Grasslands

Conservation

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

A thing is right 

when it tends 

to preserve the 

integrity, stability, 

and beauty of

the biotic 

community.

ALDO LEOPOLD, 1948

Urban Oasis

Conservation of the landscape at Manassas 

National Battlefi eld Park has safeguarded some 

of northern Virginia's largest grasslands. While 

increased development continues to fragment 

open space throughout the region, these historic 

fi elds have become a refuge for diverse plants 

and animals. As a steward of the nation's most 

important natural and cultural resources, the 

National Park Service is working to maintain the 

Civil War era scene and protect plant and animal 

habitats through natural resource monitoring, 

scientifi c collaboration, and partnerships.

eastern cottontail

fi eld sparrow nest

tiger swordtail little bluestem

Five major roads intersect or surround Manassas.

National Capital Region

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Virginia
northern harrier

Grasslands

Conservation

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Periodic disturbances by humans and fire 

once maintained the health of native 

grasslands. Since European settlement, 

agriculture, fire suppression, and urban 

development have altered these ecosystems 

and affected their integrity.

White-tailed deer were nearly extirpated 

in this area of Virginia by 1900. Restocking, 

initiated in 1926, and hunting regulations 

designed to promote maximum reproductive 

success resulted in a spectacular recovery. 

Park forests presently experience extensive 

overbrowsing by deer, whose population 

densities in the park are estimated at 160 

deer per square mile. A recent study in the 

park revealed that foraging by deer has 

suppressed vegetative cover and reduced 

seedling survival rates of most species 

studied. Invasive exotic plant populations 

are also monitored to abate the threats to 

park ecosystems. Manassas suffers from the 

invasion of more than 70 non-native plant 

species, primarily honeysuckle, Japanese 

stiltgrass, and multiflora rose. 

Accelerated urban encroachment also 

threatens park resources. Located less than 

30 miles from Washington, D.C., rapid 

development continues around Manassas, 

isolating the park from adjacent natural areas 

and reducing plant and animal dispersal.

It is estimated that since the mid-1800s, grassland ecosystems in North America have declined 

by 80 percent. In Virginia, idle grasslands decreased by 55 percent since 1945. This overall 

decline, especially in the eastern states, is attributed to afforestation (converting open land 

into forest by planting trees) and the subsequent lack of early successional habitat. Manassas 

grasslands offset some impacts by providing a refuge for birds and other grassland species. 

In recent years, Manassas National Battlefield Park restored more than 500 acres to native 

warm season grasses. An additional 100 acres of previously disturbed lands were restored in 

collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution. 

Manassas was recognized as an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society and selected 

as a stop on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail because of the quality of park grasslands. 

Manassas supports one of the best grassland and shrubland species suites in the region, with 

healthy populations of eastern meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, field sparrows, prairie 

warblers, brown thrashers, and eastern towhees—all state species of conservation concern. 

Manassas provides habitat for more than 150 bird species throughout the year—54 of them 

confirmed to breed within the park. Insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals also depend 

on Manassas for important habitat. The park’s management of natural and cultural resources 

provides for the public enjoyment of both with more than 40 miles of hiking and bridle trails.

Most fields in Manassas have been used for 

agriculture before and after the Civil War. 

Recent agricultural practices have focused 

on the production of hay using non-native 

cool season grasses such 

as orchard grass and 

fescue. Quality crops 

in these fields require 

adding fertilizers and lime. 

Because such maintenance 

is expensive and laborintensive, the pastoral 

appearance and openness 

of the park is achieved 

through agricultural leases 

with local farmers. 

Manassas has established native warm season 

grasses in as many areas as possible because 

these grasses require no fertilization or 

lime and are adapted to the acidic soils in 

the park. They provide excellent grassland 

habitat for wildlife species such as quail that 

are in decline in northern Virginia. Warm 

season grasses are deep-rooted, which helps 

to prevent erosion and 

filter nitrates. They also 

contribute to maintaining 

the water quality in 

the park by providing 

adequate riparian 

buffer in areas where 

trees cannot be planted 

because of requirements 

to maintain historic views. 

Presently, Manassas has 

approximately 1,500 

acres of managed grasslands and fields 

that are maintained by different cutting 

regimes devised to fulfill the varied habitat 

requirements of important bird populations.

• Virginia Department of Game and Inland 

Fisheries Birding and Wildlife Trail

 www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/vbwt/index.asp

• Important Bird Areas Program

 www.audubon.org/bird/iba

• Manassas Nature and Science 

www.nps.gov/mana

• Natural Resources Program Manager, 

Manassas National Battlefield Park, 2521 

Lee Highway, Manassas, VA, 20109,

703-754-1859

E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A T M

Grasslands and Birds Today's Battles of Manassas

Battlefield Management

Find Out More

white-tailed deer

barn owl northern harrier

prairie warbler

Established in 1940, Manassas National 

Battlefield Park, Virginia, preserves and 

interprets the sites of the First and Second 

Battles of Manassas. The battle fought 

on July 21, 1861, was the first major 

land battle of the Civil War, leaving 900 

dead. Thirteen months later, Union and 

Confederate forces returned to the same 

ground and fought a second battle for 

three days, which resulted in the deaths 

of 3,300 soldiers.

The National Park Service manages these 

landscapes by protecting large tracts of 

land that represent the scene as it existed 

at the time of the battles. The open fields, 

wooded areas, ridges, valleys, and streams 

helped define the fields of battle. 

Habitat of Historic

Proportions

The patchwork of pastures, prairies, 

woodlands, shrublands, and wetlands of 

Manassas reminds visitors of important Civil 

War events and provides habitat for diverse 

organisms away from the pressures of 

surrounding development.

USFWS photoPHOTO COURTESY GEORGE JAMESON USFWS PHOTO

National Capital Region

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Virginia

Produced by National Capital Region Inventory and Monitoring Network and Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance