144:, 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
370:
20:
381:
217:
634:(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.
534:
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
51:) 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
151:
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%.
626:. 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,
904:
160:
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
204:
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.
649:
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
279:), 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
1274:
943:
63:, 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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1300:
594:. 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,
967:
602:. The latter half of the 20th century saw the growth of tallgrass prairie restoration beyond Wisconsin borders, with projects in Illinois such as at
666:
116:, 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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79:
646:
547:, forms a part of the Tallgrass Aspen Parkland. This preserve contains about 4,000 ha (9,900 acres) of tallgrass prairie,
544:
357:
in 1833, this fertile soil became one of
America's most important resources. Over 95% of the original tallgrass prairie is now
97:
654:, 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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574:. 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
522:
The original extent of tallgrass prairie in Canada was the 2,300-square-mile (6,000 km) plain in the
440:. In Oklahoma, the tallgrass prairie has been maintained by ranchers, who saw the hat-high grass as prime
44:
595:
492:
452:
645:, was, as of 2006, the largest tallgrass prairie restoration area in the United States. In Minnesota,
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grazing on the 158 km (39,000-acre) Tallgrass
Prairie Nature Preserve in Osage County, Oklahoma
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136:. Animals such as bison, elk, deer, and rabbits added nitrogen to the soil through urine and feces.
1080:
512:
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56:
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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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562:, and Spring Garden Area of Natural Scientific Interest, along with the interconnected parks:
19:
354:
993:
905:"White-tailed Deer Fecal Matter Distribution and Nutrient Contribution in Tallgrass Prairie"
849:
402:
The tallgrass prairie survives in areas unsuited to plowing: the rocky hill country of the
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in Kansas, attempt to maintain this ecosystem in its natural form. They have reintroduced
70:
They were characteristically found in parts of the upper
Mississippi River Valley, in the
8:
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815:"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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944:"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
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662:
599:
515:. Tallgrass prairie remnants can also be found among nature preserves within the
920:
657:
Several books have been published on tallgrass prairie restoration, including:
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319:
60:
1216:
Grassland: The
History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie
698:
The
Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwest
1284:
1059:
1026:
928:
871:
838:"Ecological Consequences of Shifting the Timing of Burning Tallgrass Prairie"
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313:
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40:
889:
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488:
464:
425:
395:
221:
137:
113:
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Retreating glaciers deposited the parent material for soil in the form of
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The
Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands
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472:
403:
216:
64:
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Valley of Grass: Tallgrass Prairie and Parkland of the Red River Region
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tree species occur in some areas, but generally in moderate densities.
696:
Smith, Daryl; Williams, Dave; Houseal, Greg; Henderson, Kirk (2010).
429:
335:
329:
101:
36:
836:
Towne, E. Gene; Craine, Joseph M. (2014-07-31). Auge, Harald (ed.).
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The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States
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343:
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133:
52:
1246:. College Station, TX: Texas A & M University Press, 2013.
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445:
407:
128:, i.e. unsorted sediment, about 10,000 years ago. Wind-dropped
1277:- Video footage of the area and a list of relevant resources.
1266:
Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma
695:
373:
252:
200:, for its survival and renewal. Tree seedlings and intrusive
193:
182:
129:
90:
48:
1144:
Chapman, Kim Alan, Adelheide Fischer, and Mary Ziegenhagen.
467:
to the vast expanses of grass. Other U.S. preserves include
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and organic matter accumulated, resulting in deep levels of
433:
358:
350:
280:
125:
100:. In the northeast, where fire was infrequent and periodic
903:
Pruszenski, Jordan M.; Hernández, Daniel L. (2020-10-21).
1162:. Peterson Field Guides. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
787:
785:
539:, which occupies small portions of the municipalities of
1009:
Making nature whole: a history of ecological restoration
782:
519:, located in Hobart, Indiana just outside of Chicago.
459:, and the somewhat smaller 10,900-acre (44.1 km)
67:
in Oklahoma, to a transition into forest in Manitoba.
1176:. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 2017.
992:. Environment Canada. 22 August 2008. Archived from
902:
754:. ProQuest Discovery Guides Released November 2011.
