Lynx Prairie is a nature preserve located in Adams County,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, near the community of Lynx. The preserve features a group of

cedar glade A calcareous glade is a type of ecological community that is found in the central Eastern United States. Calcareous glades occur where bedrock such as limestone occurs near or at the surface, and have very shallow and little soil development. D ...

s which harbor rare prairie species, surrounded by forests on all sides. The prairie species are a remnant of a rare ecosystem, which has found refuge on the dry, rocky openings in this part of the state. These grassland openings were probably created by the extinct Megafauna that were once found in the area, although

Native American use of fire Prior to European colonization of the Americas, indigenous peoples used controlled burns to modify the landscape. The controlled fires were part of the environmental cycles and maintenance of wildlife habitats that sustained the cultures and econom ...

may have also played a role in maintaining this landscape. Today,

controlled burns A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A cont ...

are used at Lynx Prairie to keep woody species at bay. Many rare plants are found at Lynx Prairie such as American bluehearts (''Buchnera americana''), rattlesnake master (''Eryngium yuccifolium''), crested coralroot (''Hexalectris spicata''), gladecress (''Leavenworthia uniflora''), scaly blazing star (''Liatris squarrosa''), and Texas rock sandwort (''Minuartia michauxii'' var. ''texana''). The southern shrub rusty blackhaw (''Viburnum rufidulum'') is found in the woods surrounding the prairie. It is approaching the northern limit of its range here and is considered rare in Ohio. Lynx Prairie is owned by

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

and features of trail loops. Parking for the preserve is at East Liberty Church and the trail head is marked at the southeast corner of the cemetery.

Emma Lucy Braun E. Lucy Braun (April 19, 1889 – March 5, 1971) was a prominent botanist, ecologist, and expert on the forests of the eastern United States who was a professor of the University of Cincinnati. She was the first woman to be elected President o ...

was an early advocate for the prairie. Her efforts to protect an initial led to the establishment of the Richard & Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System. In 1967, the Buzzardroost Rock-Lynx Prairie-The Wilderness areas were designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.

References

External links

Lynx Prairie at The Nature Conservancy
{{authority control Protected areas of Adams County, Ohio Nature Conservancy preserves Nature reserves in Ohio National Natural Landmarks in Ohio