Prairie Grasses in Wolf Prairie
Prairies are defined by their grasses. 200 years ago, the Gulf Coastal Prairie covered 9 million miles along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. Only 1% of that original Gulf Coastal Prairie is left today. Imagine a sea of grass, six feet tall as far as the eye can see. That was Wolf Prairie back then and we hope to recreate a piece of that feeling of immensity again.
Check out our native bunch grasses!
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardi, known commonly as big bluestem, turkeyfoot,tall bluestem, and bluejoint, is a tall grass native to much of the great plains and prairie regions of North America .
This grass used to be very abundant, being taller than other species it is more aggressive and can overtake large amounts of area making it difficult for native and foreign species to grow and thrive, witch can have a positive and negative effect. Since Bluestem grows so abundantly being a form of bunch-grass it is very common for grazers such as deer, cows, buffalo, etc. to love it so much. The blue stem has been told to be the ice cream for cows and it cannot take concentrated grazing, causing a period without the grass. Luckily these grasses grow from their roots witch can stretch up to 9ft underground.
Andropogon gerardi, known commonly as big bluestem, turkeyfoot,tall bluestem, and bluejoint, is a tall grass native to much of the great plains and prairie regions of North America .
This grass used to be very abundant, being taller than other species it is more aggressive and can overtake large amounts of area making it difficult for native and foreign species to grow and thrive, witch can have a positive and negative effect. Since Bluestem grows so abundantly being a form of bunch-grass it is very common for grazers such as deer, cows, buffalo, etc. to love it so much. The blue stem has been told to be the ice cream for cows and it cannot take concentrated grazing, causing a period without the grass. Luckily these grasses grow from their roots witch can stretch up to 9ft underground.
Switchgrass...in your car???
Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the tallgrass prairie, but also grows along roadsides where moisture is present. Much like the little and big bluestem switch grass grows abundantly and tall. Being a native grass to prairies it is often home, food, and hiding spot for many different animals and insects. Switchgrass is currently being considered for a sustainable source of biofuels. Instead of using corn which has to be replanted every year, this native grass is a perennial which can be cut repeatedly and converted to ethanol to power vehicles. Read about it at the University of Oklahoma here.
Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the tallgrass prairie, but also grows along roadsides where moisture is present. Much like the little and big bluestem switch grass grows abundantly and tall. Being a native grass to prairies it is often home, food, and hiding spot for many different animals and insects. Switchgrass is currently being considered for a sustainable source of biofuels. Instead of using corn which has to be replanted every year, this native grass is a perennial which can be cut repeatedly and converted to ethanol to power vehicles. Read about it at the University of Oklahoma here.
Yellow Indian Grass
One of the “Big Four” tallgrass prairie grasses, Yellow indian grass is a native grass to almost every type of prairie. The stems can reach a height of 3 to 6 feet and have small hairs at the nodes. The long leaves have hairs at the collars and are 4 to 12 inches long. Yellow Indiangrass is an indicator of good range condition and a good seed producer. livestock prefer tall grass over normal because of it's abundance and it's root systems are able to absorb tons of nutrients. The stems can reach a height of 3 to 6 feet and have small hairs at the nodes. The long leaves have hairs at the collars and are 4 to 12 inches long. Yellow Indiangrass is an indicator of good range condition, a good seed producer, and is a good forage for livestock. Indiangrass also provides excellent nesting cover for birds and other predators. http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/ind_grass.htm |
How these grasses help us
These grasses the big bluestem, the little bluestem, switch grass, and yellow Indian grass are all grasses that was in our vast prairie before all of these concrete structures were built. So these grasses are our history they have multiple benifits and potential uses such as medicinal, agricultural, and historical. These grasses are all a form of bunchgrass or tallgrass witch means their root systems are vast and strong proving to be a strong flood preventor. Since prairies are often flooded it is use to extreme dry and wet conditions. This trait can also help with euthrofication by holding the feterlizer in place witch can prevent flooding. These grasses are also grown comertionally and sold to ranchers for their live stock. They are often used in rotation crop since they grow from their root there is little need to replant.
These grasses the big bluestem, the little bluestem, switch grass, and yellow Indian grass are all grasses that was in our vast prairie before all of these concrete structures were built. So these grasses are our history they have multiple benifits and potential uses such as medicinal, agricultural, and historical. These grasses are all a form of bunchgrass or tallgrass witch means their root systems are vast and strong proving to be a strong flood preventor. Since prairies are often flooded it is use to extreme dry and wet conditions. This trait can also help with euthrofication by holding the feterlizer in place witch can prevent flooding. These grasses are also grown comertionally and sold to ranchers for their live stock. They are often used in rotation crop since they grow from their root there is little need to replant.
Photo used under Creative Commons from USFWS Mountain Prairie