Prairies
Manitoba and neighbors
Prairies are temperate grasslands dominated by perennial grasses and herbs, with few or no trees due to limited rainfall and periodic fires.
Historically, they were shaped by grazing megafauna like bison and antelope, which maintained plant diversity and soil health.
Prairie soils, often mollisols, are among the most fertile in the world, making them prime agricultural land.
Native prairie plants, such as big bluestem and prairie dropseed, have deep root systems that prevent erosion and store carbon.
The tallgrass prairies of the Midwest once stretched across millions of acres but are now largely converted to farmland.
Monocot blade plants
- wildflowersUncultivated flowering plants
- bisonLarge wild ox
- antelopeSwift horned grazer
- coyotesNorth American wild canids
meadowlarks · hawks · switchgrass · bluestem · sagebrush · sunflowers · goldenrod · milkweed
Open grassy terrain
- plainsBroad, level grasslands
- flatlandsLevel, unvarying terrain
- horizonsApparent earth-sky boundaries
- tallgrassHigh-growing prairie vegetation
shortgrass · meadows · steppes · pampas · veld · savanna · expanse · openness
Cereal crop for flour
- cornCereal grown on cobs
- soybeansProtein-rich Asian legume
- farmlandAgricultural terrain
- ranchingOperating a livestock farm
cattle · homesteading · cultivation · irrigation · harvest · crops · grain elevators · combines
First to explore territory
- homesteadersLand-claiming rural settlers
- sod housesTurf-walled prairie shelters
- wagon trailsHistoric pioneer migration paths
- frontierEdge of settlement
settlers · land grants · railroads · townships · dugouts · windmills · forts · migration
grasses
Monocot blade plants
- wildflowersUncultivated flowering plants
- bisonLarge wild ox
- antelopeSwift horned grazer
coyotes · meadowlarks · hawks · switchgrass · bluestem · sagebrush · sunflowers · goldenrod · milkweed · pollinators
grasslands
Open grassy terrain
tallgrass · shortgrass · meadows · steppes · pampas · veld · savanna · expanse · openness · vastness
wheat
Cereal crop for flour
ranching · cattle · homesteading · cultivation · irrigation · harvest · crops · grain elevators · combines · fencing
pioneers
First to explore territory
- homesteadersLand-claiming rural settlers
- sod housesTurf-walled prairie shelters
- wagon trailsHistoric pioneer migration paths
frontier · settlers · land grants · railroads · townships · dugouts · windmills · forts · migration · claims
wind
Air current outdoors
solitude · silence · seasons · drought · storms · dust · blizzards · thunderheads · cloudscapes · endless
- Canadian GeographyAlberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland
- Canadian PlacesVancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary
- Canadian HistoryConfederation, Rupert's Land, colonial era, colonial government, self-government
- Acadia ParishCrowley, Morse, Egan, Maxie, Richard
- American LandformsGrand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, Rockies, Appalachian Mountains, Appalachians
- Canadian demographicspopulation, immigrants, First Nations, Inuit, Metis
Prairiesmountains
Tall elevated landmasses
Rockies · mountain ranges · Alps · Himalayas · peaks
- prairie firesBlazes across open grasslands
- prairie dogColonial burrowing grassland rodent
- prairie grasslandsFlat, treeless, grass-covered terrain
- tall grass prairie
- wild prairie
- prairie skirtFull tiered western-style skirt