Editing Great Plains (section)

==Natural history==

===Climate===
In general, the Great Plains have a wide range of weather, with very cold and harsh winters and very hot and humid summers. Wind speeds are often very high, especially in winter.

The 100th meridian roughly corresponds with the line that divides the Great Plains into an area that receives {{cvt|20|in}} or more of rainfall per year and an area that receives less than {{cvt|20|in}}. In this context, the High Plains, as well as [[Southern Alberta]], south-western Saskatchewan and [[Eastern Montana]] are mainly [[Semi-arid climate|semi arid]] steppe land and are generally characterised by [[ranch|rangeland]] or marginal [[Agriculture|farmland]]. The region (especially the High Plains) is periodically subjected to extended periods of [[drought]]; high winds in the region may then generate devastating [[dust storm]]s. The eastern Great Plains near the eastern boundary falls in the [[humid subtropical climate]] zone in the southern areas, and the northern and central areas fall in the [[humid continental climate]].

Many [[thunderstorm]]s occur in the plains in the spring through summer. The southeastern portion of the Great Plains is the most [[tornado]] active area in the world and is sometimes referred to as [[Tornado Alley]].

===Flora===
The Great Plains are part of the floristic [[North American Prairies province]], which extends from the Rocky Mountains to the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachians]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://floranorthamerica.org/Chapter_6 |title=Phytogeography of North America North of Mexico |first=Robert F. |last=Thorne |website=Flora of North America |date=February 13, 2019 |access-date=December 23, 2021 |archive-date=December 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223202528/http://floranorthamerica.org/Chapter_6 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Fauna===

==== Mammals ====
Although the [[American bison]] (''Bison bison'') historically ranged throughout much of North America (from [[New York (state)|New York]] to [[Oregon]] and Canada to northern Mexico), they are strongly associated with the Great Plains where they once roamed in immense herds. [[Pronghorn]] (''Antilocapra americana'') range into western areas of the region. The [[black-tailed prairie dog]] (''Cynomys ludovicianus'') is another iconic species among several rodents that are linked to the region including the [[thirteen-lined ground squirrel]] (''Ictidomys tridecemlineatus''), [[spotted ground squirrel]] (''Xerospermophilus spilosoma''), [[Franklin's ground squirrel]] (''Poliocitellus franklinii''), [[plains pocket gopher]] (''Geomys bursarius''), [[hispid pocket mouse]] (''Chaetodipus hispidus''), [[olive-backed pocket mouse]] (''Perognathus fasciatus''), [[plains pocket mouse]] (''Perognathus flavescens''), and [[plains harvest mouse]] (''Reithrodontomys montanus''), Two carnivores associated with the Great Plains include the [[swift fox]] (''Vulpes velox'') and the endangered [[black-footed ferret]] (''Mustela nigripes'').<ref name="Reid (2006)">Reid, Fiona, A. 2006. ''A Field Guide to mammals of North America North of Mexico, Peterson Field Guide Series'', 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. New York, N. Y. xx, 579 pp. {{ISBN|0-395-93596-2}}</ref>

==== Birds ====
The [[lesser prairie-chicken]] (''Tympanuchus pallidicinctus'') is [[Endemism|endemic]] to the Great Plains and the distribution of the [[greater prairie-chicken]] (''Tympanuchus cupido'') predominantly occurs in the region, although the latter historically ranged further eastward. The [[Harris's sparrow]] (''Zonotrichia querula'') spends winter months in southern areas of the region. Other species migrate from the south in the spring and spend their breeding season on the plains, including the [[white-faced ibis]] (''Plegadis chihi''), [[mountain plover]] (''Charadrius montanus''), [[marbled godwit]] (''Limosa fedoa''), [[Sprague's pipit]] (''Anthus spragueii''), [[Cassin's sparrow]] (''Peucaea cassinii''), [[Baird's sparrow]] (''Centronyx bairdii''), [[lark bunting]] (''Calamospiza melanocorys''), [[chestnut-collared longspur]] (''Calcarius ornatus''), [[thick-billed longspur]] or McCown's longspur (''Rhynchophanes mccownii''), and [[dickcissel]] (''Spiza americana'').<ref name="Mulroy (2002)">Mulroy, Kevin (Editor-in-Chief). 2002. ''Field Guide to the Birds of North America'', 4th edition. National Geographic, Washington, D. C. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-7922-6877-6}}</ref>

