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Prairies 101

Prairies 101. Coyote. Blue Grama. Leadplant. Lindsay Rogers Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. What are prairies?. No. No. No. No. No. No. Yes! Shortgrass Prairie. Yes! Sandhills – Dunes and dry valleys. Yes! Mixed-grass Prairie. Yes! Tallgrass Prairie. Definition of Prairie.

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Prairies 101

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  1. Prairies 101 Coyote Blue Grama Leadplant Lindsay Rogers Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

  2. What are prairies? No No No No No No

  3. Yes! Shortgrass Prairie

  4. Yes! Sandhills – Dunes and dry valleys

  5. Yes! Mixed-grass Prairie

  6. Yes! Tallgrass Prairie

  7. Definition of Prairie Prairie refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that principally supports grasses and forbs, 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".

  8. 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

  9. Why does Nebraska Have Prairies? Glacial ice-sheets retreated from this area 12,000 to 10,000 years ago.

  10. Why does Nebraska Have Prairies? Glacial ice-sheets retreated from this area 12,000 to 10,000 years ago. The climate gradually changed.

  11. Why does Nebraska Have Prairies? Glacial ice-sheets retreated from this area 12,000 to 10,000 years ago. The climate gradually changed. Spruce Forest Spruce and pine forests retreated with the colder glacial climate.

  12. Why does Nebraska Have Prairies? Glacial ice-sheets retreated from this area 12,000 to 10,000 years ago. The climate gradually changed. Spruce Forest Spruce and pine forests retreated with the colder glacial climate. Prairie began growing in the hot, dry climate.  Prairie

  13. Why does Nebraska Have Prairies? Glacial ice-sheets retreated from this area 12,000 to 10,000 years ago. The climate gradually changed. Spruce Forest Spruce and pine forests retreated with the colder glacial climate. Prairie began growing in the hot, dry climate.  Fires and grazing kept trees out and helped prairie plants grow. Prairie

  14. Nebraska’s Prairies • Nebraska has 4 general types of prairies: • Shortgrass • Sandhills • Mixedgrass • Tallgrass Sandhills Prairie Tallgrass Prairie

  15. Tallgrass Prairies: History • Original inhabitant were big game hunters about 12,000 years ago. • Earth lodge Native Americans. • Lewis and Clark came through in 1804. • 1823 first settlement…Bellevue • Homestead Act in 1862. • By 1900, most farmable land was being farmed. • Today, more urban and fewer and larger farms. Timber Rattlesnake Prairie Vole

  16. Prairie Stresses & Conservation

  17. Tallgrass Prairies: Stresses and Conservation Issues • Alteration of natural disturbance regime. • Spread of invasive species. • Altered hydrology. • Lack of awareness and knowledge about the region’s biodiversity. • Pollution by pesticides, and urban/industrial runoff. • Fragmentation of natural habitats. • Loss of lands enrolled in conservation programs. Swainson’s Hawk

  18. Questions?

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