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River Breaks

Ecoregion on Great Plains in MT, ND, SD

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The River Breaks ecoregion is composed of very highly dissected terraces and uplands that descend to the Missouri and Yellowstone river systems. Ecoregion 43c is much more rugged than surrounding ecoregions; its steep slopes and heavy, sticky soils often limit its suitability for spring pasture while scarcity of stock water constrains its use for summer grazing. Sparse wheatgrass grows on the heavy, slowly permeable bottomland, threadleaf sedge and needleandthread occur on the gravelly soils of hillslopes, junipers and deciduous trees grow on north-facing slopes of draws, and both little bluestem and buffalograss are found along flat- bottomed channels. The ecoregion’s dissected topography, wooded draws, and uncultivated areas are havens for wildlife. The River Breaks (43c) ecoregion continues into North Dakota.

— EPA

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Ecoregion