Because of its topography, most of the mixed prairie has been converted to agricultural production. Soils are deep silty loams derived from loess deposits. Typical shrubs include lead plant, western snowberry, white coralberry, smooth sumac, and soapweed yucca. The shortgrass prairie community begins in the western region of the Platte River system in Nebraska where average precipitation varies from 13-17 inches per year. Topography consists of a nearly level to gently sloping plain, dissected in numerous areas by the intermittent streams.
Soils are well drained and are mainly loams or silt loams.
Because of the flat topography and productive soil, much of the shortgrass prairie has been converted to agricultural production. About 73 percent of Deuel County, Nebraska, which lies entirely within this community, has been developed for cropland. Common grasses of this community include prairie sandreed, western wheatgrass, blue grama, threadleaf sedge, buffalo grass, little bluestem, sand dropseed, green needlegrass, and Indian ricegrass. Forbs include scurfpea, silverleaf scurfpea, dotted gayfeather, Platte lupine, and broom snakeweed. The shrub layer is generally characterized by rabbitbrush, silver sage, and soapweed yucca.