1076:Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie
632:Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie
406:, which runs north to south through east-central
47:, as well as grazing by large mammals (primarily
1282:
1120:"The Nature Conservancy - Glacial Ridge Project"
119:
1291:Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
410:; the eastern fringe of the Red River Valley (
1301:Grasslands of the North American Great Plains
769:Science Today: California Academy of Sciences
722:List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)
717:List of ecoregions in the United States (EPA)
1190:. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions, 2009.
661:
104:represented the main source of disturbance,
1160:A Field Guide to the North American Prairie
1158:Jones, Stephen R., and Ruth Carol Cushman.
1006:
835:
812:
680:A Practical Guide to Prairie Reconstruction
1264:Tallgrass Prairie Preserve on TravelOK.com
1044:. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
1000:
27:, a characteristic tallgrass prairie plant
1148:. St. Cloud, MN: North Star Press, 1998.
1033:
968:"Into the Wild: Indian Boundary Prairies"
879:
861:
744:
742:
592:University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
568:Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve
140:, a type of squirrel, considered to be a
16:Ecosystem native to central North America
379:
368:
215:
18:
390:) — blooms in the tallgrass prairie of
80:upper Midwest forest-savanna transition
1283:
1204:. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
1174:The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction
1095:"Native Prairies Association of Texas"
1072:
793:"Central forest-grasslands transition"
739:
686:
647:Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
1039:
808:
806:
677:
220:Tallgrass prairie in relation to the
89:. They flourished in areas with rich
1232:. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2011.
1066:
537:Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve
196:depends on prairie fires, a form of
72:central forest-grasslands transition
941:
590:was the 1936 Curtis Prairie at the
588:first tallgrass prairie restoration
477:Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
461:Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
13:
1244:Prairie Time: A Blackland Portrait
1138:
813:Klinkenborg, Verlyn (April 2007).
803:
639:Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
624:Conard Environmental Research Area
469:Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
392:Waubay Wetland Management District
14:
1322:
1257:
990:"Prairie Grasslands and Parkland"
618:, and projects in Iowa including
59:and smaller portions of southern
1011:. Washington, DC: Island Press.
1311:Ecoregions of the United States
1218:. London: Penguin Books, 1997.
1112:
1087:
909:The American Midland Naturalist
598:and pioneering techniques like
572:Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park
436:; and the far north portion of
339:spp.), and many other species.
982:
960:
935:
896:
829:
765:"Microbes Beneath the Surface"
757:
577:
451:The 39,000-acre (158 km)
1:
732:
582:Considered the birthplace of
211:
863:10.1371/journal.pone.0103423
155:
120:History of origin and demise
43:. Historically, natural and
7:
1007:Jordan, III, W. R. (2011).
974:. Fall 2008. Archived from
972:Chicago Wilderness Magazine
921:10.1674/0003-0031-184.2.268
705:
700:. University of Iowa Press.
691:. University of Iowa Press.
682:. University of Iowa Press.
596:Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm
493:Sheyenne National Grassland
364:
189:) were a dominant species.
112:was typical in the western
10:
1327:
1230:Prairie: A Natural History
1200:Heat-Moon, William Least.
453:Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
1188:Journal of a Prairie Year
616:Fermi National Laboratory
509:National Natural Landmark
1202:PrairyErth: (A Deep Map)
1081:Houghton Mifflin Company
513:Gensburg-Markham Prairie
487:in Missouri. In eastern
412:Tallgrass Aspen Parkland
108:dominated. In contrast,
84:northern tall grasslands
55:extended throughout the
727:Range condition scoring
641:, founded in 1996 near
564:Black Oak Heritage Park
270:Schizachyrium scoparium
255:, such as indiangrass (
246: Tallgrass prairie
76:central tall grasslands
799:. World Wildlife Fund.
797:Terrestrial Ecoregions
687:Helzer, Chris (2009).
652:The Nature Conservancy
584:ecological restoration
517:Hobart Nature District
473:Broken Kettle Preserve
457:Osage County, Oklahoma
399:
377:
283:, such as lead plant (
248:
192:The tallgrass prairie
28:
1073:Madson, John (1982).
1040:Court, F. E. (2012).
424:, which extends from
383:
372:
219:
22:
1306:Ecoregions of Canada
1099:www.texasprairie.org
948:Smithsonian Magazine
678:Kurtz, Carl (2001).
535:Aspen Parkland. The
299:spp.), gayfeathers (
273:), and switchgrass (
267:), little bluestem (
854:2014PLoSO...9j3423T
819:National Geographic
421:Coteau des Prairies
418:and Minnesota; the
384:A pink wild onion (
305:spp.), sunflowers (
239:Mixed grass prairie
167:Quercus marilandica
106:beech-maple forests
1214:Manning, Richard.
942:Landers, Jackson.
667:Mutel, Cornelia F.
600:prescribed burning
545:Emerson – Franklin
497:national grassland
485:Prairie State Park
400:
378:
264:Andropogon gerardi
258:Sorghastrum nutans
249:
230:Shortgrass prairie
110:shortgrass prairie
45:anthropogenic fire
39:native to central
29:
1275:Tallgrass Prairie
1270:Tallgrass Ontario
1228:Savage, Candace.
1079:. Boston, Mass.:
978:on 14 April 2015.
751:Tallgrass Prairie
608:College of DuPage
261:), big bluestem (
33:tallgrass prairie
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683:
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663:Packard, Stephen
643:Elwood, Illinois
620:Grinnell College
612:Morton Arboretum
556:Windsor, Ontario
551:, and wetlands.
524:Red River Valley
507:, including the
387:Allium stellatum
353:was invented by
349:After the steel
276:Panicum virgatum
245:
236:
227:
142:keystone species
98:eastern savannas
57:American Midwest
1326:
1325:
1321:
1320:
1319:
1317:
1316:
1315:
1281:
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1186:Gruchow, Paul.
1172:Crosby, Cindy.
1141:
1139:Further reading
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1135:
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996:on 27 May 2010.
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712:Buffalo Commons
708:
673:. Island Press.
669:, eds. (1997).
580:
558:, protected by
526:, southwest of
483:in Kansas, and
367:
311:spp.), asters (
289:spp.), prairie
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95:fire-maintained
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1126:November 14,
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1122:. Nature.org
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1102:. Retrieved
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994:the original
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772:. Retrieved
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560:Ojibway Park
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489:North Dakota
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426:South Dakota
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25:big bluestem
628:John Madson
578:Restoration
501:Cook County
495:, the only
404:Flint Hills
325:coneflowers
187:Bison bison
175:Q. stellata
65:Flint Hills
1285:Categories
953:2021-06-15
733:References
570:, and the
541:Stuartburn
355:John Deere
333:spp., and
308:Helianthus
212:Boundaries
87:ecoregions
82:, and the
23:Flowering
1060:814694131
1027:750183084
929:0003-0031
872:1932-6203
479:in Iowa,
444:area for
432:and into
430:Minnesota
336:Rudbeckia
330:Echinacea
291:rosinweed
156:Ecosystem
102:windthrow
37:ecosystem
1296:Prairies
1104:10 April
890:25077487
842:PLOS ONE
706:See also
528:Winnipeg
505:Illinois
438:Oklahoma
428:through
416:Manitoba
365:Remnants
359:farmland
296:Silphium
198:wildfire
171:post oak
53:prairies
881:4117529
850:Bibcode
442:grazing
344:savanna
323:spp.),
302:Liatris
286:Amorpha
253:grasses
179:hickory
177:)) and
134:topsoil
1250:
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586:, the
446:cattle
408:Kansas
244:
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78:, the
74:, the
35:is an
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414:) in
374:Bison
314:Aster
281:forbs
194:biome
183:Bison
130:loess
91:loess
49:bison
1248:ISBN
1234:ISBN
1220:ISBN
1206:ISBN
1192:ISBN
1178:ISBN
1164:ISBN
1150:ISBN
1128:2007
1106:2018
1056:OCLC
1046:ISBN
1023:OCLC
1013:ISBN
925:ISSN
886:PMID
868:ISSN
776:2014
637:The
543:and
475:and
434:Iowa
351:plow
317:and
126:till
31:The
917:doi
913:184
876:PMC
858:doi
630:'s
622:'s
532:see
491:is
455:in
394:in
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