Abstract
Grasslands provide many ecological services including reduction in soil erosion, improvement in soil and water quality, and increased wildlife habitat for certain specialized grassland species. Permanent grassland acreage has been declining in the United States since the late 1940’s. According to a study by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service, 60% of the land acreage in the contiguous U.S was grassland in 1948. By 2002, that figure had dropped to 44% (Wedin and Fales 2009) due to urban and suburban development, agriculture, and encroachment of woody vegetation. With this recognized loss of grassland and associated habitat, native grassland establishment has been promoted and cost-shared by the federal government in the last 25–30 years to recapture many of these ecological services associated with permanent grasslands.
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