Northcentral Grasslands

The Northern Central Grasslands are generally considered to be mixed prairie transitioning into short grass prairie, and alternatively categorized as semi-arid steppe.  This region roughly encompasses c. and w. ND and SD, e. MT, and n.e. WY, and extends into s. Saskatchewan, CA. The climate has a mean annual temperature of 5.6C / 42F  and mean annual precipitation of 400 mm /16in, largely occurring from April through September.

We found seven research studies, conducted from 1938 to 1999, which documented soil properties and/or vegetation inventories in remnants of this grassland type. Aguilar and colleagues’ (1984, 1988) research neatly measured the soil properties in profiles from native “virgin” rangeland in Grant Co., ND at sites located in sandstone (SS), siltstone (SI), and shale (SH) bedrock geologies. Their work was complemented by plant inventories at the same sites (Schimel 1985) and earlier, detailed plant inventories also in Grant Co. by Hanson and Whitman (1938).

Soils:

Texture throughout the surface 100cm profile, based on particle-size distribution, was a sandy loam (SS), a silty loam (SI), and a silty clay loam (SH). Soil organic carbon contents (SOC) in the surface 5cm layer was approximately 1.8% (SS),3% (SI) and 3.9% (SH). The SOC values were determined using a Modified Walkley Black procedure, and the equivalent organic matter contents would be approximately 3.1%, 5.2%, and 6.7% respectively. Soil organic carbon decreased with depth, reaching half the surface levels at ~20 cm depth. Concentrations of Total Phosphorus ranged from 500-600 mg/kg (SI, SS) to 800 mg/kg in the silty-clay loam (SH). Nitrogen concentration was 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 g/kg in SS, SI, and SH respectively and decreased to half that concentration below 15 cm in depth. pH was 6.5 increasing to 7.5 at 50cm depth (SS),  5.8 increasing to 7.8 (SI) and 6.5 increasing to 7.5 (SH).  The decreasing acidity is explained in part by higher CaCO3 deeper in the profiles.

Plants:

Plant community characteristics at these same three sites were summarized by Schimel (1985):

• SS:
  • Dominant species – Calamovilfa longifolia, Stipa comata, C. filifolia and Andropogon
  • Avg. plant production:   2240 kg/ha
• SI:
  • Dominant species – Andropogon smithii, Stipa viridula, Koeleria cristata, Carex filifoli.
  • Avg. plant production:  2184 kg/ha
• SS:
  • Dominant species – Bouteloua gracilis, Agropyron smithii and Stipa viridula.
  • Avg.  plant production:  2044 kg/ha

These production values are comparable to values of 1835-2867 kg/ha in w. N.D. reported by Quinnild and Cosby (1958).  Mulch was not measured in any of these studies. However, a 1960 study of vegetation on unburned grasslands 150km west in Billings Co, reported comparable plant production of 1995 kg/ha with an additional 1185 kg/ha fresh mulch and 3,355 kg/ha of decomposed humic mulch ( Dix 1960).

More detailed plant inventories were provided by Hanson and Whitman (1938) who distinguished the following eight  different grassland sub-communities based on topographic position – soil type combinations (a 9^th rare community of buffalo grass not included here)  (Complete species lists follow).

