Final answer:
Overproduction, overuse of land, and a massive drought combined to turn the once-fertile Great Plains into the Dust Bowl. Dust storms caused by the drought removed the topsoil from farmland, resulting in an ecological catastrophe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chain of events that turned the once-fertile Great Plains into the Dust Bowl can be attributed to a combination of factors. First, there was widespread overproduction and overuse of the land by farmers. This led to the depletion of topsoil and the destruction of the natural vegetation.
Additionally, a massive drought that began in 1931 and lasted for eight years exacerbated the problem. The lack of water and the harsh weather conditions created dust storms that removed the topsoil from millions of acres of farmland, turning it into dust. The Dust Bowl was a devastating ecological catastrophe that affected the Southern Great Plains and had severe consequences for agriculture and the people living in the region.