Sand Hills (Nebraska)

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Sand Hills
Region
The Nebraska Sand Hills in summer.
Country	United States
State	Nebraska

Part of	Great Plains, High Plains
Rivers	Niobrara River, Snake River, North Loup River, Middle Loup River, Dismal River —

Area	19,600 sq mi (50,764 km²)

The Sand Hills cover portions of northern and western Nebraska.

The Sand Hills is a region of mixed-grass prairie in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state. The region is variously defined by different organizations, so its size is indicated as 19,600 mi² (50,760 km²)^[1] or 23,600 mi² (61,100 km²).^[2]

1 Geography
2 History
3 Ecology
4 Conservation Efforts/Protection
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Sand Hills from space, September 2001

Dunes in the Sand Hills may exceed 330 ft (100 m) in height. The average elevation of the Sand Hills region gradually increases from about 1800 ft (550 m) in the east to about 3600 ft (1100 m) in the west.

The Sand Hills sit atop the massive Ogallala Aquifer, and marshes and temporary and permanent shallow lakes are common in low-lying parts of the Sand Hills. The eastern and central sections of the region are drained by tributaries of the Loup River and the Niobrara River, while the western section is largely composed of small interior drainage basins.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) designated the Sand Hills as an ecoregion, distinct from other grasslands of the Great Plains. According to their assessment, as much as 85% of the Sand Hills ecoregion is intact natural habitat, the highest level in the Great Plains. The reason is primarily due to the lack of agriculture. Most of the Sand Hills land have never been plowed.^[2]

[edit] History

The plant-anchored dunes of the Sand Hills were formed at the end of North America's most recent ice age by wind-blown particles originating from regions to the north and west of Nebraska. At several times in the past 10,000 years, during periods of extreme drought, the Sand Hills have been active sand dunes; however, this has not happened since around 1400 A.D. The mixed-grass prairies supported large populations of bison until the 1870s. Although the Sand Hills were long considered an irreclaimable desert, settlers began to discover their potential as rangeland for cattle in the 1870s. The fragility of the sandy soil makes the area unsuitable for cultivation of crops. Unsuccessful attempts at farming were made in the Sandhills region in the late 1870s and again around 1890.^{[citation needed]}

Development of cropland agriculture in the modern era has occurred through the use of center-pivot irrigation systems.

The 1904 Kinkaid Act allowed homesteaders to claim 640 acres (2.6 km²) of land, rather than the 160 acres (0.6 km²) allowed by the 1862 Homestead Act.^[3] Nearly nine million acres (36,000 km²) were successfully claimed by "Kinkaiders" between 1910 and 1917. Some of the Kinkaiders attempted to farm, but these attempts generally failed. This included Nebraska's largest black township, DeWitty, which was located in southeast Cherry County until the 1930s. Many of the largest ranches broke up about the same time due to regulations against fencing federal range lands.

Today, the Sand Hills are among the most productive cattle ranching areas of the world, supporting over 530,000 beef cattle.^{[citation needed]} The population of the region continues to decline as older generations age and as younger generations move to the cities.^{[citation needed]} However, there are still a number of small towns in the region that celebrate both their cultural heritage and their physical location.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Ecology

As the largest and most intricate wetland ecosystem in the United States, the Nebraska Sandhills contain a large array of plant and animal life.[1] Because of the steady growth of the grasslands, these Sandhills are one of the world's most productive cattle ranching areas.[2] The lack of agricultural production has led to almost no land fragmentation, allowing for great passageways for plant and animal species, therefore increasing the biodiversity of the area immensely. The Sand Hills are home to 314 animal species including mule deer, coyotes, red fox, meadowlarks, wild turkeys, native bat species and many fish species.^{[citation needed]}

The Nebraska Sandhills include thousands of ponds and lakes fed by creeks and rivers such as the Niobrara and Platte rivers. These bodies of water are homes for many species of fish including rare Sandhill Shiners, a type of minnow found only here.^{[citation needed]} The lakes are mainly sandy-bottomed and provide water for the region's cattle, as well as a habitat for aquatic species. However, some lakes in the area are alkaline^{[citation needed]} and do not support life beyond the microbe level.

[edit] Plants

720 different species of plants are found in the Sand Hills. Of these, the majority are native, with only 7% are exotics — half the percentage of most other prairie systems.^{[citation needed]} The blowout penstemon ('Penstemon haydenii') is an endangered species, found only in the Sand Hills and in similar environments in central Wyoming.^[4] The blowout penstemon stabilizes the soil where wind erosion exposes the bare sand but is choked out when other species begin to recolonize. Better grazing and land management practices being used by Sandhill's ranchers have reduced erosion, reducing the plant's habitat.^{[citation needed]}

The Sand Hills are still because the vegetation binds the sand grains and decreases erosion. Many of the plants are sand tolerant from short-grass, mixed-grass and tallgrass prairies which can all be found within the Sand Hills ecosystem. These plants have helped to stabilize the ground while providing nutrients for other plants and animals that live off them. Better land management and grazing practices by the ranchers of the Sand Hills have also led to less erosion over time which has better kept the natural landscape of the Sand Hills mostly intact.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Insects

Many species of insect are found in the Sand Hills, including dragonflies, grasshoppers and mosquitos. There are also many types of spider. Due to the sporadic nature of both alkaline and freshwater lakes throughout the region, coupled with the wetland marsh areas, mosquito populations explode largely in the summer months which has lead to an increase in West Nile Virus, for which the mosquito is a common vector.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Birds

The Sand Hills are the central flyway for around 25 species of migrating birds and the region's extensive waterways give them places to rest.^{[citation needed]} Many of the lakes in the region are lay-over points for migratory cranes, canadian and snow geese, and many species of ducks. Species found year-round include the meadowlark, the state bird of Nebraska.

[edit] Climate

Most of the Nebraska Sand Hills receive less than 20 inches of rain annually (23 inches in the east and less than 17 inches of rain in the west annually), leading to the classification of the area as a semi-arid region.^{[citation needed]} Plant and animal life of the Sandhill region have adapted to the extremities of the area’s 100°F summer days and -30°F winters.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Conservation Efforts/Protection

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge located in north central Nebraska covers 285 km². Crescent Lake wildlife refuge in west central Nebraska covers 175 km² and the Niobrara Valley Preserve with Wild and Scenic designation of the Niobrara River in north central Nebraska covers 202 km². Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in north central Nebraska is also protected. Partnering in the effort to conserve the Nebraska Sandhills are: Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, West Central Research and Extension Station, The Nature Conservancy of Nebraska, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, University of Nebraska, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.^{[citation needed]}