Editing Prairie (section)

===Biodiversity===
The dominant plant life in prairies consists of [[grass]]es, which may include 40 to 60 different grass species. In addition to grasses, prairies can include over 300 species of flowering plants.<ref>{{cite web |title=Five facts about America's once vast prairie |url=https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/the-buzz/five-facts-about-americas-prairies/ |website=Forest Preserve District Will County}}</ref> The [[Konza Prairie Biological Station|Konza Tallgrass Prairie]] in Kansas hosts 250 species of native plants and provides habitat for 208 birds, 27 mammals, 25 reptiles, and over 3,000 insects.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rowe |first1=Helen I. |last2=Fargione |first2=Joseph |last3=Holland |first3=Jeffrey D. |title=Prairie Restorations can Protect Remnant Tallgrass Prairie Plant Communities |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |date=2013 |volume=170 |issue=1 |page=26|doi=10.1674/0003-0031-170.1.26 |s2cid=84748182 }}</ref>

Some of the dominant grasses of prairies are [[Sorghastrum nutans|Indian grass]], [[Andropogon gerardi|big bluestem]], [[Bouteloua curtipendula|side-oats grama]], [[Elymus canadensis|Canada wildrye]], and [[Panicum virgatum|switchgrass]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Dominant Prairie Plant Species |url=https://www.nrem.iastate.edu/research/STRIPS/dominant-prairie-plant-species |website=Iowa State University}}</ref>

Prairies are considered to be [[Fire ecology|fire-dependent ecosystems]]. Regular [[controlled burn]]ing by Native Americans, practices developed through observation of non-anthropogenic fire and its effects, maintained the biodiversity of the prairie, clearing away dead vegetation and preventing trees from shading out the diverse grasses and herbaceous plants. Prairies also depend on the presence of large grazing animals, particularly [[bison]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Fire and Grazing in the Prairie - Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve |url=https://www.nps.gov/tapr/learn/nature/fire-and-grazing-in-the-prairie.htm |website=National Park Service}}</ref>

Bison are important to the prairie ecosystem because they shape and alter the environment by grazing, trampling areas with their hooves, wallowing, and depositing manure.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bison Restoration |url=https://americanprairie.org/bison-restoration/ |publisher=American Prairie}}</ref> Bison eat more grass than flowering plants, increasing the diversity of plants in the prairie.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bison Eating Habits Influence the Prairie Ecosystem |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/bison-bellows-3-24-16.htm |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> Cattle are thought to prefer to eat flowering plants over grasses, but it is not known if that is because of inherent differences in the species or because farmed cattle tend to be confined in smaller areas.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nosowitz |first1=Dan |title=Are Bison More Environmentally Friendly than Cattle? |url=https://modernfarmer.com/2016/09/bison-vs-cattle-environment/ |website=Modern Farmer|date=16 September 2016 }}</ref> Bison dung is a vital source of nutrients for prairie soil, spreads seeds, and supports over 1,000 insect species, including specialist [[dung beetle]]s which cannot subsist on the feces of any other animal.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Healthy Prairie Depends on Bison Poop |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/bison-bellows-10-6-16.htm |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>