Animal Habitats

Prairie

North American temperate grasslands with rich soils and diverse grass species
673 Animals
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Overview

Understanding This Category

A prairie is a temperate grassland habitat dominated by perennial grasses and flowering forbs, with few trees because of climate (moderate rainfall, periodic drought) and recurring disturbance-especially fire and grazing. It typically forms extensive open landscapes with deep, fertile soils and high seasonal variability.

Prairies are open grasslands of grasses and wildflowers with few trees because fires, grazing, and dryness keep woody plants away. Fire and herbivores like bison create short- and tall-grass patches that support many insects, birds, and small mammals. Deep roots build rich soils, store carbon, hold water, and resist drought. Many prairies became farms, so remnants are vital.

Key Characteristics

Dominance of perennial grasses and diverse forbs; trees are naturally sparse or patchy
Disturbance-driven dynamics: frequent fire and grazing maintain open structure
Strong seasonality (warm summers, cold winters) with periodic drought and high interannual variability
Deep, organic-rich, highly fertile soils (often mollisols) formed by extensive root biomass
High belowground productivity: dense root networks promote carbon storage and water infiltration
Supports abundant herbivores, burrowing mammals, pollinators, and ground-nesting birds
Landscape-scale openness with long sightlines and strong wind influence on microclimate and fire spread
Transitions (ecotones) to woodland/forest with increased moisture and to steppe/shrubland with increased aridity
Environment

Environmental Conditions

Climate

Temperature Range
-30°°C to 35°°C
Precipitation
~250-900 mm/year (typically 350-700 mm/year), strongly seasonal; periodic drought common; frequent fire supported by dry late-season conditions and accumulated fuels.

Terrain

Plains Hilly Plateau Valley Riverine

Conditions

High light availability (open canopy); full sun with minimal tree cover; strong seasonal photoperiod and frequent wind-driven exposure.

Primarily intermittent to perennial streams and small rivers (often in riverine corridors), shallow wetlands/seasonal ponds (prairie potholes in some regions), seeps, and ephemeral drainages; water availability varies strongly with season and drought. Aquatic parameters (currents/salinity) generally freshwater; currents range from still (ponds/wetlands) to moderate in streams.

Ecology

Ecological Community

Biodiversity Level

Medium to high: Plant diversity is often high (many grasses and especially forbs), and invertebrate diversity can be very high; vertebrate diversity is moderate but includes specialized grassland birds and burrowing mammals. Overall diversity depends strongly on disturbance regime (fire/grazing), habitat size and connectivity, and prevention of woody encroachment and conversion to cropland.

Flora

  • Perennial warm-season grasses (C4)
  • Perennial cool-season grasses (C3)
  • Forbs/wildflowers (herbaceous dicots)
  • Sedges and rushes (in wetter microsites)
  • Shrubs/woody encroachers (where fire/grazing are reduced)

Fauna

Ecosystem Services

  • High primary productivity supporting grazing and wildlife
  • Soil formation and maintenance of deep, fertile topsoil
  • Carbon sequestration and long-term carbon storage in roots and soils
  • Water infiltration and groundwater recharge; reduced runoff and erosion
  • Nutrient cycling driven by fire, grazing, and decomposition (including dung-mediated cycling)
  • Pollination services from diverse native pollinators
  • Habitat for migratory and resident grassland birds and other wildlife
  • Natural pest regulation by predators and diverse insect communities
  • Cultural and recreational value (open landscapes, wildlife viewing, ranching heritage)
Conservation

Conservation Status

Temperate prairies (temperate grasslands) are among the most changed and least protected land habitats worldwide. Much is turned to cropland and heavy grazing, breaking prairie into small, separate patches, cutting native plant diversity and stopping fire-grazing patterns, causing sharp declines in grassland birds and pollinators. Even where grass remains, invasive plants, soil damage, and changed water flow degrade condition.

