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Cream of the Crop: Assessing the Environmental Benefits of Prairie Strips

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Agriculture
  • Crops
  • Economics
  • Ecosystem
  • Harvesting
  • Native Ecosystem
  • Nonnative
  • Prairie
  • Prairie Strips
  • Tallgrass Prairies
PDF preview of "Cream of the Crop" article
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The research in this monograph looks at the use of prairie strips, which are strips of native prairie plants that are planted between sections of agricultural crops. Scientists wanted to know how practical and effective the use of prairie strips was. They also wanted to know if local farmers would be interested in the potential benefits of prairie strips.

Cream of the Crop: Assessing the Environmental Benefits of Prairie Strips

Jump To

  • Meet the Scientists!
  • Thinking About Science
  • Thinking About the Environment
  • Introduction
  • Where Did the Tallgrass Prairie Go?
  • Methods
  • Findings
  • Discussion

Meet the Scientists!

Randy Kolka

Soil Scientist

My favorite experiences are working with students on research. Research topics range from the importance of putting native prairie strips in crop areas to studying the effect of climate change... Read Full Bio

Lisa Schulte-Moore

Ecologist

I love science–the whole process from conceiving an idea to publishing the results of a project. I think my favorite experience is feeling like, bit by bit, I’m helping to... Read Full Bio

What Kind of Scientists Did This Research?

Ecologist: This scientist studies the relationship of living things with each other and with the nonliving environment.

Soil Scientist: This scientist studies soil.


Thinking About Science

One goal of scientific research is to discover solutions to problems
affecting society. Scientists are interested in finding solutions which
are both effective and practical. Together, the effectiveness and practicality of a solution gives scientists an idea of whether a solution will be widely used. For instance, one solution to a problem may be effective but expensive. If people cannot afford the solution, it may not be widely used. Similarly, if a solution is easy, but requires many hours to complete, people may be unwilling or unable to use it.

The scientists in this research tested prairie strips as a solution to the environmental damage occurring in some agricultural areas. Additionally, the scientists determined where the solution could be used and whether people desired a solution to the problem. This information enabled the scientists to determine whether the solution was also practical.


Thinking About the Environment

Many agricultural areas are designed to maximize growth of a desired product. To do so, land is changed from native ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands. Converting native ecosystems to agriculture can have negative impacts. Some negative impacts include soil loss and water and air pollution.

The loss of native plants and animals is another impact of creating agricultural lands. Native plants and animals can provide many ecosystem services, including carbon storage, healthy soil and water, pest control, and pollination. Not only are native plants and animals often lost on agricultural lands, but nonnative plants are sometimes introduced. Nonnative plants and animals can cause further problems by competing with remaining native species.

The Midwestern States contain large amounts of agricultural land where native plants and animals have been lost. The scientists in this study saw an opportunity to combine both native plants and agricultural lands. This strategy, they believe, could enable landowners to achieve multiple goals, like environmental health and crop production.


Introduction

Agriculture is a major part of the midwestern U.S. landscape. In Iowa, for instance, the scientists discovered that corn and soybean farms cover 69 percent of the landscape (figures 5-6b).

A map of the United States. The Midwest region is highlighted, and Iowa magnified.
Figure 5. Iowa is in the Midwest region of the United States. Map by Carey Burda
Corn with the husk pulled back

Figure 6a. Corn is a common agricultural plant in the Midwest. Corn is used for several products, and American farmers often trade with or sell it to people from around the world. Photo courtesy of Stephen Kirkpatrick, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

rows of soybeans growing on a farm with a barn in the background

Figure 6b. The United States is one of the largest producers of soybeans, pictured here on this farm. Soybeans are often processed and used to feed farm animals. Soybeans are also eaten by humans in products like tofu. Photo courtesy of Lynn Betts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Before being changed to agricultural land, the scientists knew that much of Iowa’s native ecosystems consisted of prairies (figure 7). As you read in “Thinking About the Environment,” converting native ecosystems to agriculture can negatively impact the environment.

 

A prairie with short grass and a clear blue sky
Figure 7. Prairies are ecosystems dominated by shorter plants, like grasses, instead of trees. Prairies, often called grasslands, can be found in many regions of the United States. The Midwest has the largest amount of prairie habitat in the United States. Photo courtesy of Doug Mosser, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

The scientists determined that reintroducing prairie plants in agricultural lands was one way to improve the environment. They started a large experiment in 2007 to test the use of “prairie strips” in agricultural lands (figure 8). Prairie strips are rows of native prairie plants that are grown alongside agricultural crops, like corn or soybeans.

A row of prairie plants growing alongside crops.
Figure 8. Prairie strips are rows of prairie plants grown alongside crops, like this prairie strip located between rows of soybeans.
Photo by Omar de Kok-Mercado, Iowa State University.

Results of the experiment showed that prairie strips were an effective solution to improve the environment. However, the scientists determined that they still needed to show that prairie strips were also a practical way to improve the environment. More specifically, the scientists wanted to understand the effects of prairie strips relative to the amount of land they occupy. They also wanted to know whether prairie strips could be used widely in Iowa and if the people of Iowa wanted the benefits provided by prairie strips.

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Where Did the Tallgrass Prairie Go?

Tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem that once covered 150 million acres of North America, including Iowa, its surrounding States, and even Texas and Canada (figure 9). Today, however, only 4 percent of the original area consists of tallgrass prairie.

A map of the United States. Shaded regions show where tallgrass prairies used to be.
Figure 9. Tallgrass prairie once covered many States.
Map by Carey Burda.

As you might have guessed, the tallgrass prairie ecosystem contains tall grass species. Some species can reach an average height of 6 feet, with some stalks reaching over 9 feet high. Although the height
of the grasses is impressive, their root systems are often even more impressive. Many prairie plants, including the tall grasses, have root systems that are longer than the grass is tall (figure 10).

A graphic showing a tall grass prairie plant with is roots.
Figure 10. Tallgrass prairie plants often have a large
root system hidden in the soil below.
Illustration by Stephanie Pfeiffer.

The dense and deep root system of tallgrass prairies slows water runoff and traps nutrient-rich soil in place. As the United States grew and people settled the tallgrass prairie region, they started farming to take advantage of the nutrient rich soil. Farmers grew as much as they could on their farms, turning tallgrass prairie into agricultural land. The change from tallgrass prairie to agricultural lands has its benefits. Today, the area is a productive agricultural region. However, as tallgrass prairie has disappeared, so have the ecosystem services they provided.

Did You Know?

In 1996, The Midewin (pronounced mi-DAY-win) National Tallgrass Prairie was established in Illinois. It encompasses approximately 19,000 acres and is home to a bison herd. You can even watch the herd on the BisonCam!

View BisonCam

Methods

The scientists used data from their experiment which had been conducted at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge since 2007 (figure 11).

A map of Iowa with the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge highlighted

Figure 11. Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is located in central Iowa. It was protected to preserve the prairie ecosystem.
Map by Carey Burda.

The experimental area was divided into 12, approximately equal sized catchments. Each catchment received one of four treatments, with each treatment repeated three different times (figure 12):

  1. 100% crops (control)
  2. 90% crops, 10% prairie strips planted only at the bottom of the slope

  3. 90% crops, 10% prairie strips planted throughout
  4. 80% crops, 20% prairie strips planted throughout
A graphic showing the four different treatments used on the crops in the experiment

Figure 12. The scientists tested four different treatments, including the crop-only control treatment. Each treatment had a different combination of crops and prairie strips.
Illustration by Stephanie Pfeiffer.

The prairie strips contained 32 plants native to the Iowa area. Each prairie strip was at least 4 meters wide and at least 36 meters from another prairie strip. The crops used were corn and soybeans, which are common in Iowa, and they were managed using common farming techniques.

Number Crunch

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Plants within prairie strips were inventoried each year for 4 years during the summer. Insects were inventoried in both prairie strips areas once per year for 3 years and in crop areas once.

Birds were inventoried each year for 5 years. Data about water flow and water chemistry were collected at each of the 12 catchments using an H flume and groundwater wells (figure 13a & 13b).

A scientist using a H flume in a body of water

Figure 13a. An H flume is placed in a stream to calculate water flow. The H flume forces all water into one space so scientists can accurately measure how much water is flowing in a particular location.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Laseter, USDA Forest Service.

Two scientist working outside on a groundwater well.

Figure 13b. The scientists installed groundwater wells to measure groundwater on the high end of each catchment and the low end of each catchment. Groundwater wells are usually plastic pipes placed in the ground that can be opened at the surface.

Photo by Anna McDonald, Iowa State University.

As crops were harvested from each catchment, the scientists measured the crop production using a Case IH AFS Pro-600 monitor (figure 14). The scientists calculated revenue from crop production on each catchment.

 

A farmer using A Case IH AFS PRO-600 is a computer
Figure 14. A Case IH AFS PRO-600 is a computer mounted to the machinery which farmers use to harvest crops. The computer calculates the quantity of crops being harvested, among other things.
Photo by LivingImages, via http://www.istockphoto.com

 

Lastly, the scientists calculated the total amount of land in Iowa on which prairie strips could be used using a computer program, and they surveyed 2,400 Iowa residents regarding their opinions of agriculture and the environment.

 

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Findings

The scientists found that the control treatments, those catchments planted with 100 percent crops, had similar production and revenue as other Iowa farms. Catchments with prairie strip treatments resulted in lower crop production than the control treatments. Production in prairie strip treatments, however, decreased only by the amount of area taken out of production.

Despite lost production and revenue, catchments with prairie strip treatments resulted in many benefits. First, catchments with prairie strip treatments had greater native plant diversity than catchments with the control treatment. Water runoff was lower in the catchments containing prairie strip treatments, and as a result, soil and nutrient losses were lower.

The results, however, did not show many differences between the three treatment types containing prairie strips. Catchments with the 20 percent prairie strips treatment showed greater diversity of native plants and greater amounts of grassland bird species. Pollinating insect abundance was greater in catchments with treatments containing 10 percent or 20 percent prairie strips planted throughout.

Analysis of Iowa land showed that prairie strips were a suitable solution on 40 percent of agricultural lands with crops and 27 percent of total land in Iowa (figure 15).

A map of Iowa highlighting the regions that could benefit from prairie strips.
Figure 15. The red color on the map indicates the 40 percent of Iowa land containing crop land that is suitable for using prairie strips.
Map courtesy of the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Survey.

The survey of Iowa residents indicated that the benefits provided by prairie strips are priorities for Iowa residents (figure 16). Iowa residents indicated that water quality was their highest priority. Survey respondents who lived on farms and those who did not live on farms differed, however, in some of their other priorities.

A graph showing how two groups of people ranked certain issues.

Figure 16. The scientists surveyed Iowa residents living on farms and those that didn’t live on farms. They wanted to see how the two groups compared on certain issues. The circles indicate the mean (average) answer from both groups of Iowa residents. The color of the circle indicates which group (farm residents or non-farm residents) had a higher mean survey result for that issue.
Illustration by Stephanie Pfeiffer

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Discussion

The experimental results confirmed the scientists’ expectations about the differences between catchments with and without prairie strips. Prairie strips replace some crop land, therefore reducing crop production and revenue. However, many of the environmental benefits created by prairie strips outweigh the benefits lost from reduced crop land.

As discussed in “Thinking About the Environment,” restoring native ecosystems provides environmental benefits. Planting native prairie plants was effective at slowing water runoff, therefore reducing soil and nutrient loss. Native prairie plants are also better for pollinating insects and may be less attractive to harmful pests.

