155:, dug tunnels that "aerated the soil and channeled water several feet below the surface". For 5,000 to 8,000 years, more than 240 million acres (970,000 km) of prairie grasslands were a major feature of the landscape. Between 1800 and 1930, the vast majority was destroyed. Settlers transformed what they named "the Great American Desert" or "The Inland Sea" into farmland. Major reasons for the prairie's demise were the confined grazing pattern of European cattle versus bison, the near-extermination of prairie dogs, and the plowing and cultivation of the land, which breached tallgrass root systems and interrupted reproduction. Furthermore, extensive
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31:
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645:(1982). Nonprofit organizations throughout the former tallgrass prairie region began to reserve or restore small remnants of native prairie. For example, the Native Prairies Association of Texas was founded in 1986 to locate, restore, and protect prairies in Texas; the group currently protects about 2,780 acres (11.3 km) of Texas prairies.
545:
map). While most of
Manitoba's tallgrass prairie has been destroyed through cultivation and urban expansion, relatively small areas persist. One of the largest blocks of remaining tallgrass prairie in Manitoba is protected by several conservation partners in a conservation area called the Tallgrass
62:) provided periodic disturbances to these ecosystems, limiting the encroachment of trees, recycling soil nutrients, and facilitating seed dispersal and germination. Prior to widespread use of the steel plow, which enabled large scale conversion to agricultural land use, tallgrass
162:
Estimates differ of how much original tallgrass prairie survives, ranging from less than 1% mostly in "scattered remnants found in pioneer cemeteries, restoration projects, along highways and railroad rights-of-way, and on steep bluffs high above rivers" to 4%.
637:. These major tallgrass restoration projects marked restoration’s growth from isolated studies to widespread practice. Tallgrass prairie restoration efforts picked up wider public recognition in the 1980s, spurred by the publication of a book of appreciation,
915:
171:
Tallgrass prairie is capable of supporting significant biodiversity. Parts of the ecoregion are among the "top ten ecoregions for reptiles, birds, butterflies, and tree species. Tallgrass species are found in the understory layer." Oak
215:
without fire tolerance are eliminated by periodic fires. Such fires may either be set by humans (for example, Native
Americans used fires to drive bison and improve hunting, travel, and visibility) or started naturally by lightning.
660:
was established in 2004. The core of the refuge is a preserved 5,000-acre (20 km) tallgrass prairie remnant, and an additional 30,000 acres (121 km) are either in the process of restoration or will be soon. According to
290:), which average between 4.9 and 6.6 ft (1.5 and 2 m) tall, with occasional stalks as high as 8.2 to 9.8 ft (2.5 to 3 m). Prairies also include a large percentage of
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74:, from the transitional ecotones out of eastern North American forests, west to a climatic threshold based on precipitation and soils, to the southern reaches of the
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605:. The UW Arboretum was the center of tallgrass prairie research through the first half of the 20th century, with the development of the nearby Greene Prairie,
978:
578:
613:. The latter half of the 20th century saw the growth of tallgrass prairie restoration beyond Wisconsin borders, with projects in Illinois such as at
1321:
90:
555:
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127:, where rainfall is less frequent, and soils are less fertile. Due to expansive agricultural land use, very little tallgrass prairie remains.
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558:, forms a part of the Tallgrass Aspen Parkland. This preserve contains about 4,000 ha (9,900 acres) of tallgrass prairie,
368:
in 1833, this fertile soil became one of
America's most important resources. Over 95% of the original tallgrass prairie is now
665:, so far, 100 wetlands have been restored, and 8,000 acres (32 km) of land has been seeded with native plant species.
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Technically, prairies have less than 5–11% tree cover. A grass-dominated plant community with 10–49% tree cover is a
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has changed the soil's water content and hydrodynamics, and ongoing soil erosion results in its increasing loss.
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585:. Aside from the Provincial Nature Reserve, all are operated by the City of Windsor's Parks and Recreation.