==== Reptiles ====
The prairie rattlesnake (''[[Crotalus viridis]]'') ranges throughout much of the Great Plains and into the valleys and lower elevations of the eastern [[Rocky Mountains]] and portions of the [[Southwestern United States|American southwest]]. Other snakes include the plains hog-nosed snake (''[[Western hognose snake|Heterodon nasicus]]''), western milksnake (''[[Milk snake|Lampropeltis gentilis]]''), Great Plains ratsnake (''[[Pantherophis emoryi]]''), bullsnake (''[[Bullsnake|Pituophis catenifer sayi]]''), plains black-headed snake (''[[Plains black-headed snake|Tantilla nigriceps]]''), plains gartersnake (''[[Plains garter snake|Thamnophis radix]]''), and lined snake (''[[Tropidoclonion|Tropidoclonion lineatum]]''). Reptile diversity increases significantly in southern regions of the Great Plains. The ornate box turtle (''[[Terrapene ornata]]'') and Great Plains skink (''[[Great Plains skink|Plestiodon obsoletus]]'') occur in southern areas.<ref name="Powell et al. (2016)">Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph Collins. 2016. ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America'', 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. New York, N. Y. xiii, 494 pp. [pages 202-209] {{ISBN|978-0-544-12997-9}}</ref>

==== Amphibians ====
Although few salamanders are strongly associated with the region, the [[western tiger salamander]] (''Ambystoma mavortium'') ranges through much of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, as does the [[Rocky Mountain toad]] (''Anaxyrus w. woodhousi''). Other [[anurans]] related to region include the [[Great Plains toad]] (''Anaxyrus cognatus''), [[plains leopard frog]] (''Lithobates blairi''), and [[plains spadefoot toad]] (''Spea bombifrons'').<ref name="Powell et al. (2016)" /><ref name="Dodd (2013)">Dodd Jr., C. Kenneth (2013) ''Frogs of the United States and Canada, Vol. I & II''. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 982 pp. {{OCLC|1262005087}}</ref>

==== Fish ====
Some species predominantly associated with various river basins in the Great Plains include [[sturgeon chub]] (''Macrhybopsis gelida''), [[peppered chub]] (''Macrhybopsis tetranema''), [[prairie chub]] (''Macrhybopsis australis''), [[western silvery minnow]] (''Hybognathus argyritis''), [[plains minnow]] (''Hybognathus placitus''), [[smalleye shiner]] (''Notropis buccula''), [[Arkansas River shiner]] (''Notropis girardi''), [[Red River shiner]] (''Notropis bairdi''), [[Topeka shiner]] (''Notropis topeka''), [[plains topminnow]] (''Fundulus sciadicus''), plains killifish (''[[Fundulus zebrinus]]''), Red River pupfish (''[[Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis]]''), and [[Arkansas darter]] (''Etheostoma cragini'').<ref name="Lee et al. (1980)">Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. ''Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes'', North Carolina State Museum of Natural History. x, 867 pp. {{ISBN|0-917134-03-6}}</ref><ref name="Page & Burr (2011)">Page, L. M. and B. M. Burr. 2011. ''Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes: North America North of Mexico, Second Edition'', Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, Massachusetts. xix, 663 pp. {{ISBN|978-0-547-24206-4}}</ref>

