Bluestem Prairie near Moorhead, Minnesota is one of the few remaining stretches of native prairie in the western part of the state. The Nature Conservancy and partners collect about 15,000 pounds of wild grass seed there each fall using vintage Allis-Chalmers combines that are light enough to avoid rutting the sandy soil. University of Minnesota researchers estimate that an acre of prairie grassland can pull about one ton of carbon out of the air per year. Prairie grasses store carbon underground through root systems that can reach 15 feet deep. That means even if a wildfire burns the grass above ground, most of the carbon stays trapped in the soil. Keeping these ancient grasslands intact is a practical climate measure, but the long-term benefit depends on whether the land remains protected from plowing or development.
