How Do Bison Help Fight Against Climate Change?
Provided by: The Kid Should See This|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Biology
Authors: The Kid Should See This, PBS Terra
Location: North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > Oklahoma
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video explains the vital role that bison play in the health of tallgrass prairie ecosystems, like in Oklahoma, which are important carbon sinks.
- Students will learn that maintaining the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Oklahoma requires the presence of grazing bison and controlled burns.
- The video also explains that managing cattle grazing to mimic the beneficial effects of bison grazing might help to produce healthier grassland ecosystems in other parts of the world.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The video does a good job of explaining how both grazing and fire help the grasslands to stay healthy.
- Links to helpful articles and websites can be found in the article.
Additional Prerequisites
- Advertisements may appear at the bottom of the video.
- Students should be familiar with the terms biosphere, carbon storage, economics, ecology, migratory, and dormant.
Differentiation
- Science classes could make a cause and effect chart to show what happened when prairies were converted into farms.
- Biology classes could research the role that fire plays in keeping ecosystems healthy and how preventing natural fires can have a detrimental impact on the environment.
- Other resources on this topic include this Vox video on the United States government's attempt to exterminate the bison, this video on how suppressing forest fires made forest fires worse, and this interactive diagram of the carbon cycle.
This resource is an 8-minute video and accompanying webpage that examines efforts to preserve and restore prairie ecosystems in the central U.S. This resource focuses on a preserve in Oklahoma that manages bison and their grassland habitats, and looks at the history of habitat destruction, bison hunting and management, and the lastest understanding of the complexity of prairie ecosystems. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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