==== Invertebrates ====
The Great Plains also has many [[invertebrate]] species living here both alive and [[Extinction|extinct]] such as the [[Nicrophorus americanus|American burying beetle]] (''Nicrophorus americus''), [[Salt Creek tiger beetle]] (''Cinidela nevadica lincolniana''), [[Amblycheila cylindriformis|Great Plains giant tiger beetle]] (''Amblycheila chylindriformis''), ''[[Microstylum morosum]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Troy |date=2010-08-05 |title=Giant Robber Fly of the Great Plains – ''Microstylum morosum'' |url=https://troymullens.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/giant-robber-fly-of-the-great-plains-microstylum-morosum/ |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=I C U Nature |language=en}}</ref> [[bean leaf beetle]] (''Cerotoma trifurcata''), [[Great Plains camel cricket]] (''Daihinia brevipes''),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Webmaster |first=David Ratz |title=Great Plains Camel Cricket - Montana Field Guide |url=https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IIORTK4010 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=fieldguide.mt.gov |language=en}}</ref> and the [[Lepyronia gibbosa|Great Plains spittlebug]] (''Lepyronia gibbosa'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of the Great Plains {{!}} Insects |url=http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.pe.034 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=plainshumanities.unl.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Lepyronia gibbosa'' (Great Plains spittlebug) - Michigan Natural Features Inventory |url=https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/11566/Lepyronia-gibbosa |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=mnfi.anr.msu.edu}}</ref> Some species in the Great Plains have gone extinct like the [[Rocky Mountain locust]] (''Melanoplus spretus'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of the Great Plains {{!}} Insect Lore |url=http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.fol.026 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=plainshumanities.unl.edu}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="100px">
File:Bison bison Wichita Mountain Oklahoma.jpg|American bison (''Bison bison''), Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
File:Black-footed Ferrets in Preconditioning Pens (15519959116) (cropped).jpg|Black-footed ferret (''Mustela nigripes'') National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center, Colorado
File:Swift Fox (cropped).jpg|Swift fox (''Vulpes velox''), Colorado
File:Tympanuchus pallidicinctus-1jpg (cropped).jpg|Lesser prairie-chicken (''Tympanuchus pallidicinctus'') on a [[Lek mating|lek]] in the Red Hills of Kansas
File:Great Plains Rat Snake (Pantherophis emoryi) (8726969667).jpg|Great Plains ratsnake (''Pantherophis emoryi''), Missouri
File:Great Plains toad (cropped).jpg|Great Plains toad (''Anaxyrus cognatus'')
File:Amerikanischer Totengräber (Nicrophorus americanus).jpg|[[Nicrophorus americanus]]
</gallery>

===Paleontology===
[[File:Daemonelix burrows (Harrison Formation, Middle Miocene; Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, northwestern Nebraska, USA) (15545351982).jpg|thumb|Excavation of a fossil [[Palaeocastor|Daemonelix]] burrow at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. ]]
During the [[Cretaceous]] Period (145–66&nbsp;million years ago), the Great Plains were covered by a shallow [[Inland sea (geology)|inland sea]] called the [[Western Interior Seaway]]. However, during the [[Late Cretaceous]] to the [[Paleocene]] (65–55&nbsp;million years ago), the seaway had begun to recede, leaving behind thick marine deposits and a relatively flat terrain which the seaway had once occupied.<ref name="slattery">{{cite journal |title=Early Cretaceous to Paleocene paleogeography of the Western Interior Seaway: the interaction of eustasy and tectonism |first1=Joshua S |last1=Slattery |first2=William A |last2=Cobban |first3=Kevin C |last3=McKinney |first4=Peter J |last4=Harries |first5=Ashley L |last5=Sandness |journal=Wyoming Geological Association Guidebook |volume=68 |pages=22–60 |date=2013 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280641436 |doi=10.13140/RG.2.1.4439.8801}}</ref>

During the [[Cenozoic|Cenozoic era]], specifically about 25&nbsp;million years ago during the [[Miocene]] and [[Pliocene]] epochs, the continental climate became favorable to the evolution of grasslands. Existing forest biomes declined and grasslands became much more widespread. The grasslands provided a new [[Ecological niche|niche]] for mammals, including many [[ungulate]]s and [[glires]], that switched from browsing diets to grazing diets. Traditionally, the spread of grasslands and the development of grazers have been strongly linked. However, an examination of mammalian teeth suggests that it is the open, gritty habitat and not the grass itself which is linked to diet changes in mammals, giving rise to the "[[Grit, not grass hypothesis|grit, not grass]]" hypothesis.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Phillip E. |last1=Jardine |first2=Christine M. |last2=Janis |first3=Sarda |last3=Sahney |first4=Michael J. |last4=Benton |title=Grit not grass: Concordant patterns of early origin of hypsodonty in Great Plains ungulates and Glires |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |date=2012 |volume=365–366 |pages=1–10 |doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.09.001 |bibcode=2012PPP...365....1J |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018212004919}}</ref>

