Promoting Prairie

 Today, June 4, is National Prairie Day. At least it is in the USA, but hasn't been recognized as such in Canada yet, which is unfortunate since tallgrass prairie is a significant habitat type throughout many provinces. Regular readers will know that I am a huge fan of tallgrass prairie.

The first three photos are representative of some of the 100+ prairies I have explored in the mid-western US, mostly in Missouri.

Diamond Grove Prairie

Golden Prairie

Treaty Line Prairie

These next two are from southwestern Ontario.

Island Prairie, Walpole Is

The following photo is of a small patch that occurs at Rondeau, and features an impressive stand of Butterfly Weed. It could arguably be called part of a Black Oak Savanna. The large Black Oak with its spreading limbs certainly fits the savanna theme.

Prairies are becoming increasingly recognized for their value beyond the species diversity they support. Certainly grassland birds are becoming quite rare, as are some of the multitude of invertebrates inhabiting them. But even more so, old growth grasslands, which means grasslands that have never been plowed, store huge amounts of carbon. An old growth grassland has enormous amounts of herbaceous material below the surface. Some high quality species have root systems that go 6 metres or more below ground.

Some of the rarest plants in Ontario occur in tallgrass prairie, or the closely related oak savanna. This first one, Tall Green Milkweed, only occurs in one location in Ontario.

Eastern Prairie White-fringed Orchid is technically not limited to prairie, but usually has its greatest abundance there. It is a Species At Risk (SAR).

Closely related, but now gone from Canada, is the Yellow-fringed Orchid.

Giant Swallowtails, at one time considered a candidate as a SAR is seen feeding on Ironweed, a species limited to prairies.

Ironweed

An endangered species and therefore a SAR, is Slender Bush Clover.

Rough Blazing-star is a SAR.

Its more common relative, Tall Blazing-star, can be quite dominant in some limited prairies.

Another orchid, Purple Twayblade, is a SAR.

Pink Milkwort, next, is limited to only a couple of prairie sites in Ontario.

Goat's-rue is also a SAR, being limited in Ontario to only a couple of places.

This next photo shows one of the largest populations of a rare prairie species, Colicroot. Unfortunately this prairie patch was completely destroyed to allow for an expanded highway development.

A Cylindrical Blazing-star meadow graces some of the beach dune area of Rondeau. Although technically not a tallgrass prairie in the normal sense, it is a variation of it, and supports mostly tallgrass prairie plant species.

Prairie and savanna can occur in the same area, as is the case for this scene from Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve in Windsor, which features a tall candelabra type plant called Culver's root

A little more on the oak savanna side of things is this scene featuring a Black Oak savanna at Rondeau Provincial Park.

Tallgrass Prairie and Black Oak Savanna: two of the most endangered habitats in Ontario. I encourage you to get out to explore and appreciate them!

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National Tallgrass Prairie Day

Today, June 6, 2020 is National Tallgrass Prairie Day. At least if you live in the USA, where the first Saturday of June was established by the Missouri Prairie Foundation as a state recognized day, and eventually gained national recognition. Tallgrass prairie doesn't have nearly the same profile in Ontario, or even Canada, as it does in the US. However there are significant prairies scattered across parts of Ontario and Canada, with some amazing colour and diversity. They are considered ecological treasures by anyone interested in significant natural areas protection.

They occur at places like Walpole Island, as in the next two images......

 ....and also in the greater Windsor area, such as at Ojibway Prairie and nearby....

 ...or even on a smaller scale, at places like Rondeau, where the relatively sterile, sandy soils were largely the result of the prairie habitats occurring here....

 ...as well as savanna vegetation, not because of being the result of fire.

Some occur as far east as Alderville, in the Peterborough area.

All of them have their own character, and while fire may not have been the reason for their occurrence, either in the past or the present, fire may be used as a 'tool' to maintain them.

A good quality tallgrass prairie will support myriad species of flora and fauna. In fact some of the only known locations for some species of insects are in tallgrass prairies. But the wildflowers are the most appealing feature to many observers. Even the most casual observers can appreciate the colour and diversity. The first few photos above featured iconic species such as Dense Blazing-star, Culver'stoot and Colicroot. Other species are shown below.

