By Leigh Guidry
Lafayette Daily Advertiser
Like the deep roots of the native plants studied there, much of the value of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ecology Center lies hidden deep below the surface.
Switchgrass roots, native to the Cajun prairie, have been known to grow as deep as 7 feet into the south Louisiana soil, making it a great candidate to battle coastal erosion.
The center provides resources for research, education and community activities in ecology and environmental biology, but you might never know it unless you make the drive to the 50-acre plot of grassland in Carencro.
That site features a large greenhouse, just rebuilt after Hurricane Delta, and a building for classrooms, offices and a refrigerated seed storage area. The fields are home to 70 species of rare native plants like switchgrass, little bluestem and a type of ashy sunflower called Cajun Sunrise.