Natural World

"In restoring the prairie grasslands the ultimate aim is to approach as near the original as possible. How near the original we can come is not known. But it would seem desirable to make an effort early in the program to restore some of the more prominent spring, summer and fall flowers to show a part of Nature which no doubt gave some cheer to the first settlers."
     --Adolph Murie, 1940

The natural areas at Homestead National Monument of America are both an integral part of homesteading history and a valuable tool for scientific research. Located in southeast Nebraska amidst rolling hills of agricultural fields, the park provides a visual link to the landscape that early settlers would have encountered. The presence of tallgrass prairie, woodland, and creek presents an opportunity to learn about a diverse range of habitats and species.

This mix of resources is likely the reason Daniel Freeman chose this site to homestead. The thick, fertile soils of the tallgrass prairie were ideal for farming. Water was provided by Cub Creek, which runs through the property, and the timber along the creek provided fuel and building material. The natural environment shaped homesteading history and continues to be an important educational resource at Homestead National Monument of America.

Environmental Factors

Nebraska experiences a wide range of temperatures and precipitation levels, which can set the stage for such varied and extreme weather events as tornadoes, drought, and blizzards. Just as environmental factors affect today's farmers and ranchers, such factors played a key role in the successes and failures of homesteaders.

The park monitors for nonnative species in the prairie and woodland areas and uses a combination of techniques, including prescribed fire, to manage these areas. The intent is to present the environment seen by early homesteaders and to preserve a diverse mixture of native plants.

As the deep-rooted prairie grasses have been ploughed over to make way for agricultural fields, erosion of topsoil has become an increasingly significant issue, clouding the waters of once-pristine rivers. Fertilizers, some pesticides, road salt, and industrial waste can also affect water quality.

Homestead National Monument partners with Beatrice Middle School to monitor water quality in Cub Creek. The park also collects precipitation data as part of the NERain project of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources.

Natural Features & Ecosystems

Southeastern Nebraska, with its abundant rainfall, was historically covered by tallgrass prairie, which requires more moisture than the shorter grasses that are present in the arid west. The tallgrass prairie ecosystem is highly diverse and provides food and cover for a variety of insects, birds, and mammals. Prairie soil is also extremely fertile, having been nourished for centuries by decaying plant material. For this reason, areas that were once tallgrass prairie are now some of the most productive agricultural lands in the world. This fact has contributed to the immense loss and fragmentation of the prairie habitat in the past 150 years. Less than 1% of the prairie remains in its native state. Homestead National Monument preserves 100 acres of restored prairie.

Also of interest on the monument is the mesic bur oak forest. The forest follows Cub Creek, which supplies the water the trees require. Mesic bur oak forests are a rare community in Nebraska.

Gage County, located near the southeastern corner of Nebraska, sits in the center of the temperate grassland region of North America, at the western edge of the tallgrass prairie region. This area, characterized by rolling hills, thick soil, and periods of abundant rainfall, was once covered by a sea of grass up to ten feet high. Remnants of eastern deciduous forest are found along the valleys of the Missouri River and its tributaries, while farther west, shorter grasses dominate the more arid landscape.

The 100 acres of tallgrass prairie and 60 acres of riparian woodland at Homestead National Monument of America are similar to the environment that Daniel Freeman encountered when he first staked his claim. The park's prairie, restored in 1939, is the second oldest restoration effort in the United States. This restoration has brought back much of the prairie's original diversity, with 116 species of plants present on the Monument. Also notable is the rare, mesic bur oak forest.

Prairies and Grasslands

The ongoing tallgrass prairie restoration at Homestead National Monument of America is the second-oldest in the United States. Prior to the acquisition of the Freeman homestead by the National Park Service, the prairie area had been heavily used for agriculture and grazing. It was decided to restore this area to tallgrass prairie to reduce soil erosion and to provide a visual link to the environment encountered by early settlers. The restoration was accomplished through a combination of seeding a mix of native grasses, installation of native plant plugs, and transplanting sod from local areas of unploughed prairie. Management for exotic species has involved mowing, selective herbicide application, and, beginning in 1970, prescribed burning on a regular basis.

Today, the species composition of the tallgrass prairie at Homestead resembles that of presettlement times. Dominant species include big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass, goldenrod, field pussytoes, and leadplant. Interspersed within the prairie are thickets of shrubby species such as sumac, wild plum, and dogwood, which provide habitat for birds and other small animals. Also part of the site is approximately 0.75 acre of tallgrass prairie at the Freeman School, which was incorporated into the park in 1970. This area was never ploughed, and despite heavy use for nearly a century as the school playground, it contains the most diverse assemblage of species found in the park.

Wildflowers

Prairie wildflowers and their bloom dates are listed below.
 