~60-90% historically (often >90% for tallgrass prairie; mixed- and shortgrass prairies typically lower but still substantial). Lost
Declining Current Trend

Primary Threats

  • Conversion of native prairie to row-crop agriculture and seeded pasture; loss of intact soils and native plant communities.
  • Fire suppression, altered grazing regimes, woody encroachment, drainage, and hydrological changes that shift community structure and reduce habitat quality.
  • Roads, fences, energy development, and other linear features fragment habitat, increase edge effects, and reduce viability of area-sensitive species.
  • Non-native grasses/forbs and woody invasives outcompete native species and alter fire behavior and nutrient cycling.
  • Nutrient deposition, pesticide drift, and herbicide impacts reduce forb diversity and harm pollinators and soil biota; dust and contaminants near agriculture/industry.
  • Greater heat, drought variability, and extreme events shift species composition, increase wildfire risk in some regions, and reduce productivity in others; interacts strongly with fragmentation.
  • Expansion of cities and exurban development consumes and fragments remaining prairie and increases disturbance pressures.
  • Soil organic carbon loss, erosion, and groundwater depletion in prairie regions reduce long-term ecological function and restoration outcomes.
  • Generally secondary to land conversion, but can affect focal species (e.g., some ground-nesting birds) where access and disturbance are high.

Protection Efforts

  • Legal protection of remaining native prairie (reserves, conservation easements, Indigenous protected areas)
  • Grassland-friendly agricultural programs (set-asides, prairie strips, reduced tillage, delayed haying, wildlife-friendly grazing)
  • Prescribed fire and patch-burn grazing to restore disturbance regimes and maintain open structure
  • Invasive species prevention and control; native seed sourcing and local-genotype revegetation
  • Restoration/reconstruction of prairie on former cropland (rebuilding native plant diversity and soil function over time)
  • Protection of large, connected landscapes and corridors; removal/modification of fences to reduce fragmentation impacts for some species
  • Monitoring and recovery plans for grassland birds, pollinators, and threatened plants; adaptive management using long-term vegetation and wildlife data

Notable Protected Areas

Konza Prairie Biological Station (USA) Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Oklahoma, USA) Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (Iowa, USA) Grasslands National Park (Saskatchewan, Canada) Riding Mountain region grasslands and adjacent prairie conservation areas (Canada) Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (Illinois, USA) Matador Ranch / Nature Conservancy grassland preserves (USA) Hortobágy National Park (Hungary)

Restoration Potential

Moderate to high where land can be reallocated from intensive agriculture and where remnant prairies exist as seed sources. Prairie vegetation can be re-established relatively quickly (years to decades), but full recovery of soil structure, microbial communities, and pre-conversion biodiversity (especially invertebrates and some specialist plants) can take decades to centuries. Large, contiguous restorations with reintroduced/managed fire and grazing show the best outcomes.

Climate Vulnerability

Moderate to high. Prairies are adapted to climate variability, fire, and grazing, but fragmentation and altered hydrology reduce resilience. Increased drought/heat, shifting precipitation timing, and more extreme events can drive compositional change, stress ground-nesting birds and pollinators, and increase invasion risk. Maintaining large connected areas, heterogeneity (fire-grazing mosaics), and diverse native plant assemblages improves adaptive capacity.

Human Impact

Human Interaction

Human Uses

  • Cropland conversion for grains and oilseeds (e.g., wheat, corn, soy) and forage crops
  • Livestock grazing and ranching; hay production from native or restored grasslands
  • Use of fertile soils for agriculture-supported settlements and infrastructure corridors (roads, rail, pipelines)
  • Seed harvesting and cultivation of native prairie plants for restoration, landscaping, and pollinator habitat
  • Traditional gathering of foods and medicines (e.g., prairie turnip, berries, medicinal forbs)
  • Research and education (ecology, soil science, fire ecology, carbon cycling, wildlife management)

