PEW01 Plant species composition and edaphic properties in wallow and non-wallow plots at Konza Prairie

Bison wallows—bare depressions formed by repeated trampling and dust-bathing—introduce fine-scale heterogeneity to tallgrass prairie soils and plant communities. We compared plant communities and edaphic properties of wallows to adjacent non-wallow plots and cattle-grazed plots. Wallows had reduced organic matter and nitrogen but elevated clay and sodium. Non-fenced wallows had lower plant species richness than fenced wallows and all non-wallows. However, wallows supported distinct plant communities, including wetland species in temporary pools. While bison-grazed areas generally had higher plant diversity, wallows added localized variation not found in cattle or fenced plots. Our results suggest wallows function as small-scale ecosystem engineering features, shaping soil conditions and plant composition.