Lynx Prairie is a nature preserve located in Adams County,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

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, near the community of

Lynx A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...

. The preserve features a group of cedar glades 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 In zoology, megafauna (from Ancient Greek, Greek μέγας ''megas'' "large" and Neo-Latin ''fauna'' "animal life") are large animals. The precise definition of the term varies widely, though a common threshold is approximately , this lower en ...

that were once found in the area, although

Native American use of fire Prior to the European colonization of the Americas, Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples used fire to modify the landscape. This influence over the fire regime was part of the environmental cycles and maintenance of wildlife h ...

may have also played a role in maintaining this landscape. Today, controlled burns 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, United States. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in ...

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 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