Prairie biomes are fascinating subterranean worlds existing beneath the ground we walk on, home to a diverse array of plants that form a massive carbon sink. Like a giant sponge, these ecosystems absorb and store carbon, playing a crucial role in regulating the planet's climate. These underground worlds are built on complex relationships between various plant species, soil organisms, and environmental factors, creating an intricate and powerful system.

Many Native American nations refer to the North American continent as Turtle Island. The name is from the creation stories of Eastern Woodlands nations such as the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois The turtle is the sacred bearer of the earth, carrying it upon its back across the waters. Some stories tell of how the earth itself grew from a patch of land that sprouted upon the turtle's shell when it rose from the waters. The image of the turtle, laboring through the soil after its long hibernation, its shell still carrying remnants of the earth's embrace, may have inspired the myths of a turtle carrying the world?

The underground world of prairie grass biomes are like the world on the turtle’s back. Prairie dogs and other small animals burrow into the soil. But there is also an abundance of microbes that help the soil and aid decomposition. Soil bacteria are abundant in prairie soils and perform critical functions such as nitrogen fixation, decomposition of organic matter, and nutrient cycling. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (like Rhizobium species) form symbiotic relationships with plants, converting nitrogen in the surrounding air into a form that plants can use. Decomposers (such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas) break down plant and animal material, returning vital nutrients to the soil.

Earthworms, beetles, grasshoppers, wasps and other insects also play a vital role in the prairie-verse. Fungi help decompose organic matter and create symbiotic relationships with plants. Mycorrhizal fungi create reciprocal relationships with plant roots, helping plants absorb nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. Saprotrophic fungi break down dead organic material. These organisms are tiny but mighty! And their roles are crucial to the health of the prairie-verse.

REWILDING

Rewilding is not the same as neglect. Sure, left alone, prairies might, eventually, regain their vitality, depending on how damaged they have become. Perhaps the animals might return one day, if they have survived elsewhere. Or perhaps their former home is no longer inviting. Perhaps key species, like wolves, are missing. And the topsoil may have eroded away because of overgrazing or forest clearing.

Rewilding means actively working to reintroduce native plant and animal species. It is a way of restoring nature by bringing back species that have become endangered or disappeared entirely and letting natural processes happen on their own. The idea is to help landscapes become healthier and more diverse, often by reintroducing important animals like wolves that once lived there. Rewilding also encourages natural events like wildfires, floods, and forest growth, which help support a healthy environment. The idea is to reestablish the ecosystem stronger than ever and help repair years of damage done to the land.