#grassland

Tegan Conway

Kanagawa, Japan.

Horses and other heavy hoofed animals (bison, elk, deer, cattle) not only depend on the grasslands to support them but they in turn support the grassland. Their hooves break up the soil, giving seeds better purchase and moisture more opportunities to penetrate the soil. Their nibbling the grass encourages the grass to grow, and their droppings fertilize the soil and bring habitat for insects, which in turn feeds birds. In the winter, big animals can plow the snow aside to get to the ground, which frees up feeding grounds for small predators and other small grazers. The constant trimming, walking, and defecating, when multiplied across hundreds of thousands of individuals across thousands of acres creates prairies and grasslands and savannas that host tons of wildlife and plant biodiversity.

Arizona