Central Mixed-grass Prairie
(Area - 22,107,300 ha)
Description - The majority of the Central Mixed-grass Prairie
occurs in central Kansas and Nebraska, with a small portion in southern South Dakota. The
northern and western portions are covered by the Nebraska Sandhills, an area of rolling,
irregular dunes interspersed with gently sloping valleys and numerous small wetlands. The
remainder of the physiographic area is a dissected loess plain drained by several major
rivers. Whereas all of the uplands are naturally mixed and tallgrass prairie communities,
the larger river valleys support northern floodplain forests.
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Conservation recommendations and needs - The Nebraska Sandhills is believed to be one of the few large productive areas for grassland birds on the continent. It remains in excellent condition due to long-term use of virtually 100% of private lands for grazing livestock. Management has been, by and large, beneficial. To keep the area healthy for birds, it is important that the health of the ranching economy be maintained.
Large wetland-grassland complexes benefit all of the high priority birds, and are essential to some. All existing complexes should be maintained. The Black Rail is a that uses wet meadows, but its ecology remains largely unknown. More survey work and retention of potential habitat for this species are recommended.
One of the most important avian phenomena of this physiographic area is the use of wetlands and agricultural areas by in-transit Sandhill Cranes, a few Whooping Cranes, Snow Geese, and large numbers of shorebirds on and near the Platte River. Key areas are receiving attention through the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture and other endeavors. These efforts, some of which involve repeated removal of woody vegetation from sandbars that have stabilized with altered hydrology, must be continued in order to keep the area useful for these birds.
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