Setting the Stage

The Intersection of Three Problems

Although the average Midwesterner may not realize this, Eastern Tallgrass Prairie is one of the most critically endangered ecosystems on earth. This diverse set of plants and animals that used to cover much of the heart of North America is now so rare that many people have never even seen it. Nationwide, greater than 96% of this ecosystem has been lost¹; in states such as Iowa and Illinois, 99.9% of prairies are gone. Because prairies build rich soils and are relatively easy to plow, this ecosystem has been converted to agricultural fields, urban areas, and other human landscapes at an alarming rate. Due to this rate of habitat loss, many prairie organisms are declining in numbers³. Furthermore, the fact that most remaining patches of un-plowed prairie are small and isolated from each other creates a serious set of problems for organisms, an issue called habitat fragmentation.

Global climate change is an undeniable reality^4,5. Through accumulation of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, worldwide temperatures are rising with far-reaching negative consequences. As indicators of the severity of this issue, scientists estimate that 15 – 37% of all species face extinction from global warming by 2050⁶ and predict that 370 million humans likely will be forced to relocate by 2100 because of rising ocean levels⁷.

Increasing costs (both economic and environmental) and dwindling supplies of fossil fuels indicate now is the time for new sources of energy. Grain-based biofuels, such as corn-produced ethanol, are marketed as a mechanism of reducing greenhouse gases. While using ethanol from corn kernels does reduce CO₂ emissions compared to gasoline, this reduction is small (10 – 15%) since growing and harvesting corn consumes large quantities of fuel⁸. Furthermore, since corn also feeds humans and livestock, the use of this crop for fuel creates excessive demand, likely leading to higher grain and food prices⁹ and further loss of wildlife habitat^10,11.

The Promise of Prairies

Prairie plants have tremendous potential to provide benefits in agriculture, including the production of fuel. Research in

Switchgrass

Minnesota⁸ has shown that diverse plantings of prairie vegetation produce more biomass per acre than other crops (including corn and plantings of switch grass alone). This biomass can be used to produce liquid fuels and to create electricity. These prairie plantings can be grown on poor soils and require little to no input of water, herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. Furthermore, little fuel is used maintaining the plantings and the diverse vegetation stores large quantities of carbon in the soil¹². Therefore using fuels or electricity from this source may consume more CO₂ than is released⁸. Additionally, diverse plantings of prairie vegetation potentially provide other benefits to agriculture and the environment¹³ (see objectives page), services that likely outweigh the cost of planting.

Biology