Scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden, Kansas State University, and Southern Illinois University–Carbondale have completed an analysis of the effects of climate change on a dominant and economically important grassland plant. Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a common grass in natural and restored prairies that extend across the central Midwestern region (Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri,…
Tag: prairie
The Prairie: The First Landscape of Fall
As September begins we notice the subtle changes from summer to fall. The days are slowly getting shorter, monarchs abound, migrating bird species can be spotted, and the prairies are in full bloom. The prairie is an ecosystem dominated by grasses and wildflowers with few trees or shrubs. Prairie once covered the central 1/3…
Celebrate National Prairie Day
National Prairie Day was created by the Missouri Prairie Foundation in 2016 to help bring attention to our native grassland resources. The Missouri Botanical Garden is one of many organizations working to preserve and restore this unique ecosystem. What is a prairie? Prairie is an ecosystem dominated by grasses and wildflowers with few trees or…