I have been giving thought to how natural systems can be taken for granted. And it is not until we stop to consider this ecosystem until we appreciate what we have.

In our diverse tall grass system, the peak vegetative growth window of each native grass overlaps the next species through-out the year! This order includes: Winter and Spring Sedges, Wild Ryes, Fowl Manna Grass, Eastern gamma grass, River Oats, Beak Seeded Panic Grass, Switch Grass, Indian Grass, Little and Big Blue Stem and Purple Top; then Fall growth of the cool season species. 

When speaking of efficiency, it is important to remember that the program for the function of each species is written in their seed. Each seed has dormancy mechanisms to protect them while they lay in the dirt. All are stimulated by water, radiant light, temperature, and atmospheric gases. When the conditions are right for each species it germinates instantaneously. The plant breaks dormancy and just begins to grow.

When speaking of efficiency, it is important to know that 97 percent of all biomass production comes from atmospheric carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, combined with H2O in the process of photosynthesis! The input here is from the same air we breathe!

There are 165 Prairie species historic to Montgomery County in my place. And there are 156 Savannah, Open Woodland and Forest Species.

By understanding the growth windows of the various grasses (mentioned above), I am able to graze cattle in a “rest-rotation” management system. This allows cattle to select each species during its’ peak vegetative stage and move. By balancing the use of all species, this allows maximum photosynthesis for the whole grassland.

This natural grassland system is “Carbon Based.” By this I mean its fertility is based on soil microorganisms dependent on organic matter in the soil. Bacteria and fungi influence organic acids in the soil. And organic acids play dynamic roles for plant growth and development. Of 165 native prairie plants, non-grass wild flowers also receive micronutrients, thanks to micro-organisms in this “carbon based” system. These plant compounds feed pollinators, birds and wildlife of all kinds. I have counted 94 species of birds that either migrate through or nest in this transition zone annually.  

Montgomery County sits in a location where “Clay Pan” soils are common. One of the most dynamic relationships involving our deep-rooted Tall Grass Prairie plants involves Mycorrhizal Fungi. These fungi develop hair-like hyphae that penetrate clay soils in the wet-dry/shrink-swell process. These long, branching filaments reach “cation exchange sites” normally trapped between clay particles. The cations (pronounced CAT-ee-on) include trace elements such as boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc!  

Mycorrhizal Fungi exchange nutrients with Tall Grass hair-roots, receiving sugar exudates from the grasses and giving up trace elements.

Among the native species in Montgomery County Grasslands which fix nitrogen are the Indigo genus, the many Desmodiums, native Lespedezas and non-legume nitrogen fixers.  

When I marvel at the efficiency of the native ecosystem my thoughts include the products of fresh air, grassland beef, tons of hay, improved soil structure, water absorption, crystal clear water run-off from the grassland, singing birds, grassland mushrooms, big ant hills, turtles, snakes, pollinating insects, bugs and beetles, predatory insects and spiders that reduce bug pests.

These gifts are simply the result of preserving a God-given ecosystem.