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A small pocket of less than 1,200 acres (5 km) of tallgrass prairie remains in the southwest corner of
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The original extent of tallgrass prairie in Canada was the 2,300-square-mile (6,000 km) plain in the
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451:. In Oklahoma, the tallgrass prairie has been maintained by ranchers, who saw the hat-high grass as prime
365:
391:
656:, was, as of 2006, the largest tallgrass prairie restoration area in the United States. In Minnesota,
860:
677:
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grazing on the 158 km (39,000-acre) Tallgrass
Prairie Nature Preserve in Osage County, Oklahoma
147:. Animals such as bison, elk, deer, and rabbits added nitrogen to the soil through urine and feces.
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431:
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Pioneers of ecological restoration: the people and legacy of the
University of Wisconsin Arboretum
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soils and moderate rainfall around 30-35 inches (700–900 mm) per year. To the east were the
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White-tailed deer fecal matter has nutrients for plant biodiversity in
Tallgrass prairie area.
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573:, and Spring Garden Area of Natural Scientific Interest, along with the interconnected parks:
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916:"White-tailed Deer Fecal Matter Distribution and Nutrient Contribution in Tallgrass Prairie"
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The tallgrass prairie survives in areas unsuited to plowing: the rocky hill country of the
722:
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in Kansas, attempt to maintain this ecosystem in its natural form. They have reintroduced
81:
They were characteristically found in parts of the upper
Mississippi River Valley, in the
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891:
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826:"Splendor of the Grass: The Prairie's Grip is Unbroken in the Flint Hills of Kansas"
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on the tallgrass prairie. Also, several small tallgrass prairie reservations are in
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955:"Did John Deere's Best Invention Spark a Revolution or an Environmental Disaster?"
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As its name suggests, the most obvious features of the tallgrass prairie are tall
17:
873:
526:. Tallgrass prairie remnants can also be found among nature preserves within the
931:
638:
511:
483:
414:
75:
668:
Several books have been published on tallgrass prairie restoration, including:
1227:
Grassland: The
History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie
709:
The
Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwest
335:
318:
1070:
1037:
939:
882:
849:"Ecological Consequences of Shifting the Timing of Burning Tallgrass Prairie"
440:
346:
340:
112:
47:
900:
135:
Retreating glaciers deposited the parent material for soil in the form of
682:
The
Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands
626:
538:
515:
448:
426:
208:
181:
1157:
Valley of Grass: Tallgrass Prairie and Parkland of the Red River Region
452:
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tree species occur in some areas, but generally in moderate densities.
189:
144:
63:
707:
Smith, Daryl; Williams, Dave; Houseal, Greg; Henderson, Kirk (2010).
456:
418:
847:
Towne, E. Gene; Craine, Joseph M. (2014-07-31). Auge, Harald (ed.).
700:
The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States
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1257:. College Station, TX: Texas A & M University Press, 2013.
1105:
139:, i.e. unsorted sediment, about 10,000 years ago. Wind-dropped
1288:- Video footage of the area and a list of relevant resources.
1277:
Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma
211:, for its survival and renewal. Tree seedlings and intrusive
1155:
Chapman, Kim Alan, Adelheide Fischer, and Mary Ziegenhagen.
478:
to the vast expanses of grass. Other U.S. preserves include
143:
and organic matter accumulated, resulting in deep levels of
111:. In the northeast, where fire was infrequent and periodic
914:
Pruszenski, Jordan M.; Hernández, Daniel L. (2020-10-21).
1173:. Peterson Field Guides. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
798:
796:
550:, which occupies small portions of the municipalities of
1020:
Making nature whole: a history of ecological restoration
530:, located in Hobart, Indiana just outside of Chicago.
470:, and the somewhat smaller 10,900-acre (44.1 km)
78:
in Oklahoma, to a transition into forest in Manitoba.
1187:. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 2017.
1003:. Environment Canada. 22 August 2008. Archived from
765:. ProQuest Discovery Guides Released November 2011.
