In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
Historical extent of prairie grasslands [Image: Aaron Jones, adapted from Ecoregions of the United States (map), Robert G. Bailey]
PrairieMap is a geospatial data clearinghouse. Users can download spatial data layers relevant to prairie research, management, and conservation of prairie grassland ecosystems in western North America.
Nebraska
Nebraska is a Great Plains state. Fertile soils once supported vast grasslands; today, nearly 46 million acres are farmland (National Agricultural Statistics Service). The native plant species found in the state's remaining prairies are at great risk from invasive species. Find geospatial data layers related to prairie habitats at PrairieMap.
Nebraska Sand Hills
[Photo: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission]
The Nebraska Sand Hills cover 23,600 square miles of Nebraska and are the largest sand dune formation in America. Hundreds of feet of course sand and gravel lie below the surface sand; these contain one of the largest aquifers in North America. The dunes and sandy soils support a unique plant life, which in turn supports hundreds of bird species. Most notably, the sand hills are an important stopover site for migrating sandhill cranes.
