Colorado Life Zones

Colorado Life Zones

1.2.3.4.6.5.PrairieAlpineFoothillsSubalpineMontaneRiparian

1This first slide introduces the Colorado life zones. Ask students to point out differences between the life zones: the prairie life zone does not have any trees or shrubs; the foothills life zone is partially forested; the montane life zone has a variety of vegetation; the subalpine life zone is completely forested with coniferous trees; and the alpine life zone has snow and only small plants.Foothills5,500 8,000 ft.Plains 3,500 5,500 ft. Montane8,000 10,000 ft.Sub alpine10,000 11,500 ft.RiparianAlpine 11,500 +ft.Colorado Life Zones2This slide gives the students an idea of where each life zone is located in relation to elevation. As elevation increases, temperature decreases. This is due to adiabatic processes, where temperature drops because of the decrease in atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes. When pressure drops, air expands and molecules of air are doing work as they expand. As energy is expended in expanding, heat is lost, and temperature decreases.

Influences on the Life ZonesElevationClimate Soils (Dirt)ThreatsAnimals Plants Food Web3These are the different categories of information that will be discussed throughout the presentation for each life zone. It is a chance to get the students familiarized with what you will be talking about. Reiterate how elevation affects temperature and climate which in turn affect soils, animals, plants, the food web and can alter threats.

PRAIRIE / GRASSLANDS4First slide for the prairie. Point out the dominance of grasses and lack of taller vegetation such as trees and shrubs. Ask students why there are only grasses in the prairie (there is not enough moisture to support larger vegetation.) Foothills5,500 8,000 ft.Plains3,500 5,500 ft. Montane8,000 10,000 ft.Sub alpine10,000 11,500 ft.RiparianAlpine 11,500 +ft.Plains Life Zone5This slide gives the students an idea of where each life zone is located in relation to elevation. Focus on how the plains life zone is the lowest life zone in elevation and as a result is the warmest life zone due to adiabatic processes.

What Is It Like On The Prairie? TemperatureRainfallSoils Geography Less than mountains, more than desertCold in winter, hot in summerEast side of the mountainsVery fertile, plants grow easily with deep roots6This type of slide shows up at the beginning of each life zone. Discuss elevation, precipitation, temperature, and location for each respective life zone. Discuss the rain shadow effect caused by the mountains. Explain that while the prairie life zone receives less precipitation than other Colorado life zones, it receives more than a desert and generally can support more vegetation than a desert. The prairie life zone has relatively low elevation so it is hotter than the other life zones but still cold in winters. The soils in the prairie are very fertile.

Canopy HeightPlains

MontaneAlpine

Foothills

Riparian

7This picture is to represent the different levels of canopy in the different life zones. It is another chance to give the students a general characteristic to distinguish between the life zones. Focus on how the plains life zone has a very low canopy in relation to other life zones and the lack of tall trees or shrubs.What kinds of plants grow on the Prairie??8Ask the question to students.

Buffalo Grass

Blue Grama

Needle & Thread GrassCan you think of the kinds of ADAPTATIONS that help these plants grow in the hot and dry climate of the prairie?9With the plant and animal slides just talk briefly about each one of them. Introduce the concept of adaptations (special features that animals and plants have developed to allow them to survive in their environments.) Blue grama has seeds that easily blow off in the wind and latch onto the fur of animals. Needle and thread grass has a seed head with pointy end that sticks to fur coats of animals for transportation. As the days and nights alternate between warm and cool, the change in humidity causes the tail of the seed, or the thread to twist and it will actually corkscrew itself into the ground or into the hide of an animal. Buffalo grass is tolerant to prolonged droughts and to extreme temperatures.

Yucca10Explain that yuccas are very good at conserving water, important in the dry climate of the prairie life zone. They were (and still are) used by Native Americans for various purposes: the fibers could be used for dental floss, rope, clothing and sandals; the root is pounded and its extracts are used to make soap and shampoo; the sap from the leaves contains saponins, which are used to treat arthritis and joint inflammation.

What kinds of animals live on the Prairie??11Ask the question to students.

The Lark BuntingThe Colorado state bird !12Mention that the lark bunting is the Colorado state bird. Lark buntings are gregarious birds and pairs will often crowd in a few acres of suitable habitat. The male lark bunting, which is pictured above, alerts other birds of its presence by a near vertical song flight as there are few high perches in the prairie life zone.

Hawks and Eagles Predators in the sky look for food below.Who is their prey?13Here you can talk about the difference between some of the birds. You can discuss characteristics of the different hawks and eagles and mention that these birds have very good eyes, useful for finding prey. Their prey includes various small mammals and rodents and snakes.

Prairie Dogs & Pups

Burrowing Owl prairie dog owl14With the prairie dogs you can go into a little more depth about their role in the prairie. Prairie dogs are burrowing animals and are important because their underground tunnels later can provide homes for snakes, burrowing owls, small mammals and rodents. Prairie dogs are a source of prey for hawks and eagles and as a result prairie dogs are constantly vigilant when above ground.

Standing only nine inches tall, burrowing owls are among the smallest of owls. In many ways they are the odd cousins of the owl family. They nest not in trees, but in holes in the ground. They don't see well in the dark and hunt mostly by day. They have been known by many names through the years, including prairie dog owl. Hundreds of millions of prairie dogs used to live in vast colonies on the Plains, and tens of millions of burrowing owls lived in their abandoned holes. Steady loss of habitat, due to declining numbers of prairie dog colonies, has resulted in the burrowing owl being listed as a species of special concern in several states, including Colorado. Burrowing owls migrate to the pampas of Argentina where they take up residence in the burrows of an animal called a vizcacha , which live very much like prairie dogs, burrowing underground in colonies and keeping the surrounding area mowed down to a very low level.

Swift Fox Kits

Swift Fox15Swift foxes are one of the smallest foxes the world and are about the size of a house cat. The swift fox gets its name because it can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour! Swift foxes are predators and feed on small mammals and rodents.

Coyote 16Coyotes are considered opportunist feeders, eating almost anything it encounters. Coyotes both hunt and eat previously killed animals including rabbits, mice, ground squirrels, pocket gophers, and other small mammals, as well as birds, frogs, toads, snakes, insects, and many kinds of fruit. Carrion from larger animals, especially deer, is an important food source in winter.

Kangaroo Rat17The students may find it interesting that the kangaroo rat doesnt ever have to urinate. The kangaroo rat has this adaptation because of frequent long periods of little water in the prairie life zone.

American Bison18The bison, used to be very plentiful on the prairie, but was nearly hunted to extinction when European settlers arrived in the late 1800s. This species is considered extirpated meaning that today, they dont live in free-roaming herds, but rather on reserves. The bison like to eat fresh grass that grows after fire, which is an important part of prairie health. Their urine and scat fertilize the soil and helps plants regenerate after fire. Wallows, where they roll to scratch their backs creates bare soil which acts as habitat for the mountain plover, where they can hunt insects.

Pronghorn or Antelope19Explain that antelope run very fast, which helps them escape from predators. This is important because there are no trees or shrubs to hide from predators in the prairie life zone. As an interesting aside, mention that they are much faster than they need to be to escape from any predator currently living in North America. They evolved at a time when there was a species of cheetah present that has since gone extinct. Also, antelope have natural camouflage from their brown fur. These adaptations help antelopes better survive in the prairie life zone.

A worksheet question is based on this slide.1. What adaptations do antelope have to survive in the plains life zone?Antelope run very fast, which helps them escape from predators. This is important because there are no trees or shrubs to hide from predators in the plains life zone. Also, antelope have natural camouflage from their brown fur.

Notice how well this horned lizard blends in with its surroundings.20Point out that the horned lizards coloring allows it to blend in well with soil. This adaptation helps the lizard hide from predators.

Prairie Rattlesnake

21Prairie rattlesnakes are predators of kangaroo rats and other small mammals and rodents and prey of some hawks. Prairie rattlesnakes are poisonous and should never be approached. The Food Chain

grasskangaroo ratsnakered-tailed hawkThe kangaroo rat will eat the grass. The snake will eat the kangaroo rat. The red-tailed hawk will then eat the snake.

Who eats Whom?22Emphasize who eats who.

A worksheet question is based on this slide.2. Plains Life Zone Food Chain. Fill in the blanks with the following animals in the correct order: kangaroo rat, red-tailed hawk, grass, and snake.red-tailed hawk eats snake eats kangaroo rat eats grass