Final answer:
The Blackland Prairie Ecosystem is notable for its biodiversity, including bison and tallgrass, and for having created fertile soils now threatened by agricultural and urban development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two important facts about the Blackland Prairie Ecosystem are its function as a habitat for diverse species, including the remnants of tallgrass prairie and bison herds, and its role in creating some of the most productive agricultural soils in the United States before it was largely replaced by agriculture and urban development.
The Blackland Prairie once made up part of the vast prairie ecosystem spanning from Canada down into Mexico, which has now almost entirely vanished. It was known for its thick fertile soils and deep-rooted grasses. Furthermore, this ecosystem was also home to a wide variety of fauna, including burrowing prairie dogs and roaming herds of bison, contributing to its complex and diverse ecosystem.
However, due to the expansion of agriculture and urban areas, the Blackland Prairie, like much of the tallgrass prairies, has been greatly diminished. This loss has led to the depletion of the native soils that were once maintained by the natural interactions in the prairie ecosystem. These fertile soils must now be artificially maintained, which incurs greater expense and effort.