[[Paleontology|Paleontological]] finds in the area have yielded bones of [[mammoth]]s, [[Smilodon|saber-toothed cats]] and other ancient animals,<ref>"[http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/larson/ice_age_animals.html# Ice Age Animals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808030355/http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/larson/ice_age_animals.html |date=August 8, 2011 }}". Illinois State Museum.</ref> as well as dozens of other [[megafauna]] (large animals over {{cvt|100|lb|disp=sqbr}}) – such as [[Ground sloth|giant sloths]], [[Evolution of the horse|horses]], [[mastodon]]s, and [[American lion]] – that dominated the area of the ancient Great Plains for thousands to millions of years. The vast majority of these animals became extinct in North America at the end of the [[Pleistocene]] (around 13,000 years ago).<ref>"[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061002154043.htm A Plan For Reintroducing Megafauna To North America] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628125128/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061002154043.htm |date=June 28, 2018 }}". ScienceDaily. October 2, 2006.</ref>

A number of significant fossil sites are located in the Great Plains including [[Agate Fossil Beds National Monument]] ([[Nebraska]]), [[Ashfall Fossil Beds]] ([[Nebraska]]), [[Clayton Lake State Park]] ([[New Mexico]]), [[Dinosaur Valley State Park]] ([[Texas]]), [[Hudson-Meng Bison Kill]] (Nebraska), [[Makoshika State Park]] (Montana), and [[The Mammoth Site]] ([[South Dakota]]).

===Public and protected lands===
[[File:Scotts Bluff National Monument - Nebraska (14417716146).jpg|thumb|[[Scotts Bluff National Monument]], [[Nebraska]]]]
Public and protected lands in the Great Plains include National Parks and National Monuments, administers by the [[National Park Service]] with the responsibility of preserving ecological and historical places and making them available to the public.<ref name="National Park Service">National Park Service: [https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418180900/https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm |date=April 18, 2022 }} (referenced April 9, 2022)</ref> The [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service]] manages the National Wildlife Refuges, with the primary responsibility of conserving and protecting fish, wildlife, plants, and habitat in the public trust.<ref name="US Fish & Wildlife">United States Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407232842/https://www.fws.gov/ |date=April 7, 2022 }} (referenced April 9, 2022)</ref> Both are agencies of the [[United States Department of the Interior|Department of the Interior]].

In contrast, [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]], an agency of the [[United States Department of Agriculture|U. S. Department of Agriculture]], administers the National Forests and National Grasslands, under a multiple-use concept. By law, the U.S. Forest Service must consider all resources, with no single resource emphasized to the detriment of others, including water, soil, grazing, timber harvesting, and minerals (mining and drilling), as well as recreation and conservation of fish and wildlife.<ref name="US Forest Service">United States Forest Service: [https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land Managing the Land] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171116/https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land |date=October 15, 2020 }} (referenced April 9, 2022)</ref> Each individual state also administers state lands, typically smaller areas, for various purposes including conservation and recreation.

Grasslands are among the least protected biomes.<ref>{{cite report |title=Threats Assessment for the Northern Great Plains Ecoregion |url=http://www.npcn.net/images/uploads/Threats_Assessment_NGP_Report_Dec2012.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206104731/http://www.npcn.net/images/uploads/Threats_Assessment_NGP_Report_Dec2012.pdf |archive-date=December 6, 2013 |date=December 20, 2012 |last1=Schrag |first1=A.M. |last2=Olimb |first2=S. |publisher=World Wildlife Fund-U.S |location=Bozeman, MT}}</ref> Humans have converted much of the prairies for agricultural purposes or to create pastures. Several of the protected lands in the region are centered around aberrant and uncharacteristic features of the region, such as mountains, outcrops, and canyons (e.g. [[Devils Tower|Devil's Tower National Monument]], [[Wind Cave National Park]], [[Scotts Bluff National Monument]]), and as splendid and worthy as they are, they are not primarily focused on conserving the plains and prairies.

