ABSTRACT
Wallows are ephemeral pools within perennial grasslands. Buffalo wallow is a colloquial expression used to designate a depression created by bison as they roll in exposed prairie soil. These depressions are underlain by a subsurface hardpan that restricts the downward percolation of water into the lower soil profile. Thus, after heavy rainfalls, wallows fill with water and may remain full for days to weeks, depending on the ensuing rainfall pattern. The number of plants within wallows was estimated by removing randomly selected soil plugs from 10 different wallows at three different sites in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge at 3-week intervals. The common concept of the Great Plains is a vast expanse of perennial grasses and forbs accounting for 95% of all prairie species. The seed bank of wallows and the surrounding prairie was determined by taking soil cores from inside and 1 m outside wallows. Each soil core was cut into equal sections: top, middle and bottom.
