The grazing and trampling behavior of large bison herds benefited grassland evolution by consuming older material, allowing soil microbiology to regenerate, and promoting root sloughing for carbon storage.

“those grasses evolved to benefit from that process right they benefit when the taller stalks and the older and oxidizing material is either consumed or trampled down to the surface of the soil so that microbiology and life under the soil can then pull that back down and turn it into new life right which is a key fundamental way that uh the circle of life happens right the they evolved to then slough off their roots and store have a store of carbon in the soil that they can rely on to regrow and put new plant life and then get new leaves up”