United States:
*Colorado: 
**[[Comanche National Grassland]] ({{cvt|443,081|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Pawnee National Grassland]] ({{cvt|193,060|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Iowa: 
**[[DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|8,362|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Kansas: 
**[[Cheyenne Bottoms|Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area]] ({{cvt|41,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Cimarron National Grassland]] ({{cvt|108,176|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|18,463|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|10,778|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|7,500|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve]] ({{cvt|10,882|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Quivira National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|22,135|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Minnesota: 
**[[Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|61,500|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|11,586|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Blue Mounds State Park]] ({{cvt|1,567|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Glacial Lakes State Park]] ({{cvt|2,423|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Missouri: 
**[[Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|7,350|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Montana: 
**[[Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|915,814|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Makoshika State Park]] ({{cvt|11,538|acre|disp=sqbr}}) 
**[[Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|31,533|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Rosebud Battlefield State Park]] ({{cvt|3,052|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|56,048|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument]] ({{cvt|377,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Nebraska: 
**[[Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|4,040|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|45,818|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|19,131|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[John and Louise Seier National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|2,400|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[North Platte National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|5,047|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Rainwater Basin|Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District]] ({{cvt|22,864|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Scotts Bluff National Monument]] ({{cvt|3,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Valentine National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|71,516|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*New Mexico: 
**[[Grulla National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|3,236|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Kiowa National Grassland]] ({{cvt|137,131|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*North Dakota: 
**[[Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|15,934|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Audubon National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|14,739|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Little Missouri State Park]] ({{cvt|6,492|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Sheyenne National Grassland]] ({{cvt|70,180|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Theodore Roosevelt National Park]] ({{cvt|70,446|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Oklahoma: 
**[[Black Kettle National Grassland]] ({{cvt|31,286|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|32,080|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|59,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*South Dakota: 
**[[Badlands National Park]] ({{cvt|242,756|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Black Hills National Forest]] ({{cvt|1,253,308|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Custer State Park]] ({{cvt|71,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Fort Pierre National Grassland]] ({{cvt|115,890|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Grand River National Grassland]] ({{cvt|154,783|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Wind Cave National Park]] ({{cvt|33,847|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Texas: 
**[[Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|7,664|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Caddo National Grassland]] ({{cvt|17,873|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway|Caprock Canyons State Park]] ({{cvt|15,313|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|11,320|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland]] ({{cvt|20,309|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge]] ({{cvt|6,440|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Palo Duro Canyon|Palo Duro Canyon State Park]] ({{cvt|26,200|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Rita Blanca National Grassland]] ({{cvt|230,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Wyoming: 
**[[Curt Gowdy State Park]] ({{cvt|3,395|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Devils Tower|Devil's Tower National Monument]] ({{cvt|1,346|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Glendo State Park]] (ca. {{cvt|10,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Thunder Basin National Grassland]] ({{cvt|547,499|acre|disp=sqbr}})

Canada:
*Alberta: 
**[[Elk Island National Park]] ({{cvt|48,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Suffield National Wildlife Area]] ({{cvt|113,263|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Manitoba: 
**[[Riding Mountain National Park]] ({{cvt|733,400|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Turtle Mountain Provincial Park]] ({{cvt|46,080|acre|disp=sqbr}})
*Saskatchewan: 
**[[Grasslands National Park]] ({{cvt|224,000|acre|disp=sqbr}})
**[[Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area]] ({{cvt|38,553|acre|disp=sqbr}})

=== Ecological changes ===
the Great Plains biome is found to be at the brink of collapse due to [[woody plant encroachment]], with 62% of Northern American grassland lost to date.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-22 |title=A 'Green Glacier' of trees and shrubs is burying prairies, threatening ranchers and wildlife |url=https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-04-22/a-green-glacier-of-trees-and-shrubs-is-burying-prairies-threatening-ranchers-and-wildlife |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Uncertainties: global change - The loss of the North American grassland biome {{!}} U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/uncertainties-global-change-loss-north-american-grassland-biome |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=www.usgs.gov |language=en}}</ref>