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Semiarid Pierre Shale Plains

Ecoregion on Great Plains in NE, SD, WY, MT

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The rolling hills and grasslands of the Semiarid Pierre Shale Plains are a contrast to the dramatic bluffs and pine woodlands of the Pine Ridge Escarpment (25a) to the south. This is an arid region with average annual precipitation ranging from 15 to 17 inches, and it supports mixedgrass prairie with some localized areas of scant vegetation and sagebrush. Harsh, cold winters, a short growing season, and dry, hot summers restrict agriculture potential in this region. Soils derived from Pierre Shale are more clayey than the sandier and more silty soils of neighboring 25a and 43h.

— EPA

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