tallgrass prairie

western prairie fringed orchid

Intimate photographs of some of the toughest plants on the planet.
They survive flood and drought, -40°C to +40°C, and frequent strong winds. Yet, along with being graceful feats of engineering, Tallgrass Prairie flora is remarkably delicate and exceptionally beautiful. And, of course, when photographing plants one encounters insects and other creatures.

 

Forbs are what many think of as flowers;
they are herbaceous plants which are pollinated by insects.

 

* Prints are available at:
   6 1/8" x 8" (15.6 cm x 20.3 cm),
   8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm),
   and 9 5/8" X 12" (24.4 cm x 30.5 cm).

Tallgrass Prairie is one of three grasslands that once covered the Great Plains of North America, an enormous ecozone that stretched from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. It was comprised of Tallgrass Prairie (to the east), Mixed Grass Prairie (in the middle), and Shortgrass Prairie (to the west).

All three ecosystems are in decline:*

Tallgrass Prairie is now 21,549 km2 (from 677,300 km2)

Mixed Grass Prairie is now 225,800 km2 (from (628,000 km2)

Shortgrass Prairie is now 62,115 km2 (from 181,790 km2)

My story The Grassland describes what happened.

 

In fact, Tallgrass Prairie is Canada’s rarest grassland:

Less than 1/2 of one percent of the original remains.

From 6,000 km2 in 1860 down to 30 km2 today; a dot too small to show on the map.

 

In 2015, the Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem was declared endangered by the Province of Manitoba.

tallgrass prairie na map
circa 1860 TALLGRASS PRAIRIE MIXED GRASS PRAIRIE SHORT GRASS PRAIRIE

 

* Source: Biological and Environmental Hazards, Risks, and Disasters