Hay on the Hillside
by Sylvia Thornton
Title
Hay on the Hillside
Artist
Sylvia Thornton
Medium
Photograph - Photograph Digital
Description
This is a beautiful hillside hay meadow near Arnold, NE (in the sandhills area of Nebraska).
As the largest and most intricate wetland ecosystem in the United States, the Sandhills contain a large array of plant and animal life.[2] Minimal crop production has led to limited land fragmentation; the resulting extensive and continuous habitat for plant and animal species has largely preserved the biodiversity of the area.
The Sandhills are home to 314 vertebrate species including mule deer, white-tail deer, coyotes, red fox, meadowlarks, wild turkeys, badgers, skunks, native bat species and many fish species.
The Sandhills' thousands of ponds and lakes replenish the Ogallala Aquifer, which feeds creeks and rivers such as the Niobrara and Loup rivers. These bodies of water are homes for many species of fish. 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 and support several species of phyllopod shrimp.
Today, the Sandhills are a productive cattle ranching area, supporting over 530,000 beef cattle. The population of the region continues to decline as older generations die out and as younger generations move to the cities. However, a number of small towns remain in the region.
The Sandhills is classified as a semi-arid region, with average annual rainfall varying from 23 inches (580 mm) in the east to less than 17 inches (430 mm) of rain in the west. Temperatures range from lows of −30 °F (−34 °C) to highs of 100 °F (38 °C).
Uploaded
August 5th, 2013
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