The preserve sits in
the boundary between two Cuesta Plains to the west. Most of the
preserve is in the Eastern Sandstone Cuesta Plains. The Osage
Cuesta region is characterized by a series of east-facing ridges
(or escarpments), between which are flat to gently rolling plains.
Cuesta, Spanish for hill or cliff, is the term geologists use to
describe ridges with steep, clifflike faces on one side and gentle
slopes on the other.
In the Osage Cuestas, the underlying strata are Pennsylvanian-age
limestones and shales (323 to 290 million years old) that dip
gently to the west and Northwest. Each cuesta consists of a
striking east-facing ridge or escarpment and a gently inclined
surface that slopes in the direction of the dip of the strata.The
escarpments are capped by the more-resistant limestone, while the
genntle slopes are underlain by thick layers of shale. The steep
faces of the cuestas range in height from approximately 50 feet to
200 feet.
The Northern
Limestone Cuesta Plains are formed mostly of limestone beds of
Permian age (290 to 245 million years old). In Kansas, this
subprovince overlaps with the famous Flint Hills, so named because
of their limestone beds containing flint, blocks of which remain on
the surface long after the limestone in which they are found has
eroded.
Originally spanning portions of 14 states from Texas to Minnesota
and covering over 142 million acres, the tallgrass prairie was one
of North America’s major ecosystems. It was a complex
landscape, harboring a rich diversity of plants and animals, that
was shaped by the natural forces of climate, fire and grazing.
Vegetation consists of tallgrass prairie with crosstimbers (post
oak and blackjack oak) woodlands on the especially coarse and sandy
soils.
Since 1989, The Nature Conservancy has proven successful at
restoring this fully-functioning portion of the tallgrass prairie
ecosystem with the use of about 2500 free-roaming bison in a
fire-grazing management regime. The fire-grazing interaction allows
the herd free-ranging access to an ever-shifting array of burn
patches. Randomly selected prescribed burns are conducted to
simulate the historical fire frequency and seasonality (spring,
summer and fall). The result is a dynamic mosaic of landscape
patches, constantly shifting through the seasons and years. A
driving tour through the preserve will give the visitor the
opportunity to observe the cuesta ridgelines, sloping expanses and
also a glimpse into America preserved; The Bison herds of the
Tallgrass Prairie.
Map of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
To log this
Earthcache email me with the date you visited the preserve, the
number in your group and the answers to the following:
- South Entrance N 36*
45.127 W 096* 21.806
What percent of the original Tallgrass Prairie still exists?
What is the Elevation at this location?
Note the Elevation at each of three Scenic Turnouts
Write your observations on the most noticeable cuesta topography.
- Scenic Turnout N 36*
47.946 W 096* 24.781
What is the reason for the wooded areas seen from this observation
point?
- Scenic Turnout N 36*
49.472 W 096* 26.634
- Scenic Turnout N 36*
50.416 W 96* 28.424
- The Cache’s
posted coordinates are the Parking area for the Study and Prairie
Earth Trails.
Take the Study Trail
to N 36 50.702 W 096 25.884 and take a picture of your group with
your GPSr and the object there.(As of 1/1/2011 this is no longer a
mandatory requirement, but you will want a picture, and everyone
would love to see it.)
For physically challenged cachers, take a picture from the
trailhead with the information panels. From information there;
historically about how often was the prairie burned by lightning
strikes or fires set by Native Americans?
For added enjoyment
take a walk on the longer Prairie Earth Trail, visit the
Visitor’s center, and be sure to hunt the
Osagin’” caches in and near the Preserve.
Special
thanks to the Nature Conservancy for permission to place this
Earthcache.
www.nature.org