Bison Wallow Panorama
1.8 MB QuickTime VR panorama movie (requires QuickTime)
Instructions
Click and drag in the panorama movie to look around. Use the shift and control keys on your keyboard to zoom in and out.
This panorama was shot during June 2004 on the edge of a prairie depression found on the preserve. These 'prairie potholes' may have been formed by a variety of factors. Some were caused by glacial recession. Others were formed by bison rolling in the wet mud of a depression, causing further erosion. After these 'bison wallows' were deep enough, they were more likely to collect water. This played a very important role for tall grass prairie fauna looking for a source of water on the open plains.
Dominant flora seen in this panorama are Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), and Western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis).