A Chicago Tribune front page article claims that "Almost all of pre-colonial Illinois was tallgrass prairie...". However, the evidence of pollen profiles from Illinois do not, in fact, show a dominance of grass over trees in the general landscape, but rather changes in the composition of forest.
Where is that evidence? I would really like to review it.
Go to your local university library to the shelves with books on North American Paleoenvironment. There you will find many pollen profiles that show dominance of mixed deciduous trees, not prairie plants. Or search the same subject for scientific articles on the same topic.
Thanks!
Evidence against prairie dominated prehistoric Illinois? (Linda-how do I locate the post that someone responds to, as you just did?) You look up all the pollen diagrams for the area and compare the tree and grass/aster pollen. None have enough grass/aster pollen, which is produced at higher rates.