The following summarizes the report's main findings. Prior to European arrival on the prairies, Aboriginal peoples led a lifestyle of low environmental impact. With the arrival of Europeans, free-roaming bison herds were exterminated, taking with them a host of dependent animals such as the plains wolf and grizzly bear, plus the traditional life of Aboriginal peoples on the prairies. Agriculture spread to all regions where soils were suitable for cropping or grazing. The Prairie Ecozone is the largest contributor to the provincial economy, generating over 70 per cent of gross provincial product.
Agriculture remains the dominant land use and the main environmental stress on the ecozone .
The economic structure of the ecozone continues to undergo shifts as technological and economic change in agriculture and improvements in transportation have led to a decline in the need for numerous, dispersed rural centers to support the needs of the agricultural sector. Urban growth and rural depopulation has become a dominant trend. Approximately 80 per cent of the Saskatchewan population is living in the ecozone , and despite the continuing predominance of agriculture on the landscape the majority are found in urban communities. Ten of Saskatchewan's 12 cities are located in the Prairie Ecozone . The Prairie Ecozone is one of the most human-altered regions in Canada .