Ecologically, why was wheat a poor substitute for native buffalo grass on the Great Plains?
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Correct answer: Wheat roots are shallow and do not hold the soil during dry periods
Native grasses had root systems several feet deep that allowed them to survive droughts and anchor the soil. Wheat, an annual crop, has shallow roots and leaves the ground bare and unprotected after harvest.
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More The Dust Bowl questions
- What role did the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) play in combating the Dust Bowl?
- What was the primary reason for the 'Great Plow-Up' of the 1910s and 1920s?
- How did the Dust Bowl affect the biodiversity of the Great Plains?
- The displacement of topsoil during the Dust Bowl led to which long-term economic consequence for farmers?
- Which of the following was a 'new' farming method promoted to save the soil after 1935?
- The Dust Bowl is often cited as the greatest 'man-made' environmental disaster in U.S. history because: