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— CH. 1 · HISTORICAL DESTRUCTION AND LOSS —

Prairie restoration

~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections

  • In the mid-1830s, after the Black Hawk War ended, settlers from northern Europe and the northeastern United States began plowing up tallgrasses and wild flowers across North America. By 1849, most species of prairie grass had vanished to make room for crops like soybeans and corn. The U.S. state of Illinois once held over 35,000 square miles of prairie land. Today just 3 square miles remain of that original expanse. Over farming combined with drought periods left soil exposed to wind and rain. This exposure contributed directly to the Dust Bowls of the 1930s. Restored prairies now represent only a fragment of the abundant verdure that once stretched from western Ohio to the Rockies.

  • Prairie restoration reintroduces extensive fibrous root systems that bind soil against water erosion. When tallgrass was removed, surface pressures wore away Earth's crust material unchecked. Wind and rain worsened by climate change now strike harder than before. Ecologically, these restored ecosystems conserve topsoil which is vital for long term productivity. Adequate water filtration strengthens the ground against heavy rainfall events. Continued erosion reduces the fertile fields needed for cereal crops like barley and wheat. Prairie roots act as anchors holding soil in place where it would otherwise wash away.

  • Prairie soil acts as a carbon sink absorbing more carbon dioxide than it releases. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere and 40% comes from human activity. Prairie grass collects this gas through photosynthesis and stores it deep within its soil. When left undisturbed, these soils regulate atmospheric carbon levels effectively. Research shows recently converted land improves groundwater quality over ten year spans. Deep root systems store large amounts of carbon at fast rates. This process helps sustain diverse species while mitigating global warming effects across the continent.

  • Backyard prairie restoration projects known as micro-prairies typically cover less than one acre. These mini habitats sit isolated within developed or urban landscapes. They provide habitat for native butterflies and other pollinators that rely on specific plants. Many bee species require hollow plant stems or burrows for nesting sites. Features such as bee boxes offer suitable breeding environments for critical insects. Standing water can attract mosquitoes if not properly managed during design phases. Permaculture principles allow sustainable architecture to mimic natural patterns in city settings.

  • Controlled burns with permits are recommended every four to eight years after two growth seasons. Burning dead plants prevents trees from encroaching and recycles nutrients into the ground. Native Americans may have used these fires to control pests like ticks. A wildlife friendly alternative involves burning only a quarter to an eighth of a tract annually. Holistic management uses livestock as substitutes for keystone species such as bison. In 1990, de Lange and Boucher reported using smoke to promote seed germination among grasses. Spontaneous succession works well when quick results are not expected and propagules are abundant.

  • Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie sits in Wilmington, Illinois on land once contaminated by TNT manufacturing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service administers this site alongside the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Since 1997, some restored prairie has opened to the public. Another large project exists at Fermilab, a governmental atomic accelerator laboratory in Batavia, Illinois. This restoration began in 1975 and continues today with help from employees and community volunteers. These sites demonstrate how former industrial zones can return to natural states over decades.

Common questions

When did settlers begin plowing up tallgrasses and wild flowers across North America?

Settlers from northern Europe and the northeastern United States began plowing up tallgrasses and wild flowers in the mid-1830s after the Black Hawk War ended. By 1849, most species of prairie grass had vanished to make room for crops like soybeans and corn.

How much original prairie land remains today compared to what existed in Illinois?

The U.S. state of Illinois once held over 35,000 square miles of prairie land but just 3 square miles remain of that original expanse today. Restored prairies now represent only a fragment of the abundant verdure that once stretched from western Ohio to the Rockies.

Why do restored prairies act as carbon sinks absorbing more carbon dioxide than they release?

Prairie grass collects atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and stores it deep within its soil when left undisturbed. Deep root systems store large amounts of carbon at fast rates which helps sustain diverse species while mitigating global warming effects across the continent.

What are the requirements for controlled burns on restored prairie lands?

Controlled burns with permits are recommended every four to eight years after two growth seasons to prevent trees from encroaching and recycle nutrients into the ground. A wildlife friendly alternative involves burning only a quarter to an eighth of a tract annually using holistic management or livestock substitutes.

Where is Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie located and who administers this site?

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie sits in Wilmington, Illinois on land once contaminated by TNT manufacturing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service administers this site alongside the Illinois Department of Natural Resources since 1997.

