Island of Grass

by Ellen E. Wohl

Island of Grass tells the story of the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area, a 240-acre preserve surrounded by housing developments in Fort Collins, Colorado. This small grassland is a remnant of the once-vast prairies of the West that early European explorers and settlers described as seas of grass.Agricultural land use and urban expansion during the past two centuries have fragmented and altered these prairies. All that remains today are small islands. These remnants cannot support some of the larger animals that once roamed the prairie, but they continue to support a diverse array of plants and animals and can still teach us much about grassland ecology. Through her examinations of daily changes during walks across the Fromme Prairie over the course of a year, Ellen Wohl explores one of the more neglected ecosystems in North America, describing the geology, soils, climate, ecology, and natural history of the area, as well as providing glimpses into the lives of the plants, animals, and microbes inhabiting this landscape. Although small in size, pieces of preserved shortgrass prairie like the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area are rich, diverse, and accessible natural environments deserving of awareness, appreciation, and protection. Anyone concerned with the ecology and conservation of grasslands in general, the ecology and conservation of open space in urban areas, or the natural history of Colorado will be interested in this book.

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[David Robertson]

Author Ellen Wohl is a stream ecologist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, who moved to a house near a remnant of short-grass prairie preserved by the city: the Kathy Fromme Prairie. This book is her account of life on the prairie, told over the course of a year, by examining the lives of four grassland denizens (blue grama grass, a grasshopper, a prairie dog, and a red-tailed hawk) and the organisms with which these species interact. While the Fromme Prairie encompasses over 1,000 acres, it is a tiny remnant of a once-vast ecosystem that is hemmed-in by encroaching housing, roads, a landfill and the Rocky Mountain foothills. As such, Wohl contrasts life on the Fromme Prairie with that in the much larger and less disturbed Central Plains Experimental Range in the Pawnee National Grassland northeast of Fort Collins. Wohl's treatment of the ecological limitations inherent in remnant patches of habitat like the Fromme Prairie may be the book's greatest value for the general reader because it clearly and repeatedly demonstrates what is lost when habitat is fragmented.

The book contains two sections. The first, consisting of two chapters, sets the stage. The chapters include a general overview of grassland ecosystems in North America, the rock layers underlying the grasslands, and the ecosystems' geological and glacial history. The second section presents the life stories of the four organisms inhabiting the Fromme Prairie.

Wohl is a gifted writer and, despite her professional scientific background, she has produced a book that is accessible to general readers. Her ability to describe the ecosystem as experienced by the four organisms she has chosen to profile is inspired. The writing is informed and erudite but never pedantic. However, Wohl is not naturally lyrical. Clearly, she is passionate about the natural world, but sometimes when she attempts to express herself lyrically, the result seems a bit awkward or "forced."

[Gail DiVico]

Since I recently moved back to Fort Collins, CO and live in the Fromm Prairie area, I was very excited to find this book. The author did an excellent job of exploring the prairie over a year and documenting her finds regarding the various plants, wild life, weather conditions throughout the seasons, in addition to giving an overview of the changes that took place over the years and how this particular has been effected by modern civilization. I also enjoyed reading about how the prairie had been given the name it is now known by. The photos provided throughout provided were very helpful. A very interesting read. As I take walks there, I will definitely be looking through different eyes.

[Nicole Ernst]

Beautifully written book about Colorado’s prairie and the importance to preserve it. The grasslands of the Great Plains are the most endangered ecosystem in North America and often overlooked. This book gave a great depiction of what life is like on the prairie from plants to animals. Learned a lot reading this book and now have a greater appreciation of the prairie.