This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Mark McGinley
Hells Canyon, eastern Oregon, USA (Photograph by Daren H Spencer)
Grasslands and savannas once covered large areas of the inter-mountain west, from southwest Canada into western Montana. Today, areas like the great Palouseprairie of eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and northwestern Idaho are virtually gone. The Palouse, formerly a vast expanse of native bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatoin), Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensi), and other grasses, has been plowed and converted to wheat fields or is covered by cheatgrass (Bromus tecturum) and other exotic plant species.
The Palouse lies in the rain shadow of the Cascades and has a generally semiarid climate. This climate is similar to that of the annual grasslands of California, yet the Palouse historically resembled the mixed-grass vegetation of the central grasslands, except for the absence of short grasses. Such species as Agropyron spicatum, Festuca idahoensis, and Elymus condensatus, and the associated species Poa scabrella, Koeleria cristata, Elymus sitanion, Stipa comata, and Agropyron smithii originally dominated the Palouse prairie grassland.
Fire was a major force in shaping the Palouse. For thousands of years, Native Americans set periodic, cool-burning fires that did not damage perennial grasses. Without frequent burning to reduce fuel levels, conditions were ideal for rare but intense fires that destroyed the native perennial species and allowed exotic grasses and annual forbs to invade. Excessive grazing also resulted in the demise of many of the perennial grasses. The Columbia River is the largest river flowing through the Palouse ecoregion.
The Palouse prairie is now intensive agricultural land with patches of shrub-steppe grassland. Once a rich ecosystem year-round, the species that invaded the Palouse following the increase in grazing and the change in fire regime transformed these grasslands to seasonal rangelands.
Biological Distinctiveness
Except for the presence of shrubs, the Palouse grassland resembles the Great Plains shortgrass prairie. The once-dominant species, however–bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and bluegrass–are distinctive.
Conservation Status
Habitat Loss and Degradation
Conversion to agriculture has destroyed more than 99 percent of the Palouse grasslands.
Remaining Blocks of Intact Habitat
Only two relatively large blocks of more or less intact habitat remain:
Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area - eastern Washington - 795 square kilometers (km2)
Coulee Dam National Recreation Area - eastern Washington - 279 km2
Degree of Fragmentation
The Palouse Grasslands are highly fragmented. Remaining patches are tiny, with effectively no connectivity in most areas and little core habitat due to edge effects. The individual fragments and clusters that remain are highly isolated, and the intervening landscape precludes dispersal for most taxa.
Degree of Protection
Two protected areas in this ecoregion exceed 500 km2 (see above).
Types and Severity of Threats
The Palouse does not face serious threats from agriculture because nearly all of the habitat has already been converted. Degradation of the remaining fragments continues to be a problem, and there are still moderate levels of wildlife exploitation.
Suite of Priority Activities to Enhance Biodiversity Conservation
Given that nearly all of this ecoregion has already been destroyed, conservation activities are largely futile. Acquisition and preservation of the remaining fragments should nevertheless be a priority, as should restoration of any abandoned agricultural land.
Conservation Partners
Idaho Conservation Data Center
The Nature Conservancy Of Washington
The Nature Conservancy - Western Region
The Nature Conservancy of Idaho
The Nature Conservancy of Oregon
Oregon Natural Heritage Program
Washington Natural Heritage Program
Relationship to Other Classification Schemes
Bailey includes the Palouse in the Great Plains-Palouse Dry Steppe Province. Omernik’s Columbia Basin ecoregion extends somewhat further to the west, whereas we classify the area west of the Palouse as part of the Snake/Columbia Shrub Steppe.
Additional Information on this Ecoregion
For a shorter summary of this entry, see the WWF WildWorld profile of this ecoregion.
To see the species that live in this ecoregion, including images and threat levels, see the WWF Wildfinder description of this ecoregion.
Disclaimer: This article contains information that was originally published by the World Wildlife Fund. Topic editors and authors for the Encyclopedia of Earth have edited its content and added new information. The use of information from the World Wildlife Fund should not be construed as support for or endorsement by that organization for any new information added by EoE personnel, or for any editing of the original content.