Tall Ironweed

Giant Swallowtail on Wild Bergamot

Flowering Spurge

Whorled Milkweed

Virginia Bush-clover (endangered)

Monarch

Lily-leaved Twayblade (threatened)

 With the loss of so much of the original prairie in Ontario, it is not surprising that some species have been lost along the way, including the Yellow-fringed Orchid.

 This next one only occurs on First Nations lands, as well as a single site in the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve.

Pink Milkwort (endangered)

 This next one, Grey-headed Coneflower, is common on prairies, but quite uncommon anywhere else.

 Wild Lupine is a rare prairie/savanna species.

Some of the grassland species of birds are rare and declining, and are often legally a Species At Risk, protected under the Endangered Species Act. The first three species are in that category.

Bobolink

Eastern Meadowlark

Henslow's Sparrow

 This next one, Savannah Sparrow, is common on grasslands, but not restricted to the quality tallgrass prairies that the first three are. so fortunately their populations are in relatively good shape.

Fortunately the interest in tallgrass prairie in Ontario is increasing, with both public and private landowners intent on restoring or even establishing tallgrass prairie habitat, so hopefully some of the prairie species at risk will have a little more security in the future.

Next time you see a grassland, and especially a quality tallgrass prairie, take a few moments to enjoy it!

National Prairie Day

The first Saturday in June has been declared National Prairie Day. At least that is the case in the USA, but Canada has not yet designated it as such. But since tallgrass prairie is extremely rare in Ontario, and is in fact one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America, I am promoting National Prairie Day on this side of the border as well.

Tallgrass Prairie (TGP) harbours a huge number of rare, threatened and endangered species, as well as a multitude of species that have not even been evaluated yet, but are equally as rare. In fact you can hardly venture onto a TGP without stepping on them!

TGP was widely scattered across parts of southern Ontario, but has been greatly reduced. It is believed that less than 1% of the TGP present at the time of settlement still remains. Some of the best remnants are at places like Walpole Island First Nation......

 ....and Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve in Windsor......

 ...and as far east as the Alderville First Nation in the Rice Lake area.

There is a host of colourful, and rare plants, including Colicroot (Aletris farinosa)

 Colicroot can be quite abundant in places. Sadly this prairie site below with dozens of Colicroot was destroyed in the process of building the new Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor. Some of the individual plants were transplanted to a more secure location. While it saves individual plants, the overall TGP habitat is nonetheless destroyed. But that is the topic for one or two other blog posts.

 Milkweeds are a significant part of a TGP habitat, including Prairie Milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii)

Prairie Milkweed

 ....and Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens), both of which are rare.

Purple Milkweed

 Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is not as rare, and a delight to come across in any setting.

Butterfly Weed

Some of the rarest plants include species like Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea)

 and Pink Milkwort (Polygala incarnata)

 and Slender Bush Clover (Lespedeza virginica)

 and Small White Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

The previous four species are all legally Endangered. This next species, Yellow Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris) is extirpated, since it has not been seen in Ontario in many decades. I had to go to Ohio to photograph this one.

There are various groups of fauna typical of TGP that are also on the rare, threatened or endangered list, including Eastern Fox Snake.

 and Henslow's Sparrow. This image below is one of the first times I attempted to digiscope a bird.

The heart of the TGP region is in the midwestern USA. Some of the best remaining prairie landscapes are in Missouri. Some are national natural landmarks, such as Golden Prairie.

Golden Prairie

Some are state parks, such as Prairie State Park where the bison do indeed still roam.

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are fairly common.

 Loggerhead Shrikes are periodically seen.

Loggerhead Shrike

 Dickcissels are abundant.

Dickcissel

 Many have interesting and appropriate names, such as Sky Prairie, Paintbrush Prairie or Gayfeather Prairie.

Sky Prairie

 Others have retained a name that represents a native connection, such as Wa-Kon-Tah Prairie or Kickapoo Prairie.

Wa-Kon-Tah Prairie

Tallgrass Prairies are amazing landscapes and warrant a high priority for protection. Get out and explore a prairie soon!