A prairie is a vast, flat grassland with few trees, stretching as far as the eye can see. Picture an ocean of grass: tallgrass waving in the wind, wildflowers dotting the landscape, and a horizon that seems to go on forever. Prairies once covered much of central North America, from Canada down through the Great Plains of the United States.

These grasslands look simple, but they're remarkably complex ecosystems. The soil beneath a prairie is incredibly rich because grass roots grow deep and thick, creating some of the best farmland on Earth. This is why settlers called the American prairie “the breadbasket of the world”: the same soil that grew wild grass now grows much of our wheat and corn.

Prairie animals have adapted to life in open country. Bison once roamed in massive herds, while prairie dogs built underground towns that could stretch for miles. Hawks circle overhead, searching for mice and rabbits that hide in the grass.

Today, most original prairie has been converted to farmland, but conservation groups work to preserve remaining prairie lands. When you bite into bread or cereal, you're probably eating something grown on land that was once wild prairie.