'The 8,600 acres (3,480 hectares) Konza Prairie is located in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas, just south of Manhattan. Owned jointly by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University Foundation, the larger Conservancy portion (7,700 acres) is leased to Kansas State University (KSU) and the total unit operated as Konza Prairie Biological Station by the Division of Biology. The site is dedicated to a three-fold mission of longterm ecological research, education and prairie conservation. KSU introduced a starter herd of 44 bison in 1987-88 mainly from Fort Riley Military Reservation, Kansas, as well as two other sources. The over-wintering herd size varies from 275-325 animals on 2,480 acres (1,004 hectares) with a fall culling-sale to achieve a year-round stocking rate of approximately 12 acres per animal.'

Acknowledgements

This article is a lightly edited reproduction of source material provided to docents of the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve by The Nature Conservancy for dissemination to the public.