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RALEIGH,
N.C. (June 10) — Prairies, which were scattered across
the Piedmont region until two centuries ago, are undergoing a mini-revival,
according to the June issue of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine.
North Carolina’s Piedmont was a dense, unbroken forest when European settlers first arrived — that’s long been the common assumption, anyway. But researchers have rediscovered natural evidence, as well as period accounts, of a landscape that was more diverse. Although hardwood forests of oak and hickory were plentiful, they were punctuated by rolling plains of tall grasses and herbs. Fire created most of these clearings — either by lightning or, more likely, Native Americans, who used the grasslands to grow crops and to draw game animals out of the woods. Grazing herds of buffalo and elk, which once were abundant in North Carolina, helped keep the open lands treeless. The forests and prairies persisted for 12,000 years, until settlers arrived bearing axes and plows. Now, an effort is under way to restore and maintain some of these Piedmont prairies. Lawrence Earley, retired editor of the state’s wildlife magazine, analyzes North Carolina’s stock of these disjointed ecosystems, which range from small plots of an acre or less to a 140-acre site managed by Mecklenburg County. More than preservation for its own sake is occurring. Grassland habitats support many rare plants and animals, from the beautiful but endangered Schweinitz’s sunflower to the aptly named prairie warbler. As grasslands have gradually reappeared, so have songbirds and wildflowers. Earley writes that the restored prairies “add a bit of biological diversity to a Piedmont landscape that badly needs it.” Wildlife
in North Carolina magazine is a monthly publication of
the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. For subscription information,
call toll-free
(866) 945-3746, or visit
the subscription page. |
