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Western Gulf coastal grasslands (WWF ecoregion NA0701)  

Bayou Sauvage Ntl. Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana

Western Gulf coastal grasslands
Source of bioregions data: Olson, D. M. and E. Dinerstein. The Global 200: Priority ecoregions for global conservation. (PDF file) Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 89:125-126.

Distinctiveness (1=highest,4=lowest): 2 (regionally outstanding)
The region provides critical habitat for resident and migrant birds.*

Conservation Status (1=most endangered, 5=most intact): 1 (critical)
Less than 1% of the original tallgrass prairie remains with destruction due to crop production, establishment of non-native plants, urbanization, and fire suppression.*

Characteristic species*
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)
Paspalum plicatulum (brownseed paspalum)
Andropogon scoparuium var. littoralis (seacoast bluestem)
Tripsacum dactyloides (eastern gamma grass)
Muhlenbergia capiallris var. filipes (gulf muhly)

Associated habitats

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans, Louisiana

Coastal marsh, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans, Louisiana alligator, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans, Louisiana live oak, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans, Louisiana palmetto, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans, Louisiana cypress trees destroyed by hurricane, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans, Louisiana
This is an area impounded by the levee system of New Orleans.  (left) coastal marsh. (2nd from left) juvenile alligator. (center) live oaks (2nd from right) palmetto (right) cypress trees destroyed by Hurricane Katrina   hires hires hires hires hires

Grassland, west of Lafayette, Louisiana

grassland west of Lafayette, Louisiana
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Agricultural area, west of Beaumont, Texas

agricultural area west of Beaumont, Texas
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* Ricketts, T.H., E. Dinerstein, D.M. Olson, C.J. Loucks, et al.  (1999) Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: A Conservation Assessment.  World Wildlife Fund - United States and Canada.  Island Press, Washington, D.C. pp. 277-280.

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