In the southern Great Plains, grasslands provide habitat for wildlife and important working lands for people. While critical for birds and pollinators, grasslands also provide forage for livestock and absorb carbon dioxide which positively impacts the climate. Historically, about 90% of the region was prairie; now, grasslands make up only 36% of our landscape.
Grasslands two greatest threats are row crop expansion (tilling up the prairie) and woody encroachment. Up to 2.3% of grasslands vital to both ranching operations and bird habitat are being lost each year in large part due to invasive woody plant encroachment.
This website is designed to help you address woody encroachment on your land.
Woody encroachment results in billions of lost forage each year, according to the Great Plains Grassland Extension Partnership.
A healthy grassland has diverse native plant communities, primarily grasses with a mixture of forbs and small shrubs, and trees are mostly found in canyons or draws and along rivers.
Grasslands support a variety of insects that play critical roles in pollination.
Grasses help clean surface water and reduce soil erosion into nearby wetlands.
Grasslands provide important wildlife habitat and associated recreational activities.
See how woody encroachment has increased in recent years. This interactive tool uses historical and current aerial imagery to show how the landscape has changed.