Common Name Scientific Name Color Bloom Season Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Yellow Midspring to Fall Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Orange Mid to Late Fall Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum Yellow Late Spring to Summer Downy Sunflower Helianthus mollis Yellow Midsummer to Fall Gayfeather Liatris pycnostachya Purple Mid to Late Fall Gray-Headed Coneflower Ratibida pinnata Yellow Late Spring to Fall Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta Purple Late Spring to Early Fall Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata Purple Midsummer to Fall Ladies' Tresses Spiranthes cernua White Midsummer to Fall Late Goldenrod Solidago altissima Yellow Late Summer to Early Fall Leadplant Amorpha canescens Deep Purple Late Spring to Summer Narrow-Leaved Purple Coneflower Echinacea angustifolia Pale Purple Late Spring to Midsummer Prairie Wild Rose Rosa arkansana Pink or White Late Spring to Summer Purple Prairie Clover Petalostemum purpureum Purple Midsummer to Early Fall Rosin Weed Silphium integrifolium Yellow Summer to Fall Showy Sunflower Helianthus lateriflorus Yellow Midsummer to Early Fall Smooth Oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides Pale to Golden Yellow Late Spring to Fall Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Yellow Midsummer to Fall Stiff Sunflower Helianthus rigidus Yellow Summer to Fall Tall Thistle Cirsium altissimum Purple Midsummer to Early Fall Upright Prairie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera Yellow Late Spring to Fall Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata White Late Spring to Summer Wild Blue Larkspur Delphinium carolinianum Blue Late Spring to Early Summer

Grasses

Grasses have a number of adaptations that allow them to survive such conditions as drought, fire, heavy grazing and frost. The bulk of a grass plant resides underground and is insulated by the soil, protecting the plant from sudden changes in temperature. The buds are also below the ground surface, which allows the plant to resprout its leaves after burning or grazing. Long roots permit the plant to draw water from deep below the ground surface. Grass plants are also able to enter long periods of dormancy during extreme heat or cold; the leaves appear dry and brown, only to green up again as soon as conditions become favorable. For these reasons, grasses have dominated the landscape in the erratic climate of the Great Plains for the past 8,000 years.

Southeastern Nebraska, with its abundant rainfall, was historically covered by tallgrass prairie, which requires more moisture than the shorter grasses that are present in the arid west. The tallgrass prairie ecosystem is highly diverse and provides food and cover for a variety of insects, birds, and mammals. Prairie soil is also extremely fertile, having been nourished for centuries by decaying plant material. For this reason, areas that were once tallgrass prairie are now some of the most productive agricultural lands in the world. This fact has contributed to the immense loss and fragmentation of the prairie habitat in the past 150 years. Less than 1 percent of the prairie remains in its historic state.

Homestead National Monument is home to the second oldest restored tallgrass prairie in the nation.

Trees and Shrubs

The 40-acre woodland at Homestead is classified as a mesic bur oak forest, a rare community type in Nebraska. Upon acquisition of the Freeman homestead by the National Park Service, much of the wooded area along Cub Creek had been heavily grazed, and most of the older trees had been harvested. However, approximately 20 acres of woodland remained undisturbed. In 1939, 10,000 oak and hackberry seedlings were planted in the most disturbed area of the woodland, and by the 1960's, much of the forest had recovered.

Dominating the riparian woodland area are several species of oak, silver maple, hackberry, and eastern cottonwood. The understory contains species such as wood nettle, false nettle, wingstem, sedges, and Virginia wild rye. Shrubs and young trees are present mostly along woodland margins and include coralberry, oaks, elms, and black walnut.

Another notable feature is the historic Osage-orange hedgerow, which was planted along the south boundary of the property by Daniel Freeman. Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera) is native to parts of Texas and Oklahoma but was commonly planted along hedgerows in Nebraska and other Midwestern states.

Nonnative Species

As part of the ongoing effort to maintain 100 acres of restored tallgrass prairie, Homestead National Monument monitors invasive plant species. These species are controlled in a variety of ways, including mowing, selective use of herbicides, and prescribed burning. The goal is to present a landscape that is as historically accurate as possible.

Homestead National Monument of America encompasses multiple habitats in which to observe wildlife. The Monument is home to over 100 species of birds which live in the tallgrass prairie and woodland. Trails meander through both of these habitats, giving visitors many opportunities for bird-watching. Mammals such as white-tailed deer, beaver, rabbit, squirrel, and coyote can also be seen, as well as amphibians and fish.

Many of these animals rely on the wide variety of insects present on the prairie. Insects are a food source for songbirds and reptiles, and they are vital in the pollination of wildflowers.

Birds

With its variety of habitats, the Monument is home to both grassland and woodland birds. This provides ample opportunities for bird watching, or to simply enjoy the many songs that can be heard while walking through the prairie.

In May and June of 2008 and 2009, staff from the Heartland Network and Prairie Cluster Prototype will conduct a "point count" to record the kinds and numbers of birds on the prairie and in the woodlands at Homestead NM of America. Prairie bird species are on the decline and the "point count" will help Homestead management determine sound management practices. The count will be taken at specific spots on the prairie and in the woodlands by standing in one spot for five minutes, listening and watching, and then recording the observations. Heartland Network staff will conduct the "point count" again in 2013 and 2014. In 2010, 2011, and 2012 volunteers will conduct "point count" using the exact same "points" and procedures.

Mammals

With its variety of habitats, the Monument is home to many kinds of mammals. White-tailed deer abound. Coyotes, red fox, otters, weasels, badgers, raccoons, shrews, nine different kinds of bats, about two dozen different kinds of rodents, and many other kinds of mammals have been seen inside the boundaries of the Monument. While most of these animals are nocturnal and secretive; a walk on the trails is sure to bring a glimpse of an eastern cottontail or an eastern fox squirrel.

Fish

With its twists and turns Cub Creek naturally creates "holes." These "holes" are areas of deeper water which are wonderful habitat for fish such as bass, carp, and catfish.