Climate, Wildlife, and Agriculture of Central North America’s Great Plains Essay

Geography and Historical Transformation of the Great Plains

Central North America’s Great Plains are a flat, open area that reaches far into Canada to the north and eastern Mexico to the south. Though historically covered in grasslands, this area has undergone extensive agricultural development. Compared to the eastern temperate forest zone, it has less urbanization and habitation. Cordillera retain moisture brought by winds from the Pacific Ocean (Forsberg, 2019).

Climate Characteristics of the Great Plains

Winter is snowless, with sharp temperature fluctuations and frequent dry and warm westerly and south-westerly winds. Summers are dry, with dry winds causing dust storms and occasional showers; the average winter temperatures range from -28 °C in the north (Forsberg, 2019). In general, the summers are pretty hot and sometimes even very dry, whereas winters may be freezing.

Flora and Fauna: Impact of Human Activity on Biodiversity

The natural vegetation in most of the territory is represented by dry grass steppes. The animal world is greatly impoverished by man because of hunting. Forest and steppe bison, which previously lived in abundance, have been preserved only in national parks. There are steppe wolves, pronghorn antelope, skunks, porcupines, black-headed ferrets, gopher rodents, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and other animals living in the area (Forsberg, 2019).

Agricultural Practices and Resource Limitations in the Great Plains

The Great Plains is a large agricultural area; rain-fed agriculture, such as wheat, oats, barley, and herbs, is widespread in the northern and eastern regions (Forsberg, 2019). Large tracts of irrigated land are concentrated on the High plains; corn, spring wheat, sugar beet, and oilseeds are grown in the subtropical zone, and part of the land is occupied by cotton. Living in this ecoregion, I often saw fields of corn and other grains. There is not too much vegetation, and it is rare to see thick green forests. The ecoregion cannot be claimed as naturally resourceful since the climate zone is not suitable for cultivating goods, and animals do not live in large numbers.

Reference

Forsberg, M. (2019). Great Plains: America’s lingering wild. University of Chicago Press. Web.