Prairies & Prairie Food Webs PowerPoint

7/29/2019 Prairies & Prairie Food Webs PowerPoint

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Prairies & Prairie

Food Webs

Blue Grama Leadplant Coyote


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What are prairies?

No

NoNoNo

NoNo


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Yes!Shortgrass Prairie


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Yes!Sandhills Dunes and dry valleys


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Yes!Mixed-grass Prairie


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Yes!Tallgrass Prairie


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Prairie refers to an area of land of lowtopographic relief that principally supports

grasses and herbs, with few trees.

Prairies are generally of a mesic (moderate

or temperate) climate.

French explorers called these areas"prairie", from the French word for

"meadow".

Definition of Prairie


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What Makes Prairies Unique

No trees very few trees.

Rich, highly organic soils

(caused from the high

biomass of the grasses).

Benefits from fire.

Little rain or water.

High biodiversity of plant

and animal species.

Plant and animal

adaptations.

Indiangrass


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Why does Nebraska Have Prairies?

Spruce and pine forests

retreated with the

colder glacial climate.

Glacial ice-sheets retreated

from this area 12,000 to10,000 years ago.

The climate gradually

changed.

Prairie began growingin the hot, dry climate.

Fires and grazing kept

trees out and helped

prairie plants grow.

Spruce Forest

Prairie


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Nebraskas Prairies

Nebraska has 4 general types of prairies: Shortgrass

Sandhills

Mixedgrass

Tallgrass

Sandhills Prairie Tallgrass Prairie


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Prairie Plants


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Prairie PlantsThere are two main types of prairie plants: grasses

and forbs.Grasses have slender leaves with a linear vein

pattern. Deep roots.

Forbes are all the plants in the prairie other thangrasses (and trees or shrubs). Non-woody. Broader

leafs (than grasses).

grass forb


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Prairie Plant Adaptations

Deep roots to withstand fireand obtain needed moisture.

Long, slender leaves to

prevent overheating and

excessive water-loss.

Often, broadleaf plants willhold their leaves upright to

minimize sun exposure.


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Prairie AnimalsCarnivores

Omnivores

Herbivores

Decomposers


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Prairie Animals: Carnivores


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Prairie Animals: Carnivores


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Prairie Animals: Omnivores


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Prairie Animals: Omnivores


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Prairie Animals: Herbivores


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Prairie Animals: Herbivores


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Prairie Animals: Decomposers

Dung BeetleCarrion Beetle

Worm


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Prairie History


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Shortgrass Prairies: History

First known inhabitants Pawnee

and Otoe Indians.

Europeans came with Coronado.

Oregon and Mormon Trail.

Homestead Act of 1864.

Transcontinental Railroad.

1920s drought increased

production 1940s 70s.

1990s drought no till and dry

land farming

Conservation Reserve Program.

Purple Threeawn


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Sandhills Prairies: History

Earliest human inhabitants:10,000 years ago.

Nearly a dozen tribes have

occupies the Sandhills.

First Euro-Americans:

hunters and trappers.

1870s: cattle producers.

Early 1900s, Kinkaid Act

encouraged settlers.

Today cattle outnumber

humans 20:1.Blowout Penstemon


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Mixedgrass Prairies: History

First nomadic hunting and

gathering in Platte River Valley. Pawnee Indians made the first

settlements.

Transcontinental railroad

increased population in the 1860s. Population boomed and declined

depending on precipitation.

WWI brought increased demand

for ag. products = increased

population.

1940s and 50s brought increased

efficiency of ag. practices.

Today, trend is fewer and larger

farms.Western Wheatgrass


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Tallgrass Prairies:

History

Prairie Vole

Timber Rattlesnake

Original inhabitant were biggame hunters about 12,000

years ago.

Earth lodge Native Americans.

Lewis and Clark camethrough in 1804.

1823 first

settlementBellevue

Homestead Act in 1862.

By 1900, most farmable land

was being farmed.

Today, more urban and fewer

and larger farms.


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Prairie Stresses

&Conservation


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Shortgrass Prairies:

Stresses and Conservation Issues

Alteration of natural

disturbance regime.

Altered hydrology and

channel degradation ofrivers and streams.

Spread of invasive species

Lack of knowledge aboutregions biological and

ecological processes.

Fragmentation of natural habitats.

Purple Locoweed


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Sandhills Prairies:


Alteration of natural burning

and grazing regimes.

Wetland drainage.

Spread of invasive species

Inter-basin water transfer.

Lack of knowledge about

regions biological andecological processes.

Ranching economics.


Western Meadowlark


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Mixedgrass Prairies:


Altered hydrology.

Spread of invasive species.

Fragmentation of habitats.

Alteration of natural grazing and

burning regimes. Lack of awareness and knowledge

of the biodiversity.

Loss of land enrolled in

conservation programs. Wetland drainage.

Lack of collaboration between ag.

and conservation communities.

Sedimentation of rivers and

wetlands.Stiff Sunflower


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Tallgrass Prairies:


Alteration of natural disturbance

regime.

Spread of invasive species.

Altered hydrology.Lack of awareness and knowledge

about the regions biodiversity.

Sedimentation of rivers and

wetlands.

Pollution by pesticides, andurban/industrial runoff.


Loss of lands enrolled in

conservation programsSwainsons Hawk

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