Larry R. Yoder Prairie Learning Laboratory

The Larry R. Yoder Prairie Learning Laboratory is a tall grass prairie restoration located at The Ohio State University at Marion. The restoration project was started by a small and highly dedicated group of people in 1976 and the site has grown and changed quite a bit since then. Today, more than 11 acres of restored tall grass prairie are a showpiece on the campus and an attraction for the surrounding communities. The Prairie Learning Lab is where the community has been connecting with tall grass prairies since 1976. We invite you to join us here at the Prairie Learning Lab to explore and learn more about the beauty and magnificence of the tall grass prairie.


Research on the Prairie

The Ohio State University at Marion welcome researchers from all disciplines to conduct short- or long-term research at the Larry R. Yoder tall grass prairie. Recent research projects include:
 

  • An investigation on the effect of the age of prairie patches on soil organic carbon, recalcitrant carbon (chemically resistant materials and organic remnants) and coal carbon (due to the prairie burning process).
  • Research characterizing the biogeochemical evolution of dissolved organic matter in the prairie pond under different climate regimes.
  • Measuring the effect of water supplementation on honeybee hive productivity.
  • Contributing seeds to the Project Baseline seedbank project at the University of Minnesota at Duluth.

If you are interested in conducting research on the Larry R. Yoder prairie, please contact Susan Gershman (gershman.6@osu.edu)