Why ancient grasslands, once plowed, don't grow back the same
When a 10,000-year-old prairie is plowed up to plant corn or a savanna is consumed by a strip mall, these once-grassy expanses, if left to regrow, can eventually look vaguely like they did before. But a growing body of research suggests that what comes back isn't the same as what was lost, even decades later. And now scientists are starting to understand why.
This study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, explores why grasslands do not grow back to resemble their original state after being plowed or converted into other land uses. The research, led by Ashish Nerlekar, a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University, involved analyzing data from 742 plant species across six continents.
The findings indicate that even decades after regrowth, secondary grasslands differ significantly from ancient grasslands in terms of plant traits. Old-growth grasslands contain long-lived perennials with tough leaves that can withstand various environmental stresses, while secondary grasslands are dominated by faster-growing, annual species better suited for competition.
These differences in plant traits can persist for centuries. The study highlights the importance of preserving ancient grasslands and suggests that active restoration efforts, such as sowing seeds and transplanting, may be necessary to help secondary grasslands function similarly to their original state.
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