Tall grasses reach for the sky, colorful wildflowers wave in the breeze, and animals of all description find refuge there. Most people are surprised to learn that prairies are a native ecosystem to Ohio. The thought that prairies grow only out west has probably been promoted by novels, movies and television programs. Ohio's prairies are referred to as tallgrass prairies. Plenty of moisture in Ohio allows several kinds of grasses, such as big bluestem and Indian grass, to grow up to 9 feet tall.
Prairies are an exciting part of the original landscape of Ohio.
When the first settlers from the east moved into Ohio in the late 1700s they encountered over 300 prairies that ranged in size from several acres to many square miles. Most of these prairie islands were located in the western part of the state and were surrounded by a vast forest. It is thought that nearly 1,500 square miles of tallgrass prairies once existed in Ohio. On The Prairie Fire is very important to the prairie ecosystem. Without fire to kill invading woody trees and shrubs, a prairie can turn into a forest through a process called succession.