Page 74 - parks-master-plan

Grazing and migration is a natural phenomenon on the prairie. Historically, bison and elk as well as deer and domesticated sheep, by their habits and actions, trampled the land, grazing and uprooting vegetation as they moved across the prairies. Woody plants and small trees were damaged and destroyed as animals sought browse or marked territory.

Thunderstorms and lightning fires were random in their actions. Rains drenched some areas while fire left swaths of scorched earth in its path.

Fires from lightning strikes were unpredictable and dependent on temperatures, wind, terrain and availability of fuel sources. This random action favored the diversity of species,

destroying some and leaving some to adapt and prosper.

Native Americans and European settlers also affected lands by clear-cutting and intentionally setting fires to create settlements and for crop lands. Planting and harvesting hay were also methods responsible for creating and preserving prairies by halting the natural successional progression of woodlands.

In terms of wildlife management, both prairies and meadows have their place in the urban environment. They both offer much-needed shelter and forage material for a diverse

wildlife population. The prairie’s dense biomass is a perfect habitat for animals seeking cover from overhead predators, but it also hides ground-plane predators.

No remnant prairies exist within the City limits. However, there are many environmental benefits to reintroducing prairies and introducing meadows to Dublin. Prairie vegetation rooting structures hold soils in place better than any other plant community. Both their water-slowing biomass and roots loosen soil and encourage percolation.

During storm events, this lessens flooding, helps purify water, and encourages aquifer recharge. Chemical applications and mowing can be minimized or eliminated by implementing both prairies and meadows.

Aesthetically, prairies increase bird and butterfly populations and provide a wide variety of blooms throughout the growing season.

In addition, some of the bird populations that are becoming scarce actually prefer the less dense structure of a meadow to the true prairie. For their management, it is essential that the City consider implementing both prairies and meadows.