Organism
Big Bluestem
TL;DR
The dominant grass of the tallgrass prairie, growing up to eight feet tall and often called the 'prairie king.' In the chapter's description of prairie fire, big bluestem is con...
The dominant grass of the tallgrass prairie, growing up to eight feet tall and often called the 'prairie king.' In the chapter's description of prairie fire, big bluestem is consumed by flames but regenerates from protected root crowns. During the 2012 Cedar Creek drought, big bluestem in monoculture plots turned brown and brittle with collapsed seed production, while in diverse plots, the bare patches created by struggling big bluestem were filled by drought-adapted species like little bluestem and sideoats grama.
Notable Traits of Big Bluestem
- Dominant prairie grass
- Eight feet tall
- Deep root crown survives fire
- Sensitive to drought