The Zumwalt Prairie grassland is situated on a basaltplateau which varies in elevation from and is dominated by several native bunchgrasses, including IdahoFescue, Bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg's Bluegrass and many species of wildflowers. The Zumwalt Prairie is a piece of a once extensive temperate grassland system west of the Rocky Mountains which extended into Canada. The Zumwalt Prairie grassland system remains largely intact, unlike most other prairies in North America. This fact can be attributed to its high elevation, harsh climate, and poor soils which made agriculture difficult. Because most of the Zumwalt Prairie escaped the plow, much of the important habitat remains for the plants and animals.
Wildlife
Zumwalt Prairie is home to a diverse array of raptor species and includes the grassland-dependent ferruginous hawk, swainson's hawk, rough-legged hawk, and the red-tailed hawk. Golden eagles are a common sight soaring high above the prairie. The Zumwalt also supports important breeding populations of grassland songbirds, including Savannah sparrow, western meadowlark, vesper sparrow, horned lark and grasshopper sparrow. Grassland birds are highly threatened and many need large areas to maintain viable populations. The Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse, which had been extirpated from the Zumwalt Prairie by 1947 is being reintroduced in an effort spearheaded by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Other wildlife includes Belding's ground squirrels, northern pocket gophers, Rocky mountain elk, mule deer, white tail deer have recently begun migrating to the area as well, black bear, cougar, bobcat, badgers and coyotes . After an approximately 50-year absence, gray wolves have begun to colonize northeastern Oregon and have been seen on the Zumwalt Prairie. In addition to large vertebrate species, Zumwalt Prairie also is home to a diverse invertebrate community, including over 100 species of bees, which help to maintain the health of the grassland through their role as pollinators.
Climate
The climate of the Zumwalt Prairie is continental and semi-arid. On average the Zumwalt Prairie receives of precipitation yearly with the majority of the precipitation during winter months. The summer months of July and August are dry with a mean monthly rainfall of and a mean daily maximum temperature of. Winters are cold with a mean daily minimum temperature of.
History
The Chief Joseph band of the Nez Perce were the original human inhabitants of the Zumwalt Prairie. These indigenous people used the area for hunting and gathering in the spring and fall. Euro-American settlement of the area began in the 1850s. The Nez Perce were forced out of the area in the late 1870s after President Ulysses S. Grant officially opened Wallowa County to white settlement. As of 2008, the prairie consists mostly of privately owned ranches and is used for summer grazing of cattle. In April 2013, the National Park Service designated a portion of the prairie as a National Natural Landmark.
Conservation
, a non-profit environmental conservation organization, owns and operates a nature preserve on the Zumwalt Prairie, and has undertaken several initiatives to understand and protect the biodiversity of the Zumwalt Prairie's ecosystems. These include biological inventories, ecological monitoring, and scientific research. Approximately of The Nature Conservancy's portion of the prairie is a National Natural Landmark.