• Type I. Upland plateau, gentle upland slopes / sandy loam:   
  •  Dominants: Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis,  needle grass Stipa comata,  and thread leaf sedge Carex filifolia, >  western wheatgrass Agropyron smithii, prairie junegrass Koeleria cristata 
  • Diversity: 14.6 /quadrat; total: avg 45, range 33-53, with ~75% being forbs
• II. Long gradual slopes / clay loam:
  • Dominants:   Bouteloua gracilis, Agropyron smithii,  Carex filifolia
  • Diversity:   range 20-29, with ~75% being forbs 
  • Note:  sparse vegetation due to droughty soil
• III. Gradual  clay slopes (10-20 deg), northern aspects / silt loam, clay loam:  
  • Dominants:  Little bluestem Andropogon scoparius >   sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula,  Koeleria cristata, Carex filifolia, C. stenophyla and C. pennsylvanica,  Boutelua gracilis and C. longifolia.
  • Diversity:   Avg total species 50, with ~67% being forbs 
  • Note:   little bluestem is  early successional; stabilizes slopes
• IV. Sandy ridge and summits / sandy loam:
  • Dominant Sand reed grass Calamovilfa longifolia >>  Carex filifolia, C. stenophylla, C. pennsylvania, Stipa comata, Boutelous gracilis, Koeleria cristata
  • Diversity: range35-42 with  67% being forbs
• V. Toeslope, flats along streams and narrow valley bottoms  / clay loam  to sandy loam
  • Dominant: shrub sagebrush  Artemisia cana ;   Agropyron smithii, Bouteloua gracilis and Stipa viridula
  • Diversity:  range  23-50 with 75% as forbs
  • Note:  subject to flooding, erosion and storm overflow from stream channel
•   VI. Footslope, terraces 2-3m above stream / silt loam:
  • Dominant: saltgrass Distichlis stricta,  Agropyron smithii > Bouteloua gracilis
  • Diversity: total range 28-36;   ¾ are forbs 
  • Note:  higher soil moisture due to proximity to stream
• VII. Stream terrace /  loam to clay:
  • Dominants: Distichlis stricta, Nuttal’s alkaligrass  Puccinellia nuttaliana > Agropyron smithii and foxtail barley  Hordium jubatum.
  • Diversity: 24 spp
  • Note;  subject to flooding
• VIII. Footslopes, in valleys / loam to sandy loam:
  • Dominant:   Big bluestem Andropogon furcatus, Andropogon scoparius, Koeleria cristata, Bouteloua curtipendula
  • Diversity:   41-63 75% forbs

Impacts:

150 years of cultivation has negatively impacted the soil profiles in this grassland type.  Erosion and loss of the surface, organic soils resulted in soils less capable of retaining water and nutrients. A comparison of native grassland to nearby fields cultivated in wheat-fallow rotations for 44 yrs showed that organic C and organic N concentrations in the surface soils had decreased by as much as two thirds (Schimel et al. 1985).  Photos and an erosion map (Hansen and Libecap 2004) from the Dust Bowl era verify the extensive erosion that occurred throughout the North-Central Grassland.

Early erosion map excerpted from Hansen and Libecap. 2004:

Literature Cited:

Aguilar, R. 1984. Parent material-topographic-management controls on organic and inorganic nutrients in  semiarid soils. PhD dissertation. Colorado State Univ. , Fort Collins, CO.

Aguilar, R., EF Kelly, and RD Heil. 1988. Effects of cultivation on soils in Northern Great Plains rangeland. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52: 1081.

Dix, RL. 1960. The effects of burning on the mulch structure and species composition of grasslands in w. North Dakota. Ecology 41(1): 49.

Hansen ZK and GD Libecap. 2004. Small farms, externalities, and the dust bowl of the 1930’s . J. Political  Economy 112(3): 665-694.

Hanson, HC and W Whitman. 1938. Characteristics of major grassland types in western North Dakota. Ecol. Monographs 8(1): 57.

Quinnild, CL,and HE Cosby 1958. Relicts of climax vegetation on two mesas in western North Dakota. Ecology 39(1):  29-32.

Schmiel, DS, DC Coleman, and KA Horton. 1985. Soil organic matter dynamics in paired rangeland and cropland toposequences in North Dakota. Geoderma 36: 201.

