High Plains
High Plains
The Wyoming landscape is diverse and dramatic. The west is dominated by the Rocky Mountains and their front range. Prairie grasslands make up the eastern half of the state and are referred to as the High Plains.
Prairie comes from the French word "prataria," meaning meadow. It was coined by French explorers and trappers during the late 18th century to describe an endless “sea of grass.”
The High Plains prairie exists because the mountains to the west cast a rain shadow. Scant rainfall favors the establishment of grasslands over forests. Drought tolerant grasses thrive there. They also recover quickly after a fire, unlike shrubs and trees.
The estimated 30-60 million bison that formerly roamed the prairie also fashioned the prairie ecosystem. These giant herbivores created an ecological symphony shaping the landscape for thousands of years.
Bison grazing patterns created a patchwork of vegetation heights and densities. Also, wallowing (rolling in the dirt) creates depressions that collect water supporting unique plant communities. Finally, bison carcasses provide critical nutrients to scavengers and the soil. They profoundly influence biodiversity.
In the 19th century, westward expansion, commercial hunting, and deliberate extermination campaigns reduced the population to fewer than 1,000 bison by 1889. This decimation was partly strategic – by eliminating bison, the U.S. government undermined the independence of Plains Indian tribes who depended on them.
The absence of bison allowed woody vegetation to encroach on grasslands, altered fire regimes, and diminished habitat diversity. In the 19th century, Wyoming settlers arrived in search of new opportunities.
The state’s climate and geography posed challenges for farming, but high prairie gave way to fields of wheat, barley, and oats.
Carpenter is one of the 176 towns and cities in Wyoming. It was formed in 1907 with a population of 15. Located on a now defunct branch of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad, it’s currently home to 215 people.
The Shot
On June 2, a supercell was approaching Carpenter. The wheat field in front of us was the reason for stopping there. It held promise as a foreground.
The inflow of wind into the storm was fierce, nearly blowing us over from behind. In the far distance stood a white building that would soon face the brunt of the storm.
I chose a slow shutter speed to allow the wheat to blur in the wind, conveying a sense of what we were experiencing. The eerie green glow in the sky portended the arrival of hail and copious rain.
As I stood there, I tried to imagine what it looked like 150 years ago. The foreboding sky would have been balanced by an equally impressive massive herd of bison beneath it.
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus