Inventory & Monitoring at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Landscape view at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

NPS-Photo

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve represents a remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem that previously covered over 400,000 square miles of North America. The 10,894 acre park lies within the Flint Hills of east central Kansas. The park's landscape contains springs, seeps, intermittent and perennial streams, and constructed stock ponds. The park has some of the least impacted prairie stream habitat remaining in the Midwest. The physical and chemical properties of the park's prairie streams are dynamic, and the fish communities are adapted to living in this harsh and changing environment.
As of 2001, more than 400 species of vascular plants (native and non-native) had been identified at TAPR. The park is dominated by big bluestem, Indian grass, and little bluestem. A rich flora is associated with the margins of prairie springs, seeps, and streams. The park implements a varied fire and grazing regime meant to mimic the historic frequency of fire in the Flint Hills. While cattle graze most of the acreage on the park, one pasture is home to a small herd of American bison (Bison bison). Both cattle and American bison typically prefer to graze recently burned patches while leaving unburned patches mostly ungrazed.

Monitoring Reports

Source: Data Store Saved Search 3507 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Inventory Reports

Source: Data Store Collection 4260 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Check out the links below for other interesting science information about your park:

Air Quality in Parks
Learn about the air quality at your park and how it has changed over time.

NPS Geodiversity Atlas
An interactive map to explore the full variety of natural geologic (rocks, minerals, sediments, fossils, landforms, and physical processes) and soil resources and processes that occur in your park.

NPSpecies
Find out what plants and animals are present in your park or other parks.