Post #11 The Great Prairie

Post #11, The Great Prairie, marks the eleventh stop along the Rankin Ridge Nature Trail.

NPS Photo / Anania Tekurio

As you reach the crest of the ridge, look to the east and to the prairie beyond. Clearly visible is the zone between forest and prairie. Here open meadows mix with forested hilltops. Under most conditions, the forest expands its range and competes with the prairie for water and space. Wet years provided the moisture that allows young pine seedlings to establish themselves on the prairie. Given time and the right conditions they eventually will crowd out the grasses.

Fire acts as a balancing mechanism, burning off trees and maintaining the prairie. Historically, the lands of Wind Cave National Park burned every 8-12 years. Due to fire suppression practices over the past century, the forest has expanded. With the increase in forest size there has been a corresponding decrease in the amount of water flowing from the mountains. Trees, even ponderosa pines, need more water than grasses, so the streams of the Black Hills are smaller than they used to be.