Prairie Time: A Blackland Portrait by Matt White (review)

Like so many other ecoregions of the tallgrass prairie, the Blackland Prairie of Texas has largely been displaced by row-crop production, extensive grazing, and urbanization. Matt White laments this decline yet also sows seeds of hope with a fascinating set of essays that underscores both the passion and knowledge of current landowners as they undertake the challenge of preserving the remaining patches of Blackland Prairie. The daunting nature of this task is closely tied to the title of the book. “Prairie time” refers to eons, literally millions of years, that led to the structure and function of the Blackland Prairie. White’s careful research reminds the reader of a time when the prairie ecosystem was dominated by the “big four” tallgrass species: big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, and switchgrass.

White’s research conjures up a time of high prairie diversity, stability, and resilience. Prairie time also connotes fragility. That is, the eons of time that led to the establishment of this remarkable grassland ecosystem can be undone in a few years, months, or even days with the carving of the soil by a plow that leads to the uncoupling of roots from shoots. The subsequent deterioration of the prairie and its interconnectedness is then inevitable. White ponders this irreversible loss alternating between resignation and hope.

The book is nicely organized. The first section, “Ingredients,” focuses on the key ecological elements of the historic prairie: vegetation, soils, water, fire, and the large herbivores, notably the buffalo. These ingredients are simultaneously resources and stressors on the prairie and are described in the first four chapters. The second section, “Discovering Dream Land,” is made up of fifteen chapters, each an interwoven vignette that encompasses the land and its plants, animals, and people.

The book displays White’s keen knowledge and understanding of the Blackland Prairie. While the work is classic natural history, it also showcases the connections across the sciences and so many other ways of knowing. White is masterful in his integration of science, art, philosophy, and history. He is especially adept at highlighting fundamental tensions in regard to human attitudes toward prairies, and more broadly, the place of our species in nature. He raises questions about the inherent worth of the Blackland Prairie in particular and natural ecosystems in general. He challenges the reader to deeply consider our human valuation of nature.

It is clear that White is measurably concerned about the ecological future. It is equally clear that he is both optimist and educator. The book reveals the opportunities we have for conservation and stewardship of the remaining Blackland Prairie system. In the afterword, written in July 2013, White notes the genuine successes in prairie conservation that have occurred in Texas but rightfully counsels that this is a continuing challenge, and that those of us who cherish the prairie must see it as our collective challenge.

This well-written book is accessible to anyone interested in a better understanding of the Blackland Prairie. I am certain that a wide variety of people, including naturalists, ethnobotanists, plant ecologists, poets, musicians, authors, teachers, policy makers, natural resource agency professionals, and indeed anyone who has ever pondered our place in nature, will find it fascinating.