While I know the standard claim is that Yosemite, Niagara falls, the upper Yellowstone and the like, afford the greatest natural shows, I am not so sure but the Prairies and Plains, while less stunning at first sight, last longer, fill the esthetic sense fuller, precede all the rest, and make North America’s characteristic landscape. -Walt Whitman
A Vanishing Ecosystem
When Pipestone National Monument was established in 1937, it inherited a tallgrass prairie ecosystem that had changed little from prehistoric times. While some areas have been restored, a significant portion of the tallgrass prairie within Pipestone National Monument is native prairie - prairie that has never been plowed.
Because the climate in which tallgrass prairie occurs naturally is also favorable to agriculture, much of the tallgrass prairie today has been converted to farm fields of one kind or another. Only a tiny sliver of the tallgrass prairie remains, less than 1 or 2% of the former range. Some of that prairie is within Pipestone National Monument.
Tallgrass prairie wildflowers
NPS Photo by Nathan King
Diversity and Management
The tallgrass prairie ecosystem contains over 70 types of grasses and hundreds of plants in total. As the seasons change, so do the wildflowers. At any time during the growing season, visitors to Pipestone can enjoy the rich variety of plant life in the park, and all the insects, birds, and mammals the vegetation supports. Learn more about Plants and Animals.
Historically, in addition to massive herds of grazing bison, fire played a necessary role in the health of the prairie. Vital nutrients that might take years to decay were released into an ash that prairie plants could quickly start using and leaf litter was removed to allow sunlight to reach new shoots. Invasive species and trees that blocked out light and competed for nutrients were burned away so that prairie grasses, some with roots 12' deep or more, could grow more freely and unencumbered.
Today, presribed burns throughout the NPS are carefully planned and monitored to serve the same function.
To learn more about the tallgrass prairies and how they're managed today, check out the articles below:
The Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network has sampled permanent monitoring sites in three vegetation community types (restored prairie, successional forest, and bur oak forest) at Homestead National Historical Park.
Locations:Buffalo National River, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Pea Ridge National Military Park, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Voyageurs National Park, Wind Cave National Park
Offices:Archeology Program, Midwest Archeological Center
The Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC) worked with Midwest Region Fire Program to design and carry out experiments to collect information about the effects of fire on various classes of archeological materials. The goals of this project were to assess the fire/archeology interface to provide managers of Midwestern parks with information that will aid in decision-making concerning the stewardship of archeological and natural resources.
Locations:Buffalo National River, Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Indiana Dunes National Park, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
In April 2023, NPS Midwest Region staff were joined by fire staff from Alaska to conduct prescribed fires in the Midwest Region. Fire activity and needs vary throughout the country, and it is a common occurrence for resources to be sent to other regions to assist where needed. Fuel reduction projects were completed in multiple Midwest Region parks, totalling nearly 4,900 acres.
The Manley Woods unit of Wilson’s Creek NB has been subject to intense natural and anthropogenic disturbance events such as a tornado in 2003, timber removal in 2005, prescribed fires in 2006 and 2009, an ice storm in 2007, and periodic drought.
Locations:Buffalo National River, Effigy Mounds National Monument, George Washington Carver National Monument, Homestead National Historical Park, Hot Springs National Park, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Pea Ridge National Military Park, Wilson's Creek National Battlefieldmore »
Offices:Wildland Fire Program
Oak woodlands depend on disturbances like fire to survive. Frequent fire created and maintained the open structure and make-up of the woodlands. Today, there are fewer oak woodlands across the central United States. Oak woodlands are converting into forests due to a lack of fire.
Locations:Homestead National Historical Park, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Offices:Fire and Aviation Management, Fire Management, Regions 3, 4, and 5, Wildland Fire Program
How does prescribed fire maintain the health of prairie ecosystems in the Midwest Region of the National Park Service? Mike Johnson, Regional Wildland Fire Communication and Education Specialist has the answers!
Locations:Effigy Mounds National Monument, Fort Scott National Historic Site, George Washington Carver National Monument, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, Homestead National Historical Park, Pipestone National Monument, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Wilson's Creek National Battlefieldmore »
Offices:Wildland Fire Program
Prairies depend on fire to maintain the ecosystem stability and diversity. One benefit of fire in this community is the elimination of invasive plants, thereby helping to shape and maintain the prairie.
