The
Prairie
The soil in prairies is excellent for growing crops and much of the grassland in North America has been turned into farms and ranches. The combination of high summer temperatures, strong winds and little rain makes prairies vulnerable to fire. Fire keeps trees from growing on the prairie, but grasses and other prairie plants can survive fire and even thrive! There are three types of prairies: tall grass, mixed grass and short grass.
Tall Grass Prairies
Tall grass prairies get the most rain, about 30 inches a year. They have tall grasses, sunflowers and other plants. Grasses in this type of prairie can grow as high as five feet. Tall grass prairies are found in the eastern part of the Midwest.
Mixed Grass Prairies
Mixed grass prairies are found in the middle of the Midwest. They get less rain than tall grass prairies, between 15 and 20 inches a year, and the vegetation grows to about three feet tall.
Short Grass Prairies
Short grass prairies get the least amount of rain, less than 10 inches a year. They are found in the western part of the Midwest. Grass in short grass prairies is usually under two feet tall.
Living in the Prairie
Some animals that live in the prairie like the American bison are grazers. Others like the black-tailed prairie dog and the American badger are burrowers and spend a lot of time underground. Other animals like the coyote prey on smaller prairie animals. The prairie has lots of insects like crickets, caterpillars and grasshoppers and is home to insect-eating birds like the western meadowlark and the killdeer.
Image Credits: Clipart.com unless otherwise noted
)
)
)
)
)
)
)