Konza Prairie

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Konza in spring with herd of bison in distance

The Konza Prairie Biological Station is a 3,487-hectare (8,616 acre, 13.5 sq mi) preserve of native tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas. It is located south of Manhattan, Kansas.

The Konza Prairie is owned by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University, and is operated as a field research station by the university's Division of Biology. It is one of 26 sites within the Long Term Ecological Research Network. The Konza ecosystem contains forest, claypan, shrub and riparian communities in addition to the dominant tallgrass. Limestone outcrops are found throughout the landscape.

The Konza is the largest remaining area of unplowed tallgrass prairie in North America. It supports over 520 types of plants^[1], 31 mammals^[2], 208 bird species^[3], 34 types of reptiles and amphibians, 20 kinds of fish, and over 700 types of invertebrates. A herd of approximately 300 bison is maintained on the Konza, and native deer and wild turkey are often present in large numbers.

The public is allowed onto portions of the Konza Prairie through three loop hiking trails (approximately 3, 5, and 7 miles). The rest of the preserve is opened up for educational tours and for the Biennial Visitors' Day. The next Visitors' Day will be held in September of 2008.