Woodbridge in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Grasslands Are Alive!
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 24, 2022
1. Grasslands Are Alive! Marker
Inscription.
Grasslands Are Alive!. . You are now passing through one of the rarest and most endangered habitats in our region , native grasslands. Why are they so rare? Agriculture and urban development destroy grasslands, and natural processes change them. Left alone, grasslands are replaced naturally by brush and small trees. This process is called succession. But that hasn't happened here. For 40 years, the U.S. Army, former managers of the area, regularly mowed these grasslands for security purposes. Now the Refuge staff periodically mows or burns them to maintain the native grassland community.
You are now passing through one of the rarest and most endangered habitats in our region native grasslands. Why are they so rare? Agriculture and urban development destroy grasslands, and natural processes change them. Left alone, grasslands are replaced naturally by brush and small trees. This process is called succession. But that hasn't happened here. For 40 years, the U.S. Army, former managers of the area, regularly mowed these grasslands for security purposes. Now the Refuge staff periodically mows or burns them to maintain the native grassland community.
Erected by Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Military.
Location. 38° 38.693′ N, 77° 14.257′ W. Marker is in Woodbridge, Virginia, in Prince William County. It is on Dawson Beach Road 0.6 miles east of Highams Court, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14050 Dawson Beach Rd, Woodbridge VA 22191, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in
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the Washington Metropolitan Area, in Northern Virginia, and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 24, 2022
3. Grasslands Are Alive! Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 221 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 24, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
