The American Prairie

Grasslands are a biome that does not record enough rainfall to create conditions for the development of forrest, but has enough rainfall to not be considered a desert. The low rainfall results in a landscape that is ruled by a wide range of grasses and other grass-like flora. Grasslands go by many names, prairies, steppes, savannah, etc. They are also present on every continent except Antarctica.

The United States does well in many aspects of land conservation. However, much of this conservation has been focused on preserving "natural beauties" and forests. Temperate grasslands represent 8% of global land cover, but only 4.5% of the 8% are protected. This level of conservation is not sufficient enough to support the ranges necessary to support large grazing populations.

Below shows the area of protected lands by the U.S. Forest Service, and on the right is the portion of these protections attributed to grasslands.

Grasslands are vitally important to the biodiversity of North America, and to the atmospheric health of the planet. These ecosystems have taken thousands of years to adapt and grow, and that can all be undone with a plow and fences. More must be done to protect these vibrant ecosystems before they become too small and separated to support the grazers and pollinators necessary to keep it going.

An organized effort to prioritize grassland conservation, in cooperation with a plan to reintroduce native plants and animals to reclaimed lands is a necessary step to revitalizing a too long overlooked part of the American landscape.