Grasslands cover approximately 15% of land area in North America and prairies are the grasslands found in the central part of the continent. Prairies are very important ecosystems that are home to many endangered and threatened plants and animals.

There are a few different types of prairies, and various words are used to describe prairies including savannas, grasslands, pampas, plains, rangelands... There is a huge body of literature written about prairies, so narrowing your search to a particular type of prairie or geographical region is more likely to help you find useful information.

There are many Library of Congress subject headings which you may want to use to look for books and journals in Illinet Online (the online catalog for UIUC and 56 other libraries in Illinois). You can divide many of these subject headings further by geography (e.g. prairie conservation--Illinois).

Prairies (May subdivide geographically)
Grasslands (broader term)

Prairie animals (May subdivide geographically)
Prairie fauna (use prairie animals)
Grassland animals (broader term)

Prairie conservation (May subdivide geographically)
Grassland conservation (broader term)
Nature conservation (broader term)

Prairie ecology (May subdivide geographically)
Grassland ecology (broader term)

Prairie fires (use Grassland fires)

Prairie gardening (May subdivide geographically)

Prairie planting (may subdivide geographically)
Planting (Plant culture) (broader term)

Prairie plants (May subdivide geographically)
Prairie flora (use Prairie plants)
Grassland plants (broader term)