Were the Great Plains ever forested? I ask this because trees planted near the farmhouses seem to grow OK. Also, I understand that the plains Indians were given to setting fires-this burned off the existing vegetation, and encouraged grasses to grow-thus providing forage for the buffalo herds. So the Great plains 9before the arrival of the white man) were certainly NOT a virgin landscape. In fact, the huge numbers of buffalo (estimated as high as 6-7 million) would have made tree growth and propagation impossible-the buffalos would have trodden down any woody growths. So were the plains once forested? What would be the ecological impact of planting trees on the great plains? I see that Kansas is restoring some of the “tall grass” prairie-why not try reforestation? If anything this would:
-break the winter wind
-encourage drought-resistant species to take hold
It would certainly be nicer to look at trees, instead of nothing but flat land and grass!