Final answer:
Farmers moving onto the Open Range faced conflicts with large ranchers, significant ecological challenges like the Dust Bowl, and disruptions to traditional land use patterns, culminating in economic hardship and the loss of independent ranching and farming lifestyles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The movement of farmers onto the Open Range in the Great Plains during the 19th and 20th centuries caused a variety of issues. Big ranchers hired gunmen to intimidate smaller ranchers and stop cattle drives, leading to violence and the intervention of federal troops to restore order and support the large property owners. This marked the end of the tradition of ranching on the open prairie and the rise of the modern cattle industry.
The introduction of barbed wire fencing profoundly changed land use patterns, wreaking havoc on itinerant ranchers and Native American populations who had previously lived and migrated across these lands freely. Conflicts such as the fence wars in Texas erupted over these new barriers, which limited access to essential resources like water.
The ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl, exacerbated by overgrazing and poor land management practices, further devastated farmers, resulting in significant migration out of the Great Plains and leading to economic hardship and displacement of families.