Impacts

  • Widespread conversion to row-crop agriculture, reducing habitat area and connectivity
  • Suppression of natural fire regimes, enabling woody encroachment and altering plant and wildlife communities
  • Overgrazing or poorly timed grazing that can reduce native plant diversity, compact soils, and increase erosion
  • Fragmentation from roads, fences, energy development, and suburban expansion; barriers to wildlife movement
  • Invasive species introductions (e.g., nonnative grasses/forbs) that outcompete natives and simplify communities
  • Agrochemical runoff and drift (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides) affecting soil biota, wetlands, and pollinators
  • Loss of ground-nesting bird habitat due to mowing/haying during nesting season and conversion to monocultures
  • Climate change impacts (altered precipitation, more extremes) interacting with fire and grazing to shift species composition

Sustainable Practices

  • Protect and restore remaining prairie remnants via conservation easements, reserves, and grassland set-asides
  • Use prescribed fire or managed grazing (patch-burn grazing, rotational/seasonal systems) to mimic natural disturbance and maintain diversity
  • Adopt regenerative agriculture where cropping occurs: reduced/zero till, cover crops, diversified rotations, prairie strips, and buffer zones to cut erosion and nutrient loss
  • Timing and methods for haying/mowing to reduce impacts on ground-nesting birds (delayed cuts, flush bars, mosaic harvest)
  • Integrated invasive species management emphasizing prevention, early detection, targeted treatment, and native reseeding
  • Maintain and reconnect habitat through corridors, larger grassland blocks, and wildlife-friendly fencing
  • Protect wetlands and riparian areas embedded in prairie (prairie potholes, draws) with setbacks and reduced chemical inputs
  • Support native seed supply chains and local-genotype plantings for restoration; monitor outcomes adaptively with community involvement
Fun Facts

Did You Know?

Prairies aren't "empty" landscapes-they're often more like upside-down forests, with much of their structure and diversity hidden in roots, rhizomes, and soil life.

Fire is not just tolerated-it's often essential. Many prairie plants are adapted to burn and can resprout rapidly because their growing points are protected at or below the soil surface.

Grazing can increase diversity when it's patchy: large herbivores create a mosaic of short and tall areas, which benefits different birds, insects, and plants.

A prairie in peak bloom can host an astonishing variety of flowers (forbs), even though grasses dominate the overall cover-many of the showiest species are seasonal "cameos."

Prairies can be excellent carbon storers because so much plant material ends up underground; carbon is often locked into soil rather than wood.

What looks like "just grass" is frequently hundreds of species woven together-plants, pollinators, ground-nesting birds, burrowing mammals, fungi, and microbes form a tightly linked community.

Wind is a key architect: many prairie plants are built to flex, not snap, and their seeds are often designed to ride gusts across open ground.

Prairie streams and wetlands can be biodiversity hotspots within the grassland matrix, acting like oases for amphibians, waterfowl, and specialized plants.

A prairie is like an iceberg: the scenic part is above ground, but the largest, most important mass (roots and soil life) is hidden below.

Think of fire on the prairie like pruning in a garden-periodic "resetting" removes old growth, recycles nutrients, and keeps woody plants from taking over.

Prairie grasses behave like spring-loaded carpets: they bend with wind, recover after grazing, and bounce back quickly after disturbance.

If forests are "wood-based ecosystems," prairies are "soil-based ecosystems"-their wealth is stored in deep, dark topsoil rather than trunks.

A prairie is a patchwork quilt: different burn histories, grazing intensity, and moisture levels stitch together many micro-habitats in one landscape.

Prairie roots are like a living rebar grid: they hold soil in place, reduce erosion, and help water soak in rather than run off.

Some prairie soils (mollisols) are among the most fertile on Earth-built over thousands of years by dense grass roots and steady nutrient cycling.

Tallgrass prairie plants can reach "basketball hoop" height or more in wet years; big bluestem is often called the "king of the prairie" for its towering stature.

In many prairie regions, most of the plant's biomass is underground: grass root systems can extend several feet deep, making prairies champions of below-ground growth.

Prairies can experience huge seasonal extremes-hot, windy summers and frigid winters-yet remain highly productive because grasses rebound quickly after stress and disturbance.

Some of the fastest ecological "turnarounds" happen on prairies: after a burn, green regrowth can appear within days, and flowering can surge dramatically the same season.

Prairie Animals

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