Central Great Plains (ecoregion) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Central Great Plains
Tornado north of Solomon, Kansas
Central Great Plains (area 27 on the map)
Ecology
Realm	Nearctic
Biome	Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Borders	List Western High Plains to the northwest Southwestern Tablelands to the southwest Southern Rockies to the northwest Edwards Plateau to the south Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains to the southeast Flint Hills to the central-northeast Western Corn Belt Plains to the northeast Nebraska Sand Hills to the north
Bird species	228
Mammal species	88
Geography
Country	United States
State	Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska
Conservation
Habitat loss	50.68%
Protected	0.48%

This map shows the Central and Southern Mixed Grasslands, as named by the World Wildlife Fund.

The Central Great Plains is a huge area in the middle of the United States. It's mostly a prairie ecoregion, which means it's a large area of grasslands. This special region is part of the bigger North American Great Plains.

It stretches from west-central Texas up through west-central Oklahoma, central Kansas, and into south-central Nebraska. The World Wildlife Fund calls this area the Central and Southern Mixed Grasslands. It's a unique place with interesting plants and animals.

Where is the Central Great Plains?

This huge grassland area has very few trees. It runs north to south, starting in central Nebraska. Then it goes through central Kansas and western Oklahoma, all the way to north-central Texas. In total, it covers about 282,000 square kilometers (109,000 square miles)!

This region is a "transition zone." This means it's a place where different types of land meet. To the east, you'll find the Central tall grasslands and areas where forests and grasslands mix. To the west are the Western short grasslands. North of this region are the Northern mixed grasslands, which are much cooler and have a shorter time for plants to grow.

Plants and Animals of the Plains

What Plants Grow Here?

The Central Great Plains is famous for its rich mix of prairie grasses. These grasses are usually medium height. You'll find both tallgrass and shortgrass types here.

Many beautiful wildflowers grow among the grasses. However, you'll see very few trees or shrubs. The grasslands are often grazed by animals and can be affected by dry weather (drought) and fires. Some plants that can handle dry conditions also grow here, like honey mesquite and prickly pear cacti.

What Animals Live Here?

The Central Great Plains prairie was once the home of the American bison. These huge animals roamed freely across the land. Since the 1800s, much of this land has been used for grazing cattle.

The grasslands are a great home for many types of prairie birds. The wet areas, called wetlands, are very important for birds that migrate. These birds stop here on their long journeys between North America and Mexico. Places like the Cheyenne Bottoms in Kansas and the Platte River in Nebraska are especially important. Many sandhill cranes and other waders (birds that walk in shallow water) visit these spots.

This region also has many reptiles. In the southern parts, you might see coyotes, striped bark scorpions, rattlesnakes, and even common house geckos.

Protecting the Plains

Sadly, most of the original grasslands have been turned into farms. Only about 5% of the natural habitat is left. This area was farmed so much that it was badly damaged in the 1930s. During this time, strong winds blew away the topsoil in huge dust storms, a period known as the Dust Bowl.

The grasslands have recovered since then. But now, much of the land is used for growing crops or for managed grazing (where cattle eat the grass). It's not the same as the untouched native grasslands that were once here.

Special Protected Areas

There are a few small areas where the natural habitat is still mostly intact. These include:

• In Oklahoma: The Wichita Mountains and the Great Salt Plains Lake in Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge.
• In Nebraska: The Platte River State Park near Louisville, Nebraska, and the Rainwater Basins to the south.
• In Kansas: The Cheyenne Bottoms, the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge near Stafford, the Red Hills, and the Smoky Hills areas.

These protected places are like small islands of native grassland surrounded by farmland. Most of the remaining natural habitats in the Great Plains are not protected. The two largest protected areas are the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, which helps bison and black-capped vireo, and the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge.