Northern Tallgrass Prairie

The Northern Tallgrass Prairie is one of 844 terrestrial ecoregions defined by One Earth. This ecoregion largely follows the Red River Valley in the Canadian province of Manitoba and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota.

Climate

The Northern Tallgrass Prairie has a humid continental climate with moderate precipitation, usually between 450-700mm. Winters here are very cold, with a mean winter temperature of, and summers are warm, with a mean temperature of. The ecoregion's mean annual temperature is.

Flora

Dominant grasses include big bluestem, switchgrass and Indiangrass. In wetter areas, trembling aspen and bur oak can be found.

Fauna

Like other North American prairie ecoregions, the Northern tall grasslands once supported large herds of bison and elk, which were hunted by the gray wolf and coyote. All of these save for the coyote have been largely eliminated from the region, though the bison and wolf are recovering. Other, more common species in the ecoregion include white-tailed deer, rabbit, ground squirrel and large populations of waterfowl.

Conservation

Some protected areas of this ecoregion include:

Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve