All about is grass, grass to right of us, grass to the left of us, the frost-burnt grass of late autumn.
-Mary Etta Ackerman (1851-1933) in Carlin 1976, p. 44
TALLGRASS PRAIRIE RECONSTRUCTION: ST.OLAF NATURAL LANDS,
RICE COUNTY
Settlers arriving in Rice County in the middle of the 19th Century witnessed the vast expanse of treeless prairie stretching across the southeastern portion of the area soon to become their county. This tallgrass prairie consisted of a variety of warm season species such as big bluestem, Indian grass, switchgrass, prairie cordgrass, and variety of wildflowers and other forbs. Most prairie plants are herbaceous perennials that have extensive root systems.
The prairie's absence of trees lead early settlers to believe that since the soil underneath grasslands could not support trees, it could not support agricultural crops. The aboveground biomass produced by prairies was much lower than that produced by Minnesota forests. Most of the prairie's biomass production went on belowground in the roots, unseen by the settlers. By the middle of the 19th Century, the settlers finally discovered the richness of the prairie soil and began breaking the tough sod with teams of oxen and horses.
The lack of trees on the Rice County prairie, and all prairies for that matter, was no lucky coincidence for early farmers looking for land to cultivate. The tallgrass prairie's tree-less appearance was a direct result of frequent enormous fires, which prevented the spread of nearby deciduous forest into the grassland. Fires, ignited by both lightening and American Indians, suppressed the invasion of woody species. Unlike woody species, most native prairie species are well adapted to fire. Prairie grasses, for example, grow from their base and can withstand fire as well as violent climatic conditions. A burn once in 10 years was enough to maintain the tallgrass prairie's herbaceous composition (Tester 1995).
Once settlers moved into the prairie, trees had an easier time invading
because roads, ditches, and plow lines formed fire breaks that protected
saplings. The early settlers also sought to suppress natural fires because
such events posed a threat to their lives, crops, and property. The prairie
quickly became the county's farm land in the 1800s and even today.
Views of a Tallgrass Prairie: Tester 1995