1087:Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie
643:Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie
417:, which runs north to south through east-central
58:, as well as grazing by large mammals (primarily
1131:"The Nature Conservancy - Glacial Ridge Project"
1302:Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
421:; the eastern fringe of the Red River Valley (
1312:Grasslands of the North American Great Plains
780:Science Today: California Academy of Sciences
733:List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)
728:List of ecoregions in the United States (EPA)
8:
1201:. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions, 2009.
115:represented the main source of disturbance,
1171:A Field Guide to the North American Prairie
1169:Jones, Stephen R., and Ruth Carol Cushman.
691:A Practical Guide to Prairie Reconstruction
1275:Tallgrass Prairie Preserve on TravelOK.com
1055:. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
38:, a characteristic tallgrass prairie plant
1159:. St. Cloud, MN: North Star Press, 1998.
979:"Into the Wild: Indian Boundary Prairies"
890:
872:
755:
753:
603:University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
579:Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve
151:, a type of squirrel, considered to be a
27:Ecosystem native to central North America
749:
401:) — blooms in the tallgrass prairie of
91:upper Midwest forest-savanna transition
1215:. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
1185:The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction
1106:"Native Prairies Association of Texas"
804:"Central forest-grasslands transition"
658:Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
819:
817:
231:Tallgrass prairie in relation to the
100:. They flourished in areas with rich
7:
1243:. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2011.
548:Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve
207:depends on prairie fires, a form of
83:central forest-grasslands transition
601:was the 1936 Curtis Prairie at the
599:first tallgrass prairie restoration
488:Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
472:Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
1255:Prairie Time: A Blackland Portrait
824:Klinkenborg, Verlyn (April 2007).
650:Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
635:Conard Environmental Research Area
480:Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
403:Waubay Wetland Management District
25:
1001:"Prairie Grasslands and Parkland"
629:, and projects in Iowa including
70:and smaller portions of southern
1022:. Washington, DC: Island Press.
1322:Ecoregions of the United States
1229:. London: Penguin Books, 1997.
920:The American Midland Naturalist
609:and pioneering techniques like
583:Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park
447:; and the far north portion of
350:spp.), and many other species.
776:"Microbes Beneath the Surface"
462:The 39,000-acre (158 km)
1:
593:Considered the birthplace of
874:10.1371/journal.pone.0103423
131:History of origin and demise
54:. Historically, natural and
1018:Jordan, III, W. R. (2011).
985:. Fall 2008. Archived from
983:Chicago Wilderness Magazine
932:10.1674/0003-0031-184.2.268
711:. University of Iowa Press.
702:. University of Iowa Press.
693:. University of Iowa Press.
607:Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm
504:Sheyenne National Grassland
200:) were a dominant species.
123:was typical in the western
1338:
1241:Prairie: A Natural History
1211:Heat-Moon, William Least.
464:Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
1199:Journal of a Prairie Year
627:Fermi National Laboratory
520:National Natural Landmark
1213:PrairyErth: (A Deep Map)
1092:Houghton Mifflin Company
524:Gensburg-Markham Prairie
498:in Missouri. In eastern
423:Tallgrass Aspen Parkland
119:dominated. In contrast,
95:northern tall grasslands
66:extended throughout the
738:Range condition scoring
652:, founded in 1996 near
575:Black Oak Heritage Park
281:Schizachyrium scoparium
266:, such as indiangrass (
257: Tallgrass prairie
87:central tall grasslands
810:. World Wildlife Fund.
808:Terrestrial Ecoregions
698:Helzer, Chris (2009).
663:The Nature Conservancy
595:ecological restoration
528:Hobart Nature District
484:Broken Kettle Preserve
468:Osage County, Oklahoma
410:
388:
294:, such as lead plant (
259:
203:The tallgrass prairie
39:
1084:Madson, John (1982).
1051:Court, F. E. (2012).
435:, which extends from
394:
383:
230:
33:
1317:Ecoregions of Canada
1110:www.texasprairie.org
959:Smithsonian Magazine
689:Kurtz, Carl (2001).
546:Aspen Parkland. The
310:spp.), gayfeathers (
284:), and switchgrass (
278:), little bluestem (
865:2014PLoSO...9j3423T
830:National Geographic
432:Coteau des Prairies
429:and Minnesota; the
395:A pink wild onion (
316:spp.), sunflowers (
250:Mixed grass prairie
178:Quercus marilandica
117:beech-maple forests
1225:Manning, Richard.
953:Landers, Jackson.
678:Mutel, Cornelia F.
611:prescribed burning
556:Emerson – Franklin
508:national grassland
496:Prairie State Park
411:
389:
275:Andropogon gerardi
269:Sorghastrum nutans
260:
241:Shortgrass prairie
121:shortgrass prairie
56:anthropogenic fire
50:native to central
40:
18:Tall-grass prairie
1286:Tallgrass Prairie
1281:Tallgrass Ontario
1239:Savage, Candace.
1090:. Boston, Mass.:
989:on 14 April 2015.
762:Tallgrass Prairie
619:College of DuPage
272:), big bluestem (
44:tallgrass prairie
16:(Redirected from
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832:. Archived from
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674:Packard, Stephen
654:Elwood, Illinois
631:Grinnell College
623:Morton Arboretum
567:Windsor, Ontario
562:, and wetlands.
535:Red River Valley
518:, including the
398:Allium stellatum
364:was invented by
360:After the steel
287:Panicum virgatum
256:
247:
238:
153:keystone species
109:eastern savannas
68:American Midwest
21:
1337:
1336:
1332:
1331:
1330:
1328:
1327:
1326:
1292:
1291:
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1197:Gruchow, Paul.
1183:Crosby, Cindy.
1152:
1150:Further reading
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1007:on 27 May 2010.
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723:Buffalo Commons
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706:
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684:. Island Press.
680:, eds. (1997).
672:
591:
569:, protected by
537:, southwest of
494:in Kansas, and
378:
322:spp.), asters (
300:spp.), prairie
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106:fire-maintained
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1269:External links
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1137:November 14,
1135:. Retrieved
1133:. Nature.org
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1113:. Retrieved
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1005:the original
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783:. Retrieved
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615:Knox College
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571:Ojibway Park
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500:North Dakota
476:plains bison
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36:big bluestem
639:John Madson
589:Restoration
512:Cook County
506:, the only
415:Flint Hills
336:coneflowers
198:Bison bison
186:Q. stellata
76:Flint Hills
1296:Categories
964:2021-06-15
744:References
581:, and the
552:Stuartburn
366:John Deere
344:spp., and
319:Helianthus
223:Boundaries
98:ecoregions
93:, and the
34:Flowering
1071:814694131
1038:750183084
940:0003-0031
883:1932-6203
490:in Iowa,
455:area for
443:and into
441:Minnesota
347:Rudbeckia
341:Echinacea
302:rosinweed
167:Ecosystem
113:windthrow
48:ecosystem
1307:Prairies
1115:10 April
901:25077487
853:PLOS ONE
717:See also
539:Winnipeg
516:Illinois
449:Oklahoma
439:through
427:Manitoba
376:Remnants
370:farmland
307:Silphium
209:wildfire
182:post oak
64:prairies
892:4117529
861:Bibcode
453:grazing
355:savanna
334:spp.),
313:Liatris
297:Amorpha
264:grasses
190:hickory
188:)) and
145:topsoil
1261:
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625:, and
597:, the
457:cattle
419:Kansas
255:
248:
246:
239:
237:
180:) and
89:, the
85:, the
46:is an
926:(2).
425:) in
385:Bison
325:Aster
292:forbs
205:biome
194:Bison
141:loess
102:loess
60:bison
1259:ISBN
1245:ISBN
1231:ISBN
1217:ISBN
1203:ISBN
1189:ISBN
1175:ISBN
1161:ISBN
1139:2007
1117:2018
1067:OCLC
1057:ISBN
1034:OCLC
1024:ISBN
936:ISSN
897:PMID
879:ISSN
787:2014
648:The
554:and
486:and
445:Iowa
362:plow
328:and
137:till
42:The
928:doi
924:184
887:PMC
869:doi
641:'s
633:'s
543:see
502:is
466:in
405:in
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