Appendix:

COMPLETE PLANT SPECIES LIST from HANSON AND WHITMAN 1938 (GRANT CO.):

Corrected Scientific Name -hanson	Original Scientific Name	Common Name	Group (Forb, etc)
Achillea millefolium	Achillea lanulosa	common yarrow	forb
Elymus smithii	Agropyron smithii	western wheatgrass	graminoid
Elymus violaceus	Agropyron tenerum	slender wild rye	graminoid
Allium textile	Allium reticulatum	textile onion	forb
Andropogon gerardi	Andropogon furcatus	big bluestem	graminoid
Andropogon hallii	Andropogon hallii	sand bluestem	graminoid
Schizachyrium scoparium	Andropogon scoparius	little bluestem	graminoid
Anemone cylindrica	Anemone cylindrica	candle anemone	forb
Boechera holboellii	Arabis holboellii	holboell’s rockcress	forb
Aristida longiseta	Aristida longiseta	red three-awn	graminoid
Artemisia cana	Artemisia cana	silver sagebrush	shrub
Artemisia dracunculus	Artemisia dracunculoides	tarragon	forb
Artemisia frigida	Artemisia frigida	prairie sagewort	shrub
Artemisia ludoviciana	Artemisia gnaphalodes	white sagebrush	forb
Asclepias verticillata	Asclepias verticillata	whorled milkweed	forb
Symphyotrichum laeve	Aster laevis	smooth blue aster	forb
Symphyotrichum ericoides	Aster multiflorus	white health aster	forb
Astragalus agrestis	Astragalus hypoglottis	field milkvetch	forb
Astragalus lotiflorus	Astragalus lotiflorus	lotus milkvetch	forb
Atriplex argentea	Atriplex argentea	silver saltweed	forb
Atriplex canescens	Atriplex nuttallii	four-wing saltbrush	forb
Helictochloa hookeri	Avena hookeri	spike oat	graminoid
Bouteloua curtipendula	Bouteloua curtipendula	sideoats grama	graminoid
Bouteloua gracilis	Bouteloua gracilis	blue grama	graminoid
Bouteloua dactyloides	Buchloe dactyloides	buffalograss	graminoid
Calamagrostis montanensis	Calamagrostis montanensis	prairie reedgrass	graminoid
Sporobolus rigidus	Calamovilfa longifolia	prairie sand reed	graminoid
Calochortus nuttallii	Calochortus nuttallii	sego lily	forb
Campanula rotundifolia	Campanula rotundifolia	Scottish bluebell	forb
Carex filifolia	Carex filifolia	threadleaf sedge	graminoid
Carex pennsylvanica	Carex pennsylvanica	Pennsylvania sedge	graminoid
Carex maritima	Carex stenophylla	curved sedge	graminoid
Castilleja sessiliflora	Castilleja sessiliflora	downy Indian paintbrush	forb
Cerastium arvense	Cerastium arvense	field chickweed	forb
Chenopodium leptophyllum	Chenopodium leptophyllum	narrowleaf goosefoot	forb
Heterotheca villosa	Chrysopsis villosa	hairy goldenaster	forb
Collomia linearis	Collomia linearis	slenderleaf collomia	forb
Comandra umbellata subsp. pallida	Comandra pallida	pale bastard toadflax	forb
Distichlis spicata	Distichlis stricta	desert saltgrass	graminoid
Suaeda calceoliformis	Dondia depressa	pursh sapweed	forb
Draba nemorosa	Draba nemorosa	woodland draba	graminoid
Drymocallis arguta	Drymocallis arguta	prairie cinquefoil	forb
Echinacea angustifolia	Echinacea angustifolia	narrow-leafed purple coneflower	forb
Elymus glaucus	Elymus glaucus	blue wild rye	graminoid
Oenothera suffrutescens	Gaura coccinea	scarlet beeblossom	forb
Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Glycyrrhiza lepidota	American licorice	forb
Grindelia squarrosa	Grindelia squarrosa	curlycup gumweed	forb
Hedeoma hispida	Hedeoma hispida	rough false pennyroyal	forb
