Trees? (Fargo, Rugby, Bottineau: homes, live, farmers)

[PhilJohnson]

Just curious, are their any forested areas of North Dakota? I have been through the center of the state, and besides along the rivers there wasn't much in the way of trees. Is it because their isn't enough rain, or does the wind keep them out?

Thanks

[Old Surrender]

It seems moderately wooded by Fargo where I live.

[MJ1986]

You'd probably see more trees in Western North Dakota.

[DaninEGF]

western ND has much fewer trees than the east....mainly due to drier weather.

But the eastern half is prairie...short grass prairie along the Missouri River and just east then more tall grass prairie Red River valley area. Most of the trees outside of rivers/streams were planted by farmers as wind breaks.

That said I do know there are many natural trees in the Pembina Gorge area near Walhalla ND in northeast ND and there is forests in the Turtle Mountains north and east of Bottineau. And there is the experimental forest near Dunbeigh ND along Highway 2 west of Rugby toward Towner. But that is one spot in the middle of farmland.

[PhilJohnson]

Originally Posted by DaninEGF

western ND has much fewer trees than the east....mainly due to drier weather.

But the eastern half is prairie...short grass prairie along the Missouri River and just east then more tall grass prairie Red River valley area. Most of the trees outside of rivers/streams were planted by farmers as wind breaks.

That said I do know there are many natural trees in the Pembina Gorge area near Walhalla ND in northeast ND and there is forests in the Turtle Mountains north and east of Bottineau. And there is the experimental forest near Dunbeigh ND along Highway 2 west of Rugby toward Towner. But that is one spot in the middle of farmland.

Well I noticed a few windbreaks out in the prairie section of ND. It just seems odd to me that trees only grow if they are planted in that area. It seems like if there is enough rain in the western part of North Dakota the woods of Minnesota would slowly creep in and take over.

[LRUA]

Turtle Mountains near the canadian border (Turtle Mtn International Peace Park) is forrested ....also some of the higher sections of Theodore RossevelT National Park in western ND

[TravisW]

Historically, it's largely because of competition with prairie grass.

[PhilJohnson]

Originally Posted by TravisW

Historically, it's largely because of competition with prairie grass.

Okay. So the grass is too thick then for the trees to take root then?

[TravisW]

That's the explanation I always heard. Before the sod was broken, prairie grass was incredibly thick and tall. The thick sod, thick grass, and high winds tended to make it less than ideal for wild trees to grow. Even when areas of grass has been burned off, the grass still grew back much faster than any tree seed that could have taken root. In areas that were more protected and more consistently wet (riverbottoms, lakes, etc...) the trees tended to grow as elsewhere.

[fourwinds]

Trees can take root in heavy prairie grass. A major issue was that prairie fire was an ally to grass, while it destroyed trees and seedlings. Since the prairie has such an extreme of drought and wet cycles, grass is the most adaptable. Tall-grass prairie will arise where the rainfall is slightly less than normal evaporation from the land, so fires were relatively commonplace before settlement occurred. North and east of a line from Louisville to Chicago to Minneapolis to Lake of the Woods to Central Alberta, precipitation exceeds evaporation, so fires are rare natural occurrences and trees prosper. South and west, grass is predominate. When tall-grass prairie areas were being settled, fires were such a common occurrence that the pioneers normally protected themselves with firebreaks (plowed land) around their homesteads..