Restoring Shortgrass Prairie for Native Plants and Carbon

Fendi Despres (right) and a prairie-restoration volunteers.  (Photo: Fendi Despres via 5280).

5280 Magazine describes how the 1,100-acre Plains Conservation Center (owned by the city of Aurora) is a test area for restoration and carbon sequestration.

[It’s] one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet,” [ Fendi Despres, natural resource specialist] says. This includes a surprisingly long list of native animals, ranging from birds to reptiles. The shortgrass prairie also performs critical services for the environment, such as providing clean air and water. But perhaps the prairie’s most intriguing characteristic is a superpower that we can use to combat climate change and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions: carbon sequestration.

Depres says that the prairie ecosystem is particularly effective at capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it underground because its root systems run surprisingly deep—as much as 12 to 15 feet. And unlike forests, which can lose sequestered carbon stored in tree trunks during logging and wildfires, when the prairie burns, most of its carbon remains safely stored below ground.

The area is inside the E470 beltway, which means that it is accessible to visitors who want to take wagon rides and learn about regenerative agriculture. No dogs permitted though.