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World Wildlife Fund (Lead Author);Mark McGinley (Topic Editor) "Palouse grasslands". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth April 15, 2007; Last revised Date February 27, 2012; Retrieved May 26, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Palouse_grasslands>
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Hells Canyon, eastern Oregon, USA (Photograph by Daren H Spencer)
Grasslands and savannas once covered large areas of the inter-mountain west, from southwest Canada into western Montana. Today, areas like the great Palouseprairie of eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and northwestern Idaho are virtually gone. The Palouse, formerly a vast expanse of native bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatoin), Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensi), and other grasses, has been plowed and converted to wheat fields or is covered by cheatgrass (Bromus tecturum) and other exotic plant species.
The Palouse lies in the rain shadow of the Cascades and has a generally semiarid climate. This climate is similar to that of the annual grasslands of California, yet the Palouse historically resembled the mixed-grass vegetation of the central grasslands, except for the absence of short grasses. Such species as Agropyron spicatum, Festuca idahoensis, and Elymus condensatus, and the associated species Poa scabrella, Koeleria cristata, Elymus sitanion, Stipa comata, and Agropyron smithii originally dominated the Palouse prairie grassland.
Fire was a major force in shaping the Palouse. For thousands of years, Native Americans set periodic, cool-burning fires that did not damage perennial grasses. Without frequent burning to reduce fuel levels, conditions were ideal for rare but intense fires that destroyed the native perennial species and allowed exotic grasses and annual forbs to invade. Excessive grazing also resulted in the demise of many of the perennial grasses. The Columbia River is the largest river flowing through the Palouse ecoregion.
The Palouse prairie is now intensive agricultural land with patches of shrub-steppe grassland. Once a rich ecosystem year-round, the species that invaded the Palouse following the increase in grazing and the change in fire regime transformed these grasslands to seasonal rangelands.
Biological Distinctiveness
Except for the presence of shrubs, the Palouse grassland resembles the Great Plains shortgrass prairie. The once-dominant species, however–bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and bluegrass–are distinctive.
Conservation Status
Habitat Loss and Degradation
Conversion to agriculture has destroyed more than 99 percent of the Palouse grasslands.
Remaining Blocks of Intact Habitat
Only two relatively large blocks of more or less intact habitat remain:
Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area - eastern Washington - 795 square kilometers (km2)
Coulee Dam National Recreation Area - eastern Washington - 279 km2
Degree of Fragmentation
The Palouse Grasslands are highly fragmented. Remaining patches are tiny, with effectively no connectivity in most areas and little core habitat due to edge effects. The individual fragments and clusters that remain are highly isolated, and the intervening landscape precludes dispersal for most taxa.
Degree of Protection
Two protected areas in this ecoregion exceed 500 km2 (see above).
Types and Severity of Threats
The Palouse does not face serious threats from agriculture because nearly all of the habitat has already been converted. Degradation of the remaining fragments continues to be a problem, and there are still moderate levels of wildlife exploitation.
Suite of Priority Activities to Enhance Biodiversity Conservation
Given that nearly all of this ecoregion has already been destroyed, conservation activities are largely futile. Acquisition and preservation of the remaining fragments should nevertheless be a priority, as should restoration of any abandoned agricultural land.
Conservation Partners
Idaho Conservation Data Center
The Nature Conservancy Of Washington
The Nature Conservancy - Western Region
The Nature Conservancy of Idaho
The Nature Conservancy of Oregon
Oregon Natural Heritage Program
Washington Natural Heritage Program
Relationship to Other Classification Schemes
Bailey includes the Palouse in the Great Plains-Palouse Dry Steppe Province. Omernik’s Columbia Basin ecoregion extends somewhat further to the west, whereas we classify the area west of the Palouse as part of the Snake/Columbia Shrub Steppe.
Additional Information on this Ecoregion
For a shorter summary of this entry, see the WWF WildWorld profile of this ecoregion.
To see the species that live in this ecoregion, including images and threat levels, see the WWF Wildfinder description of this ecoregion.
Disclaimer: This article contains information that was originally published by the World Wildlife Fund. Topic editors and authors for the Encyclopedia of Earth have edited its content and added new information. The use of information from the World Wildlife Fund should not be construed as support for or endorsement by that organization for any new information added by EoE personnel, or for any editing of the original content.
Are you absolutely sure you want to delete this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Hells Canyon, eastern Oregon, USA (Photograph by Daren H Spencer)
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