Before there were farms in southwest Michigan, there were prairies. For thousands of years, tall grass prairies stood undisturbed until European settlers turned the rich, highly productive soils to agriculture.
Ecology
Apr 6, 2020
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41
A University of Oklahoma-led study shows that grasshopper numbers have declined over 30% in a Kansas grassland preserve over the past two decades. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the paper, ...
Ecology
Mar 11, 2020
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128
For a prairie plant, a fiery love life isn't just fun—it's essential.
Ecology
Jan 27, 2020
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976
Temperate grasslands are the most endangered but least protected ecosystems on Earth. Grassland restorations are crucial for recovering this important but highly degraded ecosystem. Restored grasslands, however, tend to be ...
Ecology
Aug 28, 2019
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9
A four-leaf clover might bring good luck, but a stand of Kura clover can produce healthier soil—in the long run, according to a South Dakota State University study.
Plants & Animals
Mar 1, 2019
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5
Modern agriculture's large monoculture fields grow a lot of corn and soybeans, planted annually. The outputs from row crops can be measured both in dollars paid in the market and also in non-market costs, known as externalities. ...
Environment
Jan 30, 2019
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12
Ecosystems that have been altered by human activities can provide suitable habitat for native birds, according to scientists in the United States and Australia.
Ecology
Apr 25, 2018
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4
Excess nitrogen gives an advantage to early season plants in Midwestern prairies, leading to further changes in prairie ecosystems, according to a recently published study from an Iowa State University scientist.
Environment
Oct 13, 2017
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5
A clean white plastic flume in an Iowa soybean field is testimony to a novel and possibly heretical idea: prairie plants, once plowed under by farmers growing corn and soybeans in the Midwest, yield benefits for farmers as ...
Environment
Oct 2, 2017
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336
Perennial plants in the Midwest are well attuned to their surroundings. They hunker down all winter in a dormant state, just waiting for a sign that it's safe to unfurl their first tender leaves or flower buds. For many plants, ...
Biotechnology
Aug 8, 2017
1
12
