The badlands of Makoshika State Park are located in the larger Great Plains ecosystem that spans an area from central North and South Dakota west to the Rocky Mountains and from the Montana-Canada border to Kansas. The Great Plains ecosystem is characterized as a semi-arid, short grass prairie steppe environment with less than 20 inches of annual precipitation, with most of that precipitation in the form of Spring rainfall.    
    The plant communities of the Great Plains ecosystem are centered around a short grass, predominately bunchgrass prairie interspersed with sagebrush.  Ponderosa Pine and Rocky Mountain Juniper form loose stands on north facing slopes and draws, with cactus and yucca plants in the drier, sandy areas.  Mixed stands of Ash, Cottonwood, Russian Olive, Willow and Dogwood are found in moister draws and along waterways.
    The plant life seen in Makoshika is consistent with the Great Plains ecosystem.  Although the steeper, highly eroded hillsides have little or no vegetation, the benches left behind by the erosion of the land support grasses and sagebrush.  Twenty-six species of grasses and more than 140 species of wildflowers are seen in the park, including the Sego Lily and the Pasqueflower.
    The animal life found in Makoshika is typical of what is found throughout eastern Montana.  Both Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer are found in eastern Montana; Mule Deer are found in dry land croplands and on benches and steeper terrain, while White-tailed Deer are found in the irrigated cropland along waterways and in brushy draws.  As there are no permanent water bodies in the park, Mule Deer are the only deer species seen in the park.  Small populations of Rocky Mountain Elk are found in the rough breaks of the Missouri River in northeastern Montana, and a small population of elk exists in the Custer National Forest in southeastern Montana. 
    Mice and rabbits provide the majority of the food base for the Coyotes, Foxes and Bobcats common to the area.  Mountain Lions are not common to eastern Montana, but are found in rough, undeveloped areas where good populations of deer are available for food.  Porcupines and Skunks are common along brushy draws and waterways.
    One-half of all songbirds seen in Montana can be seen in Makoshika and eastern Montana.  Bald Eagles are common along waterways, and Turkey Vultures are common on the drier benches.  Turkey Vultures are an important indicator species for the Great Plains ecosystem.  An indicator species is a species that is observed to determine the overall health of the ecosystem; when the indicator species is struggling, it indicates that the whole ecosystem is in danger.
   Turkey Vultures feed on carrion – the remains of dead animals.  With a wingspan of six feet,  they are tremendous soaring birds, able to stay aloft for hours at a time riding rising warm air columns called thermals.  Scientific evidence suggests that Turkey Vultures use their sense of smell in addition to their good eyesight to locate food.  Each spring, Turkey Vultures return to Makoshika and the entire Great Plains ecosystem to nest, raise young and soar over the land in search of food.
    Game bird species are abundant in the grassland ecosystem.  Sage Grouse and Sharp-tailed Grouse are found in dry land croplands, and Ring-necked Pheasant, Hungarian Partridge and Merriam’s Turkeys are found in brushy draws and in irrigated croplands along waterways.  Geese and Ducks follow the waterways during their migration through Montana.
    Reptiles are well represented in eastern Montana.  The Prairie Rattlesnake is common, and is the only poisonous snake found in the area.  The Bull, or Gopher Snake, is also common to the area, as well as several smaller species of snakes like Garter Snakes and the Racer.  Lizards are found in eastern Montana, including the Short-Horned and Sagebrush Lizards.
    The waterways of eastern Montana support warm-water fish species.  Few trout can survive in the average water temperatures of the rivers, lakes and reservoirs of the area.  The fish species found in eastern Montana include members of the Perch family (Perch, Walleye and Sauger) and the Sunfish family (Sunfish and Bass), plus Northern Pike, Catfish and rough fish.
    One uncommon and large growing fish found in the rivers of eastern Montana is the Paddlefish.  The paddlefish has existed since the time of the dinosaurs, and today is found only in the large rivers of North America and in the rivers of China.  An extremely slow growing fish, the paddlefish spends most of its time in the large water impoundments along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, and migrates upstream in Spring to spawn.
    Paddlefish are filter feeders; by opening their large jaws, they strain plankton and microorganisms out of the water with gill rakers -- small projections on their gills.  Because they are filter feeders, they cannot be caught with bait or lures.  Fishermen try to snag paddlefish with large treble hooks as they swim upstream to their spawning grounds.
    Paddlefishing is a popular Spring activity in eastern Montana.  In addition to being a good-tasting fish, the eggs of the paddlefish are processed into caviar, which is world-renowned for its quality.  Because the paddlefish is so slow growing and little is known about the species, biologists closely monitor the paddlefish to ensure its survival.  Through their studies of the paddlefish, it has been discovered that paddlefish are very resistant to cancer.  Scientists hope to find out why the paddlefish is so resistant to cancer in hopes that a cure for cancer in humans can be found.