Prairie Parkland (Tallgrass Prairie) Province
(excerpted from Description of the Ecoregions of the United States Bailey, 1995)
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The Prairie Parkland (Temperate) Province covers an extensive area from Canada to Oklahoma, with alternating prairie and deciduous forest. The topography is mostly gently rolling plains, but steep bluffs border a number of valleys. Some areas are nearly flat; others have high rounded hills. Elevations range from 300 to 2,000 ft (90 to 600 m). The far northern portion of the province has been glaciated.

Vegetation in this province is forest-steppe, characterized by intermingled prairie, groves, and strips of deciduous trees. The alternation of forest and prairie in the western part of the province results chiefly from local soil conditions and slope exposure; trees are commonly found near streams and on northfacing slopes. The thin soils atop this area's limestone hills support very few trees. In the eastern part of the province, however, trees often cover the highest hills.

Grasses are the dominant prairie vegetation. Most are moderately tall and usually grow in bunches. The most prevalent type of grassland is bluestem prairie, dominated by such plants as big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, and Indian grass, along with many species of wildflowers and legumes. In many places where grazing and fire are controlled, deciduous forest is encroaching on the prairies. Due to generally favorable conditions of climate and soil, most of the area is cultivated, and little of the original vegetation remains.

Nematode Surveys:
Manhattan, Kansas
Konza Prairie
Lincoln, Nebraska
Nine-mile Prairie
Beatrice, Nebraska
Homestead Prairie