Today’s Solutions: December 01, 2023

Many native crops across the US that were once integral to the diets of Indigenous communities disappeared when bison herds were nearly hunted to the brink of extinction by Europeans. Without the herds there to help their seeds, these crops all but vanished.

Fortunately, as bison herds are reintroduced to prairie lands, like the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Oklahoma, many of these long lost crops are making a comeback. The 40,000-acre Tallgrass preserve is home to about 2,500 bison today and researchers from Washington University in St. Louis are finding successful propagation in the animals’ wake after years of failed seed collection and planting attempts. 

The researchers followed signs of grazing and trampling to search for sprouts of “lost crops” like little barley (Hordeum pusillum) and maygrass (Phalaris caroliniana). They found seeds thriving in a way they had never been able to simulate in a garden. 

Bison are what researcher Natalie Mueller calls “co-creators.” Their turning, rooting, and grazing of the land coupled with migration help give rise to greater diversity and more agricultural opportunities. This, coupled with indigenous practices like controlled burns, helped keep plant populations thriving and regenerating.

The bison’s return to their natural habitat is, fortunately, reviving these plants and giving researchers more of an opportunity to study them. They are also helping once again bring diversity to these prairies.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Breaking the ice: Swedish city combats winter loneliness with “say hell...

In the frozen embrace of Luleå, where daylight dwindles to mere hours, plunging into icy seawater becomes a ritual. For Katariina Yliperttula, a dip ...

Read More

Construction project completes the world’s first 3D printed two-story home

Considered one of the largest sources of environmental pollution in the world, it’s no secret that the construction industry is in need of a ...

Read More

The Rockefeller Christmas Tree gets a charitable new life after the holidays

We once shared how a tiny owl was rescued from the branches of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Now we have more good news as ...

Read More

Biden administration launches heat.gov to help us deal with extreme heat

It’s no secret that this summer season has been a scorcher, what with the increasing heatwaves in the US and raging wildfires across Europe. ...

Read More