Nature Net’s Pre- and Post-Field Trip Material
Subject: Prairie
Level: Middle School
Introduction
A prairie is an environmental community dominated by native grasses and forbs, which are well adapted to conditions on the prairie. Prairie grasses are adapted to deal with environmental stresses such as fire, drought