gather, which supports plant growth. NPS Photo / Alex Ennes

What animals live in the prairie?

Prairie ecosystems support and rely on many different animals. Prairie dogs, bison, pronghorn, and many other species munch on the grasses and forbs which grow in grasslands. Blue grama and buffalo grass retain their nutritional value in winter, supporting these grazers in all seasons. Predatory animals like coyotes, rattlesnakes, and birds of prey use the open space of the prairie as hunting grounds. Many animals also take shelter by using burrows in the prairie, like prairie dogs, badgers.

While this environment supports all of these animals, it also relies on them! Prairie dog towns are a hub of plant variability in prairies, where their digging churns up soil and encourages new plants to grow. Prairie dogs also trim the grasses around their colony, which helps forbs grow in place of grasses. Bison also help grasslands grow and stay healthy. A study at Badlands National Park by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network found that native plant variability was higher in places where bison graze. Bison wallows, large depressions in the ground created by bison lying down and rolling around, collect rainwater and provide an environment where more water-dependent plants can grow.

Many people work to conserve prairie ecosystems, including ecologists at Badlands National Park. NPS Photo

Shrinking grasslands...

Grasslands were once the most extensive biome in the United States, stretching from Canada to Mexico. Today, mixed-grass prairies throughout the Great Plains have been reduced to just 30% of their original range. How did this happen? What actions are being taken to protect the prairie?

Division and destruction of American grasslands began in the mid-1800s. In 1862, the first of the Homesteading Acts was passed. These acts encouraged people to move west by offering plots of land to any US citizen willing to live and farm that land. Most of this land was located in grasslands, where human development took over prairie ecosystems. The 1887 Dawes Act stripped over 90 million acres of tribal land from Native Americans and repurposed it for agriculture and ranching. With these acts, prairies were first divided and destroyed by human development. Prairies across the US today are still used for agricultural and ranching purposes.

Many individuals and organizations are at work to conserve prairie ecosystems. Many partners assist Badlands National Park in maintaining and managing its grasslands. The Northern Great Plains Fire Ecology Program participates in prescribed burns at the park. The Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network has surveyed Badlands prairies since 1998. The US Forest Service not only maintains the Buffalo Gap National Grassland surrounding Badlands National Park, but also runs the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, where visitors can learn more about the fascinating features of American prairies.

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Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

Abundance

Abundant:

Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.

• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

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Species attribute definitions

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Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.

Part of a series of articles titled
Prairie Ecology of the Badlands.

Next:
Plant Community Monitoring at Badlands National Park

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