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The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

The Nature Conservancy in Asia Pacific - Conservation in Asia-Pacific

The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

The Nature Conservancy of Texas
Fire Management Program 

Cross Timbers and Southern Tallgrass Prairie Ecoregion

The Blackland Prairie of northern Texas is a version of the tallgrass prairie that once stretched from the Texas Coast to southern Manitoba. Due to the prairies' rich soils, more than 99 percent has been cultivated, making the grasslands the most endangered large ecosystem in North America. Four Nature Conservancy of Texas tallgrass prairie Preserves, are currently being prescribed burned in this ecoregion. The sites include; Clymer Meadow (1,200 acres), Leonhardt Prairie (40 acres), Matthews Prairie (100 acres), and Tridens Prairie (97 acres). Assistance is provided through Volunteer efforts from local individuals, the University of North Texas, and local fire contractors.

Three globally imperiled prairie plant communities protected within the ecoregion are represented by little bluestem-Indiangrass (Schizachyrium scoparium-Sorghastrum nutans), gamagrass-switchgrass (Tripsacum dactyloides-Panicum virgatum), and Sylveanus dropseed-Mead sedge (Sporobolus silveanus-Care meadii) communities. It is widely recognized that fire is a critical component in the maintenance of tallgrass prairie, and that second to climate, it is the most important factor. The tremendous productivity of tallgrass prairie, coupled with a slow turnover rate can produce significant plant litter to limit light and water to regenerating perennial plants. Without fire or facsimile disturbance regimes, these grasslands will rapidly succeed to woodland and are at a greater risk of invasion by exotic species.