| Northern Shortgrass Prairie | |
|---|---|
 Prairie in southeastern Alberta, Canada | |
 | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Nearctic |
| Biome | Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Borders | |
| Bird species | 231[1] |
| Mammal species | 78[1] |
| Geography | |
| Area | 638,400[2] km2 (246,500 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| States/Provinces | |
| Climate type | Cold semi-arid (BSk) |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/Endangered[2] |
| Global 200 | Yes |
| Habitat loss | 28.690%[1] |
| Protected | 14.8%[1] |
TheNorthern Shortgrass Prairie includes parts of the Canadianprovinces ofAlberta andSaskatchewan, and the United StatesGreat Plains states ofMontana,North Dakota,Wyoming,South Dakota andNebraska. One of 844 terrestrialecoregions defined by One Earth, theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) further breaks this ecoregion into theNorthwestern Glaciated Plains andNorthwestern Great Plains.[3]
The Northern Shortgrass Prairies have asemi-arid climate, with annual averageprecipitation ranging from 270mm to 450mm.[citation needed]Winters here are cold, with a mean winter temperature of −10 °C (14 °F), butchinook winds, most common in the western part of the region, closest to theRocky Mountains, ameliorate the cold temporarily when they pass over.Summers range from warm to hot, with a mean temperature of 16 °C (61 °F).
Dominantgrasses includeblue grama,needlegrass andspear grass.Big sagebrush is common in the southwest of the region, but almost non-existent in the north, northeast and east, wheresilver sagebrush is very common.Prickly pear and yellow cactus can be found in drier areas, especially in thebadlands areas that can be found across the ecoregion. In the wettest areas, alongwater bodies,plains cottonwood,trembling aspen,willows and other trees can be found, along with variousaquatic plants.
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The Northern Shortgrass Prairies were once home to vast herds ofbison, and some can still be found in places such asGrasslands National Park in southwestern Saskatchewan, and on privateranches.Pronghorn can be found in great numbers in much of the region, benefiting greatly from conservation measures.Mule deer are very common, andwhite-tailed deer somewhat less so. Despite various intensepest control measures, immense colonies ofRichardson's ground squirrels still remain, though theblack-tailed prairie dog is much less common than before European settlement. Thesteppe here was once home toelk andgrizzly bears, but these species have beenextirpated from the plains.
