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France Park Prairies
The original prairie at France Park is a 10 acre plot of land located on a plateau overlooking the Old Kenith Stone Quarry. The land was established with perennial grasses in 1991. It is surrounded by a 4-foot wide trail which is utilized by hikers, mountain bikers, and wildlife observers. The prairie environment is important to soil conservation because the depth of the root systems help to stabilize the soil. These roots hold on to the soil rather than allowing it to be washed away. Prairie grasses also provide substantial cover and homes for many forms of wildlife.
A second prairie of 30+ acres has been added adjacent to the constructed wetlands.
The 20-foot high prairie observation tower was constructed on the prairie in the spring of 1998 by the Logansport Jaycees. Not only does it give people an opportunity to have a bird's eye view of the prairie environment and it's wildlife, it gives them the chance to learn about the importance of prairie grasses.
Lucky observers may see deer, wild turkeys, quail, and many other varieties of wildlife.
The midwestern prairies of old depended upon lightning strikes to destroy woody growth that would eventually create the shade that would kill off prairie growth. Today, we depend on annual, controlled spring burns such as this one to do what Mother Nature did.
Did you know....
| Prairie is the French word for meadow? |
| Early settlers encountered prairie, which flowed for miles like a gentle ocean? |
| Prairie's originated approximately 30 million years ago? They were created by the uplift of the Rocky Mountains. As the mountain's increased in height, they cut off the humid western winds. This process altered the climate creating the environment we know today. |
| Fire is a common management tool used to maintain prairies? Fire helps maintain the eastern prairie vegetation by killing seedlings of trees and shrubs. |
| Prairies provide great erosion control due to the deep root systems of the vegetation and by controlling moisture impact provided by the foliage? |
| The diversity of the plant species in a prairie allows for a larger diversity of insects, birds, rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals? |
| Prairies have a seven-month long array of blooms, beginning with
the last month of the spring till the first killing frost in fall. The newly installed constructed wetlands utilizes prairie grasses to continue to clean the water that is discharged into the ground. |
Links
| Cass County Soil & Water Conservation District |
| Check out the really pretty screensaver at Prairie Source |