Great Plains

**Usage:**
– Great Plains is a sub-section of the Interior Plains in the U.S.
– It is a region for Plains Indians or Plains states.
– In Canada, the term is rarely used by Natural Resources Canada.
– Canada refers to the region as the Canadian Prairies or Prairie Provinces.
– The North American Environmental Atlas defines the Great Plains as an ecoregion of prairies and grasslands.

**Extent:**
– The region spans 500mi east to west and 2,000mi north to south.
– Historically home to American bison herds.
– Includes five sub-regions within the Great Plains ecoregion.
– These sub-regions are Temperate Prairies, West-Central Semi-Arid Prairies, South-Central Semi-Arid Prairies, Texas Louisiana Coastal Plains, and Tamaulipas-Texas Semi-Arid Plain.

**Location:**
– Encompasses parts of the U.S. states of Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
– Also includes eastern parts of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming.
– Spreads into New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
– Sometimes reaches into Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri.
– Covers southern portions of Canadian provinces Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

**Ecology:**
– Features prairie, steppe, and grassland landscapes.
– Home to keystone species like the Prairie dog.
– Diverse habitats like the tallgrass prairie and mixed plains grass prairie.
– Theodore Roosevelt National Park preserves Bison.
– Great Plains State Park in Oklahoma offers unique habitats.

**Geography:**
– Located east of the Rocky Mountains.
– Part of the Interior Plains in North America.
– Western portion of the Great Plains has different ecoregions.
– The region is vast and flat, known for prairies and grasslands.
– The Great Plains is a significant part of the North American continent.