▁The ▁mass ▁buff alo ▁sla ugh ter ▁also ▁seriously ▁har med ▁the ▁e colog ical ▁health ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Pla ins ▁region , ▁in ▁which ▁many ▁Ind igen ous ▁People ▁lived . ▁Un like ▁cattle , ▁b ison ▁were ▁naturally ▁fit ▁to ▁th rive ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁Pla ins ▁environment ; ▁bis ons ' ▁giant ▁heads ▁are ▁naturally ▁fit ▁to ▁drive ▁through ▁snow ▁and ▁make ▁them ▁far ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁surv ive ▁har sh ▁winter s . ▁Additionally , ▁b ison ▁gra zing ▁helps ▁to ▁cultiv ate ▁the ▁pra irie , ▁making ▁it ▁ri pe ▁for ▁hosting ▁a ▁diverse ▁range ▁of ▁plants . ▁C attle , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁eat ▁through ▁veget ation ▁and ▁limit ▁the ▁e cos ystem ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁support ▁a ▁diverse ▁range ▁of ▁species . ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁resident ial ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁pra irie ▁is ▁estimated ▁to ▁have ▁reduced ▁the ▁pra irie ▁to ▁ 0 . 1 % ▁of ▁its ▁former ▁area . ▁The ▁pla ins ▁region ▁has ▁lost ▁nearly ▁one - third ▁of ▁its ▁prime ▁to ps o il ▁since ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁the ▁buff alo ▁sla ugh ter . ▁C attle ▁are ▁also ▁causing ▁water ▁to ▁be ▁pill aged ▁at ▁rates ▁that ▁are ▁de ple ting ▁many ▁aqu if ers ▁of ▁their ▁resources . ▁Research ▁also ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁native ▁grass es ▁leads ▁to ▁to ps o il ▁er os ion — a ▁main ▁contrib utor ▁of ▁the ▁dust ▁bow l ▁and ▁black ▁bl izz ards ▁of ▁the ▁ 1