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Document Type

Research

Keywords

Loess Hills, Iowa's natural diversity, loess prairie, rare Iowa species

Abstract

The Loess Hills of western Iowa, due to their extent and depth, are of national importance for geological reasons. They also harbor a large portion of Iowa's remaining biological diversity, the significance of which has been underscored by studies sponsored by the State Preserves Advisory Board during the past several years. A complex of rare species of plants and animals exist in the rugged terrain; many are Great Plains species which find their only Iowa stations in these Loess Hills. Management problems, such as rapid invasion of prairies by woody species, are manifest in this landform and must be addressed in the near future. Land protection measures are being addressed by the Department of National Resources, State Preserves Advisory Board, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the Iowa Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and County Conservation Boards. The National Park Service has recently designated over 10,000 acres as a National Natural Landmark.

Publication Date

September 1986

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

93

Issue

3

First Page

163

Last Page

165

Copyright

©1986 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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