How Did The Dust Bowl Affect Society

The Dust Bowl was known as severe drought throughout the southern plains of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Dust Bowl got its name after a terrible dust storm called “Black Sunday” which happened on April 14, 1935. The 1930’s got the nickname “The Dirty Thirties” from the Dust Bowl. It had major impacts on society and the environment during the 1930’s. The Dust Bowl occurred in the Grassland biome which is located in the central United States. The climate can range anywhere from zero to eighty five degrees Fahrenheit. Although during the time of the Dust Bowl the temperature was very warm. The rainfall in the Grasslands is usually ten to thirty five inches per year. During the Dust Bowl there was nearly no rain for almost a

The Homestead Act allowed the government to grant families 160 acres of unoccupied public land for only $1.25 per acre. The farmers plowed the prairie grasses and planted dry wheat land. When the nation went into the Great Depression the price of wheat fell significantly and farmers were plowing more land to make a profit off the wheat. Dry land farming led to the destruction of prairie grasses and destroyed large areas of grassland. Another leading cause is Overgrazing without a recovery period for the crops. Poor land management prior to the years of the Dust Bowl left top soil prone to the forces of wind. This all lead to the start of the Dust Bowl where tons of top soil was blown off of the fields. In this area topsoil was one of the most valuable resources. The Storms lasted for about nine years and effected 19 states during the

Animals were migrating to different parts of the country which is a huge problem because it causes invasive species. Invasive species become in competition with the native animals and sometimes causes native species to die off or migrate somewhere else. Animals were found dead in the fields with dust covering their entire body. Most of the deaths in wild animals were caused from lack of food and drinking water. The disease rate in animals also increases drastically. Because of lack of water in ponds and lakes there was destruction of the fish and the entire wildlife