Ohio Prairies&
Invasive SpeciesCoe Lake Outdoor Science Education
Environmental Science UNIT
II. Ohio Wildlife
• native plant: a plant that grows in the wild without human intervention
• exotic plant: also called non-indigenous, invasive; a plant that was introduced by human intervention from another area or country (accidentally or purposefully)
Bee Balm - Native Phragmites - Exotic
Why Plant Natives?• better adapted to local
environmental conditions. • of value to local wildlife. • require less maintenance. • provide four-season interest. (nectar
in flowers, seeds, fruit production essential for migratory birds)
• preserve native species and biodiversity.
• add a local accent to the landscape instead of just “grass”
Purple Coneflower
Native Plants at BHS Wildlife Habitat
• Catmint• Milkweed• Joe-Pye Weed• Purple Coneflower• Bee Balm• Butterfly Bush• Wild Lupine• Butterfly Flower• Shooting Star• Hibiscus• Black-Eyed Susan• Boston Creeper• Serviceberry
Ohio’s Prairie Past Native Communities
• "prairie" is from the French "pré" which translates into English as "meadow"--a meadow and a prairie are similar in the sense that they both lack woody vegetation.
• very little of the original prairie exists due to commercial agriculture, development of communities, towns, roads, etc.
Prairie Plant Characteristics
• Prairie plants have deep roots so they are resistant to drought.
• About two-thirds of a prairie is actually underground as a dense mat of roots.
Importance of Prairies • Functional prairie/grassland areas
adjacent to stream systems are essential for erosion control and sediment management, especially in regions with limited riparian vegetation.
• control of non-point source pollution, and both groundwater and surface water systems that drain through prairie/grassland regions and can help control floods,etc.
Prairie Plant Species
Purple Coneflower
Milkweed
Rattlesnake Master
Bergamot
Black Eyed Susan
Beardtongue
Great Lobelia
Lanced-Leafed Coreopsis
Little Bluestem
Ohio Prairies Link
Invasive Species• Examples in Ohio:
zebra mussel, spiny water flea, purple loosestrife, phragmites