Kansas's Diverse Lands, Waters, and Wildlife
From the woodlands and tall grass prairies of its eastern region to the shortgrass prairies of its western High Plains, Kansas is home to a diverse array of landscapes and habitats. Since more than 97 percent of Kansas’s 82,000 square miles is in the hands of private landowners, effective public/private partnerships are crucial to conserving the state’s rich wildlife legacy.
Kansas's Planning Approach
Species lists were compiled, and evaluated under six criteria for qualification as "Species of Greatest Conservation Need." The resulting 315 species were then verified and ranked through use of a questionnaire sent in-house and to experts throughout the state. Species were also associated with habitats within three conservation regions through the same process.
Issues and strategies were then compiled for the top-ranked habitats within conservation regions, starting with those listed in the Kansas Wildlife Diversity Plan. Several broad themes emerged through the planning process:
- Existing data gaps impede effective conservation planning and implementation.
- Land management practices have changed the structure of habitats over large areas.
- Fragmentation and conversion of habitat is occurring.
- Invasive exotic plants and animals are a problem.
- Natural resource management may affect habitat conditions.
- Inadequate coordination between government agencies who may have conflicting goals for resource management.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
