Final answer:
Grasshoppers caused several problems in the prairies during the Dust Bowl, including land loss, reduction of soil aeration, and destruction of native prairie ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Grasshoppers caused several problems in the prairies during the Dust Bowl. One major problem was land loss, as the over-farming and dry farming techniques depleted the topsoil and stripped the Great Plains of its normal foliage. This resulted in an ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl. Additionally, grasshoppers themselves were a problem as they were crop-eating insects that could cover the ground in large swarms, devouring everything green.
Another problem caused by grasshoppers was the reduction of aeration in the soil due to the burrowing of prairie dogs, which created conditions unsuitable for excessive plant growth above ground.
A third problem caused by grasshoppers was the destruction of native prairie ecosystems. Grasshoppers, along with overgrazing cattle and clearing land for agriculture, almost completely eliminated native prairie ecosystems. These ecosystems had thick fertile soils, deep-rooted grasses, a diversity of colorful flowers, and a variety of animal species like bison.