Environment of Wyoming facts for kids

Wyoming is a state in the western United States. It sits right on the Continental Divide. This means some rivers flow east towards the Atlantic Ocean, and others flow west towards the Pacific. Wyoming has many different types of land. You'll find tall mountains and wide, flat areas called basins.

Some of the big mountain ranges are the Beartooth, Teton, and Wind River Mountains. There are also the Bighorn, Sierra Madre, and Medicine Bow Mountains. The eastern part of Wyoming has flat plains, which are part of the Great Plains.

The plants in Wyoming change depending on where you are. In the basins, you might see sagebrush and greasewood shrubs. On the Great Plains, there's lots of grass. In the foothills, you'll find juniper trees. Higher up in the mountains, there are forests and open alpine meadows.

Farming and Ranching in Wyoming

Wyoming is often called the "Cowboy State." It has a huge amount of land used for farming and ranching. About 30.2 million acres are dedicated to agriculture. That's a lot of space!

Wyoming is one of the top agricultural states in the U.S. There are around 11,000 farms here. The average farm is very large, about 2,726 acres. In 2001, Wyoming produced a lot of beef, sheep, and wool. It also grew millions of bushels of wheat, barley, corn, and hay. The biggest part of Wyoming's agriculture is the beef industry.

Farm Land in Wyoming

Wyoming has much more land used for farming than the national average. About 90% of this farm land is used for grazing animals. The other 9% is used for growing crops. Most of the agricultural land in Wyoming belongs to very large farms. These farms often have 5,000 acres or more.

Livestock in Wyoming

The beef industry is the biggest part of farming in Wyoming. In 2008, it brought in about $599 million. In 2001, ranchers produced over 652 million pounds of beef. They also produced 31 million pounds of sheep and lamb.

Sheep ranchers in Wyoming produced over 3 million pounds of wool in 2007. Wyoming was ranked fourth in the U.S. for lamb and sheep sales that year. In 2007, there were also many hogs, horses, and bee colonies in the state.

Crops Grown in Wyoming

The main crops grown in Wyoming are hay, barley, wheat, beans, and corn. Wheat is the largest crop, bringing in $65 million in 2008. Barley is the second largest crop.

Wyoming ranks 8th in the U.S. for barley production. It's 20th for hay and 33rd for wheat. In 2001 alone, Wyoming produced millions of bushels of wheat, barley, and corn. It also produced almost 2 million tons of hay.

Why Farming Matters in Wyoming

Farming and ranching are very important to Wyoming. About 55% of all the land in Wyoming is used for agriculture. In 2001, farming brought in $185.6 million in profit. This money helped support about 12,345 jobs in the state. Wyoming is also known for having the largest average farm size in the country.

How Land is Used in Wyoming

Wyoming doesn't have a very large population. This means there's lots of land available for different uses. This includes mining for resources, national forests, and national parks. There are also open ranges, state parks, and land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Some land is also privately owned.

Wyoming is divided by the Continental Divide. Its land can be grouped into three main types. These are the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Intermontane Basins. The state has 22 state parks, four national forests, and one national grassland. This gives Wyoming a lot of public land for fun activities and for wildlife to live.

Green Mountain Common Allotment

The Green Mountain Common Allotment is a very large area. It used to be one of the biggest unfenced open ranges in North America. This area is over 500,000 acres. It is split by the Continental Divide and includes both private and public land.

This land is mostly used for grazing animals like cattle. It's also home to wild horses and other wildlife. Recently, there have been talks about fencing off parts of this land. Some people want to protect the natural environment and prevent grazing damage. Others want it to stay unfenced. They say fencing could harm animals like pronghorn and sage grouse.

Wyoming's Natural Energy and Resources

Wyoming has many natural resources. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) reports on these resources each year. Wyoming leads the country in coal production. It has the 10 largest coal mines in the U.S. This coal helps create almost 40% of the nation's electricity.

Wyoming also has about 70% of the world's discovered bentonite supply. Bentonite is a special type of clay. The state is also developing wind energy. There are already wind turbines operating on some BLM land. Wyoming also mines uranium, which is used for nuclear energy. It produces nearly 31% of the country's uranium.

Wild Horse Herds

The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burros Act of 1971 protects wild horses in the western United States. These horses roam freely on BLM land. When there are too many horses, the BLM allows them to be adopted.

In 2010, the BLM estimated there were almost 4,000 wild horses in Wyoming. The ideal number for the state is between 2,490 and 3,725 horses. To manage the population, the BLM gathered some horses. Some were removed, and some mares (female horses) were given fertility control before being released. In 2010, 134 captured horses were adopted.

Changes to Habitats

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a plan to protect Wyoming's wildlife habitats. This plan helps wildlife and people live together. It also looks at how to deal with natural changes in the climate and environment.

Scientists predict that average air temperatures in North America will change. This could happen between 2010 and 2039. These climate changes might cause new groups of plants and animals to appear. This would change the environment. Also, insects like bark beetles and budworms, along with dry weather, are changing Wyoming's landscape.

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