Florida dry prairie facts for kids
The Florida dry prairie is a special kind of grassland found in sunny southern Florida. It's mostly covered by grasses and other small plants. Imagine wide-open plains with lots of grasses, short bushes, and only a few trees spread far apart. This unique area used to stretch across plains near the Kissimmee River and Fisheating Creek, close to Lake Okeechobee. But over time, much of it has been turned into farms and places for animals to graze. Regular fires are super important to keep this prairie healthy and thriving.
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Where You Can Find Florida Dry Prairie
The dry prairie used to be the main type of grassland in central Florida. It stretched from the western shore of Lake Okeechobee up into Osceola County. Long ago, it's thought that Florida's dry prairie covered about 1,931 square miles. That's a huge area!
Before many people settled in Florida, the dry prairie was divided into three main parts:
- The "Kissimmee River Prairie"
- "The Big Prairie" (which covered central Florida)
- The "Myakka Prairie"
These three areas were not completely separate. They connected to form one large grassland.
Plants and Animals of the Dry Prairie
The Florida dry prairie is home to many different living things. Scientists have found 658 types of plants here. Most of these plants (94%) are native to central Florida. No plants are found only in the dry prairie. But many plants are found only in the Florida peninsula.
Amazing Plants
The main type of bush you'll see is the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). You might also spot some trees like slash pine (Pinus elliottii) and cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto).
The most common grasses and grass-like plants are:
- Wiregrass (Aristidia beyrichiana)
- Toothache grass (Ctenium aromaticum)
- Beak rush (Rhynchospora species)
If you see more slash pine trees, the dry prairie starts to look like a different type of habitat called south Florida pine flatwoods.
Unique Animals
Many animals that live in the Florida dry prairie are considered "at-risk." This means their populations are shrinking, and they might need help to survive.
Some of these special animals include:
- The grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus)
- The sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis pratensis)
- The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia floridana)
- The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi)
Both the grasshopper sparrow and the Florida panther are listed as "endangered." This means they are in serious danger of disappearing forever, according to the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
How People Have Changed the Prairie
Farming and Development
As more people moved to Florida in the early 1900s, more land was needed for farms. A lot of the dry prairie was turned into places for dairy cows or citrus groves. When the prairie is broken up into smaller pieces by farms, it becomes harder for wildlife to find enough space and food. This also affects the areas where the pine forests meet the prairie.
The Importance of Fire
Historically, the dry prairie would burn every 1 to 4 years. These natural fires helped certain plants grow and kept the landscape open and treeless. Many plants actually grow better in places that burn often.
However, as more people built homes and farms, fires were stopped to protect buildings. But because the dry prairie needs fire to stay healthy, stopping fires has made the prairie shrink. When people use controlled fires (called "prescribed burning"), the dry prairie plants and animals can start to come back.
Images for kids
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Kissimmee Prairie
