Mixed Grass Prairie - Code: Ne7C

Mixed Grass Prairie is a broad and transitional habitat occurring between the Tallgrass Prairie and Shortgrass Prairie. It occurs as a long ecotone with tallgrass plants dominating in the east and shortgrass dominating in the west. It also occurs as a mosaic with tallgrass dominating in low wet swales and shortgrass occupying dry, exposed ridges. Despite the intermediate nature of this habitat it has a unique feel and several endemic species. The Mixed Grass Prairie stretches from Northern Texas all the way into central Alberta and spans a wide range of temperatures. The amount of precipitation is the defining climatic feature in this habitat, receiving 15-25 in (380-630mm) annually. Anything much above or below this produces tallgrass or shortgrass respectively. 
Mixed Grass Prairies are a structurally pleasant grassland, intermediate between the stark, agoraphobia-inducing shortgrass and the towering tallgrass. This grassland typically reaches a height of 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9m) and occurs on flat or gently rolling terrain. While a very high diversity of grasses can be found here Needle and Thread Grass (Hesperostipa comata) and Western Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) are diagnostic throughout most of the range. The exception to this is in the north where this habitat is dominated by fescues (Festuca spp.). Other common grasses include Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). The mixture of warm and cool season grasses means there are two peaks of plant growth in this habitat, one occurring early in the spring and a second one in late summer. 
This grassland naturally has more woody species occurring than the other two prairie types and can be quite shrubby. Also similar to many grassland systems, Mixed Grass Prairie has been frequently invaded by woody shrubs due to overgrazing and fire suppression. These prairies are typically overrun by Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginia) in the northeast, Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the northwest, and Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) in the south. 
The Palouse grasslands of Idaho, Oregon and Washington were most like the Mixed Grass Prairie but were more heavily dominated by cool-season bunchgrasses like Bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis). Very little of this region remains as viable grassland. 
The Vancouver Grasslands found in the Georgia Depression are also most closely related to this habitat. This grassland mostly exists as an association with Garry Oak savannas and has significant overlap with animals found in other oak savanna environments.