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Ecoregions

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Little Missouri Badlands

Ecoregion on Great Plains in MT, ND

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The Little Missouri Badlands ecoregion is highly dissected, sparsely vegetated, and lies within the watershed of the Little Missouri River. Ephemeral, flashy stream flow is typical and has created steep, downcut channels. Both erosion rates and drainage densities are high, and as a result, streams carry heavy sediment loads. Fine-grained, sedimentary rock of the Tertiary Fort Union and the Cretaceous Hell Creek formations outcrop on steep slopes. Vegetation is typically sparse shortgrass prairie; clumps of Rocky Mountain juniper grow on north-facing hillslopes while Northern Floodplain forest grows along drainage ways. Physiography, soils, and land use are distinct from those of the Missouri Plateau (43a), Sagebrush Steppe (43e), and Montana Central Grasslands (43n). The dissected topography, wooded draws, and uncultivated areas of the Little Missouri Badlands (43b) are havens for wildlife. Grazing and recreation are the dominant land uses. The Little Missouri Badlands (43b) ecoregion extends into the Dakotas.

— EPA

Field Brome Bromus inermis (species), “Smooth Brome”

18 Observations

Grecian Juniper Juniperus scopulorum (species), “Red-Cedar”, “River Juniper”, “Rocky Mountain Juniper”, “Rocky Mountain Red-Cedar”

14 Observations

Silver Sagebrush Artemisia cana (species), “Hoary Sagebrush”, “Hoary Wormwood”, “Silver Wormwood”, “Silvery Sagebrush”

10 Observations

Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis (species)

Silver Buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea (species)

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus (species), “Arizona Black-Tailed Prairie Dog”, “Plains Prairie Dog”

53 Observations

American Bison Bison bison (species), “Buffalo”, “Bison”

34 Observations

Equus caballus SPECIES

Greater Short-Horned Lizard Phrynosoma hernandesi (species), “Short-Horned Lizard”

Woodhouse's Toad Anaxyrus woodhousii (species)

American Robin Turdus migratorius (species)

2,520 Observations

Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus (species)

2,474 Observations

Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta (species)

2,249 Observations

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura (species), “American Mourning Dove”, “Rain Dove”, “Carolina Pigeon”, “Carolina Turtledove”, “Zenaidura Caroliensis”, “Zenaidura Macroura Caroliensis”

2,079 Observations

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos (species)

1,983 Observations

Pholisora libya SPECIES

Mitoura gryneus SPECIES

Publilia modesta SPECIES · “Modest Treehopper”

Orectoderus obliquus SPECIES

Euchloe olympia SPECIES · “Olympia Marble”

Taxonomy

Classified As

Little Missouri Badlands

Little Missouri Badlands

Little Missouri Badlands