From continental biome to local glacial-till landscape
Bottom line. West Lafayette is in the Eastern Temperate Forests biome and the Central USA Plains. Its U.S. EPA Level III ecoregion is 55, Eastern Corn Belt Plains; its local Level IV unit is 55b, Loamy High-Lime Till Plains. |
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The EPA hierarchy
Plain term | EPA level | N. American code | U.S. code | West Lafayette region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Primary | I | 8.0 | 8 | Eastern Temperate Forests |
Secondary | II | 8.2 | 8.2 | Central USA Plains |
Tertiary | III | 8.2.3 | 55 | Eastern Corn Belt Plains |
Local | IV | — | 55b | Loamy High-Lime Till Plains |
Why two Level III numbers? The continental North American map uses the nested code 8.2.3. The standard U.S. Level III map labels the same ecoregion 55. Both are correct.
What the local designation means
- Landform: Nearly level to gently rolling terrain formed from Wisconsin-age glacial till.
- Soils: Generally fertile, loamy, lime-rich soils; drainage varies from well drained to seasonally wet.
- Historic vegetation: Beech–maple and oak hardwood forest, with wetlands and localized prairie openings.
- Water: The Wabash River, tributary streams, floodplains, riparian forest, and wetlands are major ecological features.
- Present landscape: Urban development and intensive corn-and-soybean agriculture dominate; natural habitat remains fragmented.
Map 1 — Level I: 8.0 Eastern Temperate Forests
Map 2 — Level II: 8.2 Central USA Plains
Map 3 — Level III: 8.2.3 / U.S. 55 Eastern Corn Belt Plains
Map 4 — Level IV: 55b Loamy High-Lime Till Plains
Sources and further reading
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Ecoregions of North America and Level III and IV Ecoregions by State