KU researchers document native prairie pastures in Douglas County to uncover how much remains

Read the full story, published by the Lawrence Journal-World.

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Before European settlement, Kansas was dominated by vast prairies of tall grasses and wildflowers. However, farming and development have since altered the landscape, prompting researchers at the University of Kansas to help uncover how much of it remains intact in Douglas County.

Prairie pastures, which include native prairie that has never been plowed being grazed by cattle, have played an important ecological role in the Douglas County landscape. Yet, the prairie pastures in Douglas County have not yet been formally documented and surveyed.

These pastures provide habitat for grassland birds and native pollinators and, with soils that have never been plowed, are a potential reservoir of native soil microbe communities.

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