South Dakota Transect: 44° North is an accordion book that transects the state of South Dakota in half from West to East along the 44th parallel and looks at the plant material along that parallel through its association and dependence on climate, temperature, precipitation, soil substrate, top soil, organic matter, water holding capacity and other cultural requirements. The state of South Dakota, located in the Northern Great Plains, is divided in half by the Missouri River.  At first glance, the state appears to have a fairly homogenous distribution of plant material, but through this transect, the diversity of plant material across the state is revealed and clearly articulates the differences in plant populations and the reasons those specific species populate the regions across this particular stretch of the Northern Great Plains.