This soil, the source of generations of wealth and well-being, is a legacy of the prairies that once covered this land. Deep-rooted prairie plants grew, died, and decomposed for millennia, building up many inches of nutrient-rich earth held in place by those long, spreading roots. Rainfall could infiltrate the land, penetrating the surface and sinking below to water the grasses and forbs that grew.
Over time, those prairies were plowed under and replaced with crops. In recent decades, the crops became largely huge monocultures of corn and soybeans. Gone was the diversity of plant, animal, and insect species that once reigned. The rich soil, no longer held in place by those deep-rooted prairie plants, washed away in heavy rains, clogging rivers and carrying fertilizer and pesticides with it. Rivers, lakes, and other waterways become impaired by the runoff, requiring treatment before it can be used for all the necessities that water is used for.
Corn monoculture |
Think about the earth under a prairie, or beneath a wooded ravine. Stretching roots; burrowing mammals; digging worms and insects. The sun warms the surface while rain and snow deliver moisture at intervals. Seeds dropped by passing birds or blown by a strong breeze find purchase and grow into new generations, providing food and habitat for many other species beyond their own.
Soybean monoculture |
And then--imagine the earth under a parking lot, or a paved road. No water can reach it; the sun bakes the artificial surface but gives no life. The only roots are those that stretch sideways from the nearest open patch of land hospitable to plant life. Does anything live below that surface?
The soil made Iowa what it is today. The prairies made that soil. As we consider how our state has changed over the past couple of centuries, and how it will continue to change, we should always be mindful of whence our state's greatest wealth came. How long it took to develop, and how quickly we have lost so much of it.
A slightly more diverse landscape |
Let's imagine what we could do to begin to build and restore even small parts of the land and preserve its life-giving functions. Make sure that every acre paved and every foundation laid is absolutely necessary, because it is far too easy to destroy the work of generations for a short-term profit.
- Sustainable Iowa Land Trust: dedicated to preserving land for sustainable agriculture
- Bur Oak Land Trust protects and conserves natural areas in and around Johnson County
- Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, helping to protect and restore Iowa's land, water, and wildlife
- Nature Conservancy in Iowa, working to preserve our state's natural landscapes
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