An Environmental Overview of North Dakota: Past and Present
Harold A. Kantrud
Northern Prairie Science Center
Editorial Note: The following summary of the past and present environment of North Dakota is the text of a slide presentation developed by Harold A. Kantrud, Wildlife Biologist, at Northern Prairie Science Center. The talk was presented in January, 1983, to the Department of Energy's Subcommittee on Environmental Research, Committee on Coal Gasification Research. The Subcommittee was attempting to identify biological research issues related to the American Natural Gas Company's (ANG) proposed coal gasification plant in Mercer County, and to develop the background understanding necessary to integrate those issues into the context of the North Dakota environment. Although some of the data are outdated by passage of 14 years, Mr. Kantrud's remarks to the Subcommittee provide a comprehensive but concise overview of the natural history of North Dakota and of the environmental problems that it faces. Initially, we planned to delete portions of the talk specific to the coal gasification plant, and present only the general overview. However, those comments illustrate the need for planning and research to accompany development within a fragile environment, and we elected to present the entire text.
This resource should be cited as:
Harold, Kantrud A. 1983. An Environmental Overview of North Dakota: Past and
Present. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/envovrvw/envovrvw.htm
(Version 16JUL97).
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Climate
- Geology and Soils
- Biotic Inhabitants
- Prairie Wetlands
- Woodlands and Brushlands
- Post-settlement Changes
- Environmental Concerns
- Summary
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