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Prairie Plant Facts and Pictures
The native tallgrass prairie is the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Tallgrass prairie once covered over 142 million acres. Prairies once covered over 40 percent of the United States. About 1 percent of the North American prairie still exists. Prairies are made primarily of grasses, sedges, and flowering plants, with limited tree growth. Over 100 plant species can occur in a prairie of less than 5 acres. Natural competition by prairie plants reduces the occurrence of weeds. In one acre of established prairie, there is an average of 24,000 pounds of roots! When prairie roots die, they decompose to form organic matter; prairie soil is fertile soil! Established prairie can absorb up to 9 inches of rainfall per hour before run-off occurs. Fire is important to the development of the tallgrass prairie, as it prevents invading trees and shrubs from turning the prairie into woodland. Oak savannas occur where prairies near the forest edge. Up to 60 million bison grazed on the prairies of North America when the settlers first arrived; less than 600 remained by 1885. Grazing increases the growth of prairie plants. Prairie dogs, prairie chickens, hawks, foxes, and ferrets are all native prairie wildlife. |