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canarygrass in wet areas adjacent to the river. On drier sites, <br />bluestems (Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon spp.), Indiangrass <br />' (Sorghastrum nutans) and needlegrasses (Stipa spp.) dominated <br />(Risser et al. 1981). <br />The dominant marsh species was cattail (Typha latifolia). <br />Other important species included bulrush (Scirpus spp.), spike <br />rush (Eleocharis spp.), smartweed CPolygonum spp.) and sedges <br />(Carex spp.). In marshes typified by high water levels, cattails <br />were often associated with aquatic macrophytes such as arrowhead <br />(Sagittaria latifolia), water lily (Nymphaea spp.), and <br />Potamageton species (Weaver 19b0). <br />Major Changes in Floodplain Vegetation. <br />The expansion of the west in the 180Q's marked the beginning <br />of major changes to the Missouri River and its floodplain. <br />Cultivation of the fertile floodplain soils began in earnest. <br />Thousands of hectares of floodplain forest were destroyed to make <br />room for crops. Prairies were mowed, grazed, and plowed. The <br />construction of dams in the upper basin and dikes and levees in <br />the lower basin eventually provided some control of the flow and <br />furthered the conversion of native vegetation to domestic crops <br />and human development. <br />- 10 - <br />