Prairie Establishment

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a dominant grass in eastern tallgrass prairies. Photo by Michele Banker

At the time of settlement, grass-dominated ecosystems covered more than a million acres in Ohio.  These prairies evolved 5,000-8,000 years ago when Ohio’s climate was warmer and drier than it is today.  Even though the climate changed, Native Americans burned the prairies which continually reset the process of succession that turns prairies into shrubby woodlands in Ohio’s current moist climate.  However, only a fraction of Ohio’s prairies survived European settlement.

A 14-acre (5.4 ha.) sand and gravel borrow-pit left from the construction of I-675 was hydroseeded in 1986 with prairie grasses, and plugs of forbs (non-woody, broadleaf plants) were planted by hand.  Undesirable species have been controlled primarily through timed mowing and prescribed burns.  Today, the prairie hosts nearly 150 native plant species and increasing bird and mammal diversity.

Ohio prairies co-evolved with fire, and controlled burns are an important part of MEEC’s management strategy.  Burning controls invasive, woody or otherwise undesirable species, returns nutrients from standing thatch to the soil, and warms the soil in the spring to encourage seed germination.  Approximately one-third of the prairie is burned each year to allow ample insect refuge.

For information on scheduling a group tour, email us or call 937/429-3582.

Publications:
Successfully Preparing a Site for Growing a Prairie by John Blakeman and Don Geiger.

Vegetation Dynamics of a Tallgrass Prairie Restoration after 15 Years by Poling et al.  Research poster, Ecological Society of America/Society for Ecological Restoration Meeting, Aug 2002, Tucson, AZ.  ABSTRACT.

In the Resource Center:
The Tallgrass Prairie Restoration Handbook by Stephen Packard and Cornelia Mutel.  (Reference text – for use onsite only.)

Learn More:
Ohio’s remnant prairies from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The Ohio Prairie Association