# Were the Great Plains EVER Forested? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-great-plains-ever-forested/57660 "2001-03-12T15:57:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![egkelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@egkelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/egkelly)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-great-plains-ever-forested/57660/1 "2001-03-12T15:57:24Z")
Were the Great Plains ever forested? I ask this because trees planted near the farmhouses seem to grow OK. Also, I understand that the plains Indians were given to setting fires-this burned off the existing vegetation, and encouraged grasses to grow-thus providing forage for the buffalo herds. So the Great plains 9before the arrival of the white man) were certainly NOT a virgin landscape. In fact, the huge numbers of buffalo (estimated as high as 6-7 million) would have made tree growth and propagation impossible-the buffalos would have trodden down any woody growths. So were the plains once forested? What would be the ecological impact of planting trees on the great plains? I see that Kansas is restoring some of the “tall grass” prairie-why not try reforestation? If anything this would: -break the winter wind -encourage drought-resistant species to take hold It would certainly be nicer to look at trees, instead of nothing but flat land and grass! ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-great-plains-ever-forested/57660/2 "2001-03-12T16:07:58Z")
Yes indeed, but it’s been awhile. [See.](http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/govdocs/text/greatplains/text.html)