Prairie Types 360°

Sand Prairie

We are standing in a Sand Prairie. The prairie grass appears to be very short. When we navigate the picture down, we see that we are standing on a dirt path that has been mowed by a tractor. When we look at the prairie grass beside the path, the grass only comes up to our ankles.

There is a cluster of greenish, white prairie grass in front of us. Close up, it looks like a cluster of miniature Christmas trees with fake snow sprayed on the pine needles.  As we look out away from the cluster of white, the prairie grass begins to turn green and has yellow tassels on top of the green stalks like the tassels on top of a corn stalk. Looking further in the distance, we get the feeling that the prairie has valleys and hills.  It’s almost like we are sailing in a sea of green.

Right in the middle is a group of orange and yellow flowers in a sea of green. 

A forest of trees surrounds the prairie. In the distance beside a cluster of trees is a house and parking area. 

Question A

The Eddyville Sand Prairie has a marshy area next to it. A marsh is a low area with water. 

• Why might this make sense, given the dry sandy soil of the sand prairie? 

Question B

The Eddyville Sand Prairie is in Southeast Iowa. Sand prairies can be found all over the state, usually near a river.

• Why do you think they have this geographical placement in common?

Question C

Eddyville Prairie is a sand prairie, meaning that the soil is unlike a usual prairie and much sandier.

• Where do you think all of this sand may have come from?
• How might this impact the plants and animals that live here?

Question D

Prairies thrived in Iowa because they were untouched by natural fires, and widespread pollination helped maintain diverse species.

• How do you think the presence of modern cities, towns and roads affect a prairie’s ability to diversify species today?

Wetland Prairie

We are standing on a road that divides the wetland prairie. On our left is a large body of water. When we turn and face the water, we see clumps of dark green prairie grass growing up to the water’s edge. To our right, we see sections of the water covered in light, green goo like grass growing on the water. In the middle of the large body of water, we see dark green clumps of prairie grass like an island.  

On our right is another body of water. This body of water is smaller in scale compared to the other body of water that we just looked at. Instead of having large, dark green clumps of prairie grass growing up to the edge of the water, this body of water is surrounded by light tan stalks of grass with flowery tops. The stalks of grass resemble a wheat field. When we take a closer look at the water, we see the same green goo on the top of the water, but instead of having a clump of green grass like an island, this body of water has individual prairie grass coming up out of the water like single hairs on a baby’s head.

Question A

Union Slough is a national wildlife refuge. It has become a safe place to trumpeter swans, a species that used to be extinct in Iowa. These swans are now being reintroduced.

• What might make Union Slough a good place for trumpeter swans to live?

Question B

Union Slough contains both remnant and reconstructed prairies. It is one of the few areas with remnant prairies in Iowa. 

• Why do you think remnant prairies are so rare when Iowa used to be covered with prairie?

Question C

Union Slough and other wetland prairies in Iowa are usually found in the prairie Pothole Region in North Central Iowa.

• Why might it make sense that this is the same region where major natural lakes are found?

Question D

A remnant prairie is a prairie whose roots were never disturbed or tilled. The Remnant prairie at Union Slough has been kept intact because of one family's generational commitment to leave a plot of land undisturbed.

• What sort of sacrifices might a family have had to make in order to keep part of their land as remnant prairie?

Tallgrass Prairie

We are standing in the middle of a tallgrass prairie. We can just barely see over the top of the grass in some sections and in others, all we see is the prairie grass in front of us. As we move around the prairie, we can see individual stalks of grass that reach up into the sky like Jack’s beanstalk that was created from his magic beans.

Question A

Neal Smith Prairie is a reconstructed prairie. At one time it was tilled and used as farmland.

• Why might it be important to convert this land back to prairie?

Question B

Neal Smith Prairie is unique in Iowa because it contains a herd of about 60 bison.

• Why might it be important to control the bison population?
• What might bison do for a prairie that helps it thrive?

Question C

At Neal Smith Prairie, they are very careful to only use seeds of prairie plants that are local to Iowa.

• Why do you think this is important?

Question D

Though vision is limited because the grasses are so tall, Neal Smith Prairie is relatively large compared to other restored prairie efforts in Iowa.

• What benefits might come along with a large-scale prairie restoration?
• What challenges might come along with a large-scale prairie restoration?