A Glimpse Into Ohio's Prairie Past

A Glimpse Into Ohio's Prairie Past. Ohio Prairies Have Ebbed and Flowed Through Time. , This small prairie gives you an opportunity to see and enjoy native prairie plants that once covered the western portions of Ohio. After being covered in ice by the Wisconsinan glacier, Ohio experienced a period of hot, dry weather about 6,000 to 4,000 years ago. The warming allowed prairie grasslands to expand into Ohio from the west, forming an area known as the Prairie Peninsula. Perhaps as much as half of Ohio was covered with prairie at that time., Over time cooler and wetter conditions returned that favored hardwood forests. Through the natural process of succession, prairies gave way to shrubs and trees. When the first European settlers arrived, Ohio was only two to four percent prairie., So how did those portions of prairie survive? The answer is Native Americans, who found that hunting was easier on prairie land. By periodically burning the prairies, they kept the forest at bay and maintained their hunting strategies., Today many of these remnant prairies are presently owned and managed as preserves by both state and local agencies and conservation organizations. In addition, large and small prairies are being created on public and private land by people like you in an effort to conserve this valuable habitat!, [Captions:] , Native Plants: Adapted For Prairie Life , This prairie was planted in late spring of 2018 by Park Board Commissioner Richard Moseley. It was seeded with over 40 species of prairie plants native to Ohio, including flowers like prairie coneflower, purple coneflower, prairie dock, compass plant, and grasses like big bluestem and Indian grass., Native plants are those plants which occur naturally in a region. Plants adapted for prairie habitats have roots that extend downward to more than 10 feet. This allows them to absorb moisture during dry periods and survive periodic fires. Native plants also support pollinators and local wildlife, including bees, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles and mammals., Burn, Prairie, Burn Managing The Land With Fire , Prescribed burns are a useful tool in land management and are commonly used to improve ecosystem health. A number of prairie plant species are adapted to fire and benefit from periodic burns. Once established, prairies need to be burned every two to three years to reduce shrub and tree growth, as well as invading exotic species. For small prairies, mowing can be used when burning is not an option.