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All sources

52 references cited across the entry

  1. 1webRestoration Minnesota DNR
  2. 2journalWhat "Do" We Mean When We Talk About Ecological Restoration?Stuart K. Allison — 2004
  3. 3webGale - Product Login
  4. 4bookSugar Creek: Life on the Illinois PrairieJohn Mack Faragher — Yale University Press — 1986-01-01
  5. 5webThe revery alone won't do: Restoring America's prairies
  6. 6journalGrassland restoration on former croplands in Europe: an assessment of applicability of techniques and costsPéter Török et al. — 2011-10-01
  7. 7journalOverview of Prairie Planting Techniques and Maintenance RequirementsPamela Bailey et al. — February 2007
  8. 8bookFire in North American Tallgrass PrairiesScott L. Collins et al. — University of Oklahoma Press — 1990
  9. 9journalNative plant abundance, diversity, and richness increases in prairie restoration with field inoculation density of native mycorrhizal amendmentsLiz Koziol et al. — 26 February 2020
  10. 10journalPrairie ecosystems and the carbon problemThomas H DeLuca et al. — 15 March 2011
  11. 11citationTall Fescue for the Twenty-first CenturyRichard E. Joost — American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America — 2015-10-26
  12. 12journalImpacts of climate change on water erosion: A reviewZhiying Li et al. — 2016-12-01
  13. 13journalSome Ecological Aspects of Agriculture in the PrairieJ. E. Weaver — 1927
  14. 14webAGR-102 EROSION - ITS EFFECT ON SOIL PROPERTIES, PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFIT
  15. 15journalCarbon Sequestration in Native Prairie, Perennial Grass, No-Till, and Cultivated Palouse Silt LoamT. J. Purakayastha et al. — 1 March 2008
  16. 16journalCarbon sequestrationRattan Lal — 2008-02-27
  17. 17webWhat is Carbon Sequestration and How Does it Work?Anonymous — 2019-09-20
  18. 18webHow Soil Carbon Storage WorksGrassroots Team — 2021-06-11
  19. 19webNative Praries are resilient
  20. 20bookWaterwise Gardening and Landscaping.Larry A Sagers — 2005
  21. 21journalLag Time in Water Quality Response to Best Management Practices: A ReviewDonald W Meals et al. — January 2010
  22. 22journalBeneficial effects of plants in the remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with organic materialsJ. F. Shimp et al. — 1993-01-01
  23. 23journalCommon Methods for Tallgrass Prairie Restoration and Their Potential Effects on Bee DiversityAlexandra Harmon-Threatt et al. — 1 October 2016
  24. 24webPrairie Restoration Effects on Near-Surface Soil Nutrient Changes Over Time in the Ozark Highlands Region of Northwest ArkansasKristofor R Brye et al. — January 2020
  25. 25webThe Significance of Micro-Prairie Reconstruction in Urban EnvironmentsBruno, Neal, Malcolm F., Marc Borsari, Mundahl, Vidrine, Pastorek — April 2014
  26. 26webAttracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native PlantsSusan Reel
  27. 27webPrairie Restoration - Mississippi National River & Recreation AreaU.S. National Park Service
  28. 28webGrassland Carbon ManagementTodd Ontl et al. — June 2017
  29. 29journalThe Role of Plants in the Effects of Global Change on Nutrient Availability and Stoichiometry in the Plant-Soil SystemJordi Sardans et al. — October 31, 2012
  30. 30journalDesigning vegetation barriers for urban air pollution abatement: a practical review for appropriate plant species selectionYendle Barwise et al. — 26 March 2020
  31. 31journalUrban meadows as an alternative to short mown grassland: effects of composition and height on biodiversityBriony A. Norton et al. — September 2019
  32. 32webPrairie Maintenance - Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)Mailing Address: 111 E. Kellogg Blvd et al.
  33. 33journalReview: ecosystem services in permaculture systemsSarah Hirschfeld et al. — 2021-07-03
  34. 34journalCommunity- and Ecosystem-Level Changes in a Species-Rich Tallgrass Prairie RestorationPhilip Camill et al. — December 2004
  35. 35bookKnow Your GrassesBarron Rector — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
  36. 36webMeet Our Prairie PlantsFive Rivers Metroparks
  37. 37webHealing Plants of the PrairieGerry Steinauer — April 2013
  38. 38inlineThe Importance of using Local Ecotype Plant Material , Iowa Prairie Network
  39. 39journalGrassland restoration on former croplands in Europe: an assessment of applicability of techniques and costsPéter Török et al. — October 2011
  40. 40journalInfluence of season of fire on flowering of wet prairie grasses in south Florida, USAMartin B. Main et al. — 2002-06-01
  41. 41webburn7 December 2021
  42. 42webSpring prairie burns: why they're important and when to do themShelby Roberts — 2022-04-01
  43. 43journalRestoring Indian-Set Fires to Prairie Ecosystems on the Olympic PeninsulaJacilee Wray et al. — 2003
  44. 44journalPrairie Strips and Lower Land Use Intensity Increase Biodiversity and Ecosystem ServicesLindsey R. Kemmerling et al. — 2022
  45. 45journalHolistic Management: Misinformation on the Science of Grazed EcosystemsJohn Carter et al. — 2014-04-23
  46. 46journalRotational grazing increases purple prairie clover frequency in the rangeland plant communities under semi-arid environmentTianqi Zhao et al. — 2022-01-11
  47. 47webAllan Savory: How livestock can protect the landChrissy Coughlin — GreenBiz
  48. 48journalUnraveling the relative impacts of climate change and human activities on grassland productivity in Central Asia over last three decadesTao Chen et al. — 2020-11-15
  49. 49journalBEST PRACTICES IN CONSERVATION AND RESTORATIONDebra Shore — November 2005
  50. 50webPrairie restoration at Midewin National Tallgrass PrairieUS EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment — 2009-03-15
  51. 51journalRestoring the prairieChristine Mlot — 1990-12-01
  52. 52journalResults from Four Decades of Successional Prairie Restoration and an Update on Ecological Land Management at Fermilab in Batavia, IllinoisRyan E. Campbell et al. — 2016-01-01