Prairie restoration
[2] In the United States, after the Black Hawk War had subsided in the mid-1830s, settlers from northern Europe and north east of the US made a home for themselves.
[3][4] Restored prairies and the grasses that survived the 1800 plowing represent only a fragment of the abundant verdure that once covered the midsection of North America from western Ohio to the Rockies and from southern Canada to Texas.
The over farming of this land as well as periods of drought and its exposure to the elements (no longer bound together by the tall grasses) was responsible for the Dust Bowls in the 1930s.
[11] Particularly with land previously dominated by prairie grasses, the loss of the tallgrass extensive fibrous root system left the soil exposed and unbound.
[15] Carbon dioxide is a heat trapping gas, and 40% of it is produced by humans and remains in the atmosphere thus worsening the effects of global warming.
[20] On a larger scale, communities and corporations are creating areas of restored prairies which in turn will store organic carbon in the soil and help maintain the biodiversity of the 3000 plus species that count on the grasslands for food and shelter.
[21] Research in Walnut Creek Restoration (Iowa) on the contribution of recently converted land (from row crop to prairie grass), shows the improvement in ground water quality over the span of 10 years.
[26] Micro-prairies are mini prairie habitats that typically consist of less than one acre, usually isolated and surrounded by developed or urban land.
[26] This miniature ecosystem can provide habitat for a diversity of native plant and animal species specifically adapted to prairie environments, thus helping to sustain local biodiversity.
[27] By including a variety of native plants in a micro-prairie restoration projects, it is possible to create an attractive and beneficial habitat for these insects.
[21] Many species of bees and other pollinators require specific types of nesting sites, such as hollow plant stems or burrows.
Pollinators are highly susceptible to these threats, and by restoring small-scale prairie habitats in developed or urban areas, it is possible to create secure environments for critical insects.
[21] Additionally, micro-prairie plants contribute to carbon sequestration, which can improve water quality by absorbing and filtering pollutants, and transforming soil compositions.
[30] Prairie plants leaves have a large surface area that can trap airborne pollutants such as dust, pollen, and particulate matter.
[32] Prairie plants can absorb pollutants such as heavy metals and excess nutrients from water and soil that might enter into an ecosystem.
[33] Implementing a safe and regular mowing or burning schedule is a recommended management practice to avoid fire risk and excessive plant growth.
[33] In urban areas, permaculture is well-suited for reconstructing micro-prairies due to the complementary approach to system design and management.
[26] Utilizing permaculture principles allows for the possibility to create sustainable micro-prairie systems that benefit both the environment and society in urban contexts.
[38] Early prairie restoration efforts tended to focus largely on a few dominant species, typically grasses, with little attention to seed source.
[49] In 1990, in South Africa, de Lange and Boucher reported the use of smoke to promote seed germination among prairie grasses.
[51] Another large restoration project finds its home on the ample area of Fermilab; a U.S. governmental atomic accelerator laboratory located in Batavia, Illinois.