The scientists found that prairie strips were a suitable solution for a large portion of Iowa. Compared to other farm conservation techniques, prairie strips are low cost and don’t require much change to farm operations. Additionally, the benefits provided by prairie strips are of high priority to Iowa residents. Specifically, Iowa residents valued improved water quality.

The results of this study illustrate that prairie strips are both a beneficial and practical solution for improving the environment on agricultural lands. Despite these results, the scientists believe the government must provide policy, incentives, and education to encourage farmers to use prairie strips.

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Adapted from Schulte, L. et al. 2017. Prairie strips improve biodiversity and the delivery of multiple ecosystem services from corn-soybean croplands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 114: 11247-11252. https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2017/nrs_2017_schulte_001.pdf.

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Cream of the Crop - Vol. 1 No. 20

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Glossary

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  • agriculture

    (a gri kəl chər): The science or practice of preparing the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock.

  • annual

    (an yə(-wə)l): (1) Covering the period of a year; (2) occurring or happening every year or once a year.

  • biodiversity

    (bī ō dǝ vǝr sǝ tē ): Biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals.

  • catchment

    (kach mənt): (1) A small watershed; (2) Something that catches water.

  • control

    (kǝn trōl): A variable factor that has been kept constant and which is used as a standard of comparison to the experimental component in a controlled experiment.

  • ecosystem service

    (ē kō si stǝm sǝr vǝs): Any of the various benefits provided by plants, animals, and the communities they form.

  • harvest

    (här vǝst): To gather in a crop.

  • incentive

    (in sen tiv): Something that makes a person try or work hard or harder.

  • inventory

    (in vǝn tȯr ē): A complete list of items (as of goods on hand or a survey of natural resources).

  • native

    (nā tiv): Living or growing naturally in a particular region.

  • nonnative

    (nän nā tiv): Not naturally occurring in an area.

  • perennial

    (pǝ ren ē ǝl): Present at all seasons of the year.

  • pollination

    (pä lə nā shən): The transfer of pollen from a stamen to a pistil of a flower or from a male cone to a female cone.

  • practical

    (prak ti kǝl): Capable of being put to use or account; useful.

  • revenue

    (re və nü): The total incomes produced by a given source.

  • Randy Kolka holding up a plant

    Randy Kolka

    Soil Scientist

    My favorite experiences are working with students on research. Research topics range from the importance of putting native prairie strips in crop areas to studying the effect of climate change...
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  • Lisa Schulte-Moore working in a prairie strip on a farm in north central Iowa doing nest checks.

    Lisa Schulte-Moore

    Ecologist

    I love science–the whole process from conceiving an idea to publishing the results of a project. I think my favorite experience is feeling like, bit by bit, I’m helping to...
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Standards addressed in this Article:

Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are a set of K-12 science education standards emphasizing inquiry-based learning, real-world applications, and integrating engineering practices, aiming to deepen understanding of science while promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • ESS3.C-H1
    The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources.
  • ESS3.C-H2
    Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation.
  • ESS3.C-M1
    Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.
  • ESS3.C-M2
    Typically as human populations and per capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.
  • ETS1.A-H2
    Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities.
  • ETS1.B-H1
    When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
  • ETS1.B-M2
    There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet criteria and constraints of a problem.
  • ETS1.C-H1
    Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed.
  • ETS1.C-M1
    Although one design may not perform the best across all tests, identifying the characteristics of the design that performed the best in each test can provide useful information for the redesign process—that is, some of the characteristics may be incorporated into the new design.
  • ETS1.C-M2
    The iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution.
  • LS2.A-M1
    Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
  • LS2.A-M2
    In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction.
  • LS2.A-M3
    Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources.
  • LS2.C-H1
    A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability.
  • LS2.C-H2
    Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.
  • LS2.C-M2
    Biodiversity describes the variety of species found in Earth’s terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. The completeness or integrity of an ecosystem’s biodiversity is often used as a measure of its health.
  • LS4.D-H2
    Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus, sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value.
  • LS4.D-M1
    Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on—for example, water purification and recycling.

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Production, Distribution, and Consumption
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

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The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

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What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

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  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

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    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

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    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

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    Presents an easy math problem related to the research.

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    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

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    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


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You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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  • This lesson plan will have students read “Cream of the Crop” and answer the questions associated with it. After, they will complete a hands-on fact-based activity demonstrating the importance and...

    Lesson Plan – Cream of the Crop

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If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Pass the Plants, Please” and “Field, Forest, Stream” as additional resources.

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  • Ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides through natural processes. For example, plants provide clean air, natural fire helps cycle nutrients, and bats act as insect control. Ecosystem services...

    Ecosystem Services – Vol. 12 No. 1

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    • Wilderness
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    • Amphibians
    • Biodiversity
    • Carbon Storage
    • Classification of Living Things
    • Drought
    • Erosion
    • Flooding
    • Freshwater
    • Habitat
    • Indicator Species
    • Invasive Species
    • Nonnative
    • Restoration
    • Vegetation
    • Wetlands
    Ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides through natural processes. For example, plants provide clean air, natural fire helps cycle nutrients, and bats act as insect control. Ecosystem services...
    • Explore Journal
    • Download Journal (PDF)
    • Explore Journal
    • Download Journal (PDF)
  • The “To Harvest or Not to Harvest” monograph examines research about sustainably harvesting black cohosh in the wild. This monograph also includes information on agroforestry and food forests. “To Harvest...

    To Harvest or Not to Harvest – Vol. 1 No. 22

    • Monograph
    • Middle School
    • Agriculture
    • Engineering and Forest Products
    • Agriculture
    • Agroforestry
    • Black Cohosh
    • Carbon Cycle
    • Control Group
    • Deciduous Forest
    • Ecosystem Services
    • Food Forest
    • Forest Products
    The “To Harvest or Not to Harvest” monograph examines research about sustainably harvesting black cohosh in the wild. This monograph also includes information on agroforestry and food forests. “To Harvest...
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)

Additional Resources

  • Iowa State University: Science-based Trials of Row Crops Integrated with Prairie Strips

    Learn more about prairie strips in the conservation reserve program.

    Visit Website
  • University of Northern Iowa: Tallgrass Prairie Center

    Discover additional prairie resources from the Tallgrass Prairie Center.

    Visit Website
  • Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

    The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is the largest island in the archipelago of protected areas that collectively comprise the Chicago Wilderness. It includes full array of species and natural processes typical of tallgrass prairies in the region, including the reintroduction of bison.

    Visit Website
  • National Forest Foundation: Midewin Tallgrass Prairie Restoration Video

    Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, just 60 miles from Chicago, is the largest single parcel of protected open space in northeastern Illinois. As such, Midewin plays an essential role in restoring a piece of ground back to the splendor of a blooming native tallgrass prairie. Along with local communities, the National Forest Foundation is restoring the once-vibrant prairie to Midewin.

    Watch Video
  • National Park Service: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

    Learn more about the Tallgrass Prairies from the National Park Service.

    Visit Website
  • GrasslandsLIVE

    Rolling acres of grassland used to stretch across the U.S. Historically the shortgrass, mixed-grass and tallgrass prairies covered about one-fifth of North America. Today, much of the historic range of grasslands has been lost, but grasslands continue to provide rich habitats for birds, fish mammals, insects and plants as well as key ecosystem services, such as capture of carbon and water. Learn about this ecosystem and how scientists, citizens, local ranchers and farmers are working together to manage and conserve this important habitat.

    Visit Website
  • University of Arizona: World Rangeland Learning Experience (WRANGLE)

    Learn more about Earth’s Biomes from the World Rangeland Learning Experience.

    Visit Website
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