Scotts Bluff National Monument - Trees

Scotts Bluff National Monument by National Parks Service

On the bluff summits, slopes, and sheltered ravines can be found native ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum var. Sarg.) and the non-native eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). From 1949 to 1952 hundreds of ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper and eastern red cedar, were planted on the summit and in the ravines to reduce soil erosion. The introduced cedar became self-propagating and interbred with the junipers. Because of the plantings that were done and the resulting interbreeding of the cedars and the junipers the Monument land does not appear as it did when the pioneers traveled through this area. Today there are many more trees on the summit and in ravines than would have naturally occurred.

The trees have also increased their numbers from the time of the mid-nineteenth century due to the reduction in fire frequency and intensity. The North Platte River floodplain contains mature eastern cottonwood, box elder, Siberian elm, and Russian olive. Poison ivy and other shrubs are common in this area. Historically spring floods and prairie fires would have kept woody species from invading the floodplain. Dams upstream have reduced the number of springs floods, and prairie fires are very infrequent. In addition a riverine plant community of willows and other woody species has established itself along the Gering Irrigation District's canal.

Before the construction of the canal in the 1890s this area would have been a mixed grass prairie and badlands. Several species of shrubs are common in the mixed grass prairie. Skunkbrush sumac, snowberry, wild prairie rose, winterfat(sometimes called white sage), fringed sagebrush, and rabbitbrush are the most common.