The American Buffalo
"The whole mass of buffalo became agitated, producing a sound resembling distant thunder."
Journal of a Trapper, by Osborne Russell
American buffalo are an integral part of the natural ecosystem as well as an invaluable cultural animal. Thousands of species depend on their power to activate the growth of grass and functions of soil.
Bison promote plant diversity. They wallow, spread seeds, shed hair and fertilize the land. Through their herd migrations, bison modify the structure of the landscape and benefit habitat and wildlife. They "surf" the green wave as they move across the landscape and other herbivores follow.
"The buffalo was everything to us and still is. It kept us alive all those centuries, and we have that relationship with the animal."
Ron Brownotter
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Buffalo play a fundamental role in activating the carbon cycle and mitigating climate change. By migrating over large distances, they graze and help store atmospheric carbon into grass and soil.
Buffalo grazing supports burrowing mammals like prairie dogs and ferrets, which in tun attracts birds, insects and predators.
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​In sum, bison help create large and thriving grasslands environments.​​
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Photo: Daniel Mirlea @Rewilding Europe
​"Virtually every bird species that breeds in bison habitat uses shed hair as nest lining."
The Ecological Buffalo
“These buffalo are now so numerous that from an eminence we discovered more than we had ever seen before at one time; and if it be not impossible to calculate the moving multitude, which darkened the whole plains." Lewis & Clark Expedition
Few Americans know that bison used to roam across parts of Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia. Sadly, their range was reduced by over 99%, with total numbers plummeting from hundreds of thousands to a few hundreds in just a few decades.
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In order to be ecologically effective, ideally bison must be wild and free-ranging" R. Grace Morgan (Beaver, Bison, Horse). Rewilding projects offer the opportunity to continue supporting a thriving, growing bison population, alongside horses, beavers and other wildlife.