Succession

Primary Succession:

During the last glacier period, glaciers shaped parts of North Dakota into prairie flatland. After the glaciers passed, the land was stripped of the nutrients in the dirt and lichen spores were deposited by wind to the barren land. After the lichen had a foothold on the rocky soil they decomposed and grasses were able to grow.

Secondary Succession:

Prairie fires are necessary in maintaining the prairies and keeping them from turning into wooded areas. The prairie grass possesses a very deep root system, so even when the blade of the grass is burned off the plant remains alive. Invasive plants not adapted to prairies are killed and that gives the native grasses more room to grow.