Helianthus maximiliani	Helianthus maximilliana	maximilian sunflower	forb
Helianthus petiolaris	Helianthus petiolaris	prairie sunflower	forb
Helianthus pauciflorus subsp. pauciflorus	Helianthus rigidus	stiff sunflower	forb
Helianthus pauciflorus subsp. subrhomboideus	Helianthus subrhomboideus	stiff sunflower	forb
Heuchera richardsonii	Heuchera hispida	Prairie alumroot	forb
Hordeum jubatum	Hordeum jubatum	foxtail barley	graminoid
Cyclachaena xanthiifolia	Iva xanthiifolia	giant sumpweed	forb
Juncus balticus	Juncus balticus	baltic rush	graminoid
Koeleria macrantha	Koeleria cristata	prairie junegrass	graminoid
Lactuca pulchella	Lactuca pulchella	blue lettuce	forb
Lappula occidentalis	Lappula occidentalis	western stickseed	forb
Lepidium densiflorum	Lepidium densiflorum	prairie peppergrass	forb
Physaria arenosa	Lesquerella arenosa	great plains bladderpod	forb
Liatris punctata	Liatris punctata	narrow-leaved blazingstar	forb
Liatris aspera	Liatris scariosa	rough blazing star	forb
Lilium philadelphicum	Lilium umbellatum	Philadelphia lily	forb
Linum lewisii	Linum lewisii	Prairie flax	forb
Linum rigidum	Linum rigidum	stiffstem flax	forb
Lithospermum incisum	Lithospermum linearifolium	fringed puccoon	forb
Lygodesmia juncea	Lygodesmia juncea	skeletonweed	forb
Sphaeralcea coccinea	Malvastrum coccineum	scarlet globemallow	forb
Oenothera serrulata	Meriolix serrulata	yellow sundrops	forb
Monarda fistulosa	Monarda fistulosa	wild bergamot	forb
Muhlenbergia cuspidata	Muhlenbergia cuspidata	plains muhly	graminoid
Musineon divaricatum	Musineon divaricatum	wild parsley	forb
Opuntia fragilis	Opuntia fragilis	brittle pricklypear	cactus
Oxytropis lambertii	Oxytropis lambertii	purple locoweed	forb
Panicum virgatum	Panicum virgatum	swtichgrass	graminoid
Dichanthelium wilcoxianum	Panicum wilcoxianum	Wilcox’s panic grass	graminoid
Dalea purpurea	Petalostemon purpurea	purple prairie clover	forb
Phlox hoodii	Phlox hoodii	spiny phlox	forb
Plantago elongata	Plantago elongata	prairie plantain	forb
Plantago patagonica	Plantago purshii	woolly plantain	forb
Poa secunda	Poa buckleyana	sandberg bluegrass	graminoid
Pediomelum argophyllum	Psoralea argophylla	silverleaf Indian breadroot	forb
Pediomelum esculentum	Psoralea esculenta	prairie turnip	forb
Puccinellia nuttalliana	Puccinellia airoides	Nuttall’s alkaligrass	graminoid
Puccinellia nuttalliana	Puccinellia nuttalliana	Nuttall’s alkaligrass	graminoid
Clematis hirsutissima	Pulsatilla hirsutissima	hairy clamatis	forb
Rosa arkansana	Rosa suffulta	prairie rose	shrub
Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus	Senecio columbianus	Lambstongue ragwort	forb
Xanthisma spinulosum	Sideranthus spinulosus	cutleaf ironplant	forb
Solidago mollis	Solidago mollis	velvety goldenrod	forb
Sporobolus heterolepis	Sporobolus heterolepis	prairie dropseed	graminoid
Hesperostipa comata	Stipa comata	needle-and-thread grass	graminoid
Hesperostipa spartea	Stipa spartea	porcupine grass	graminoid
Nassella viridula	Stipa viridula	green needlegrass	graminoid
Symphoricarpos occidentalis	Symphoricarpos occidentalis	western snowberry	shrub
Vicia americana var. minor	Vicia sparsifolia	mat vetch	forb
Viola nuttallii	Viola nuttallii	Nuttall’s violet	forb
Yucca glauca	Yucca glauca	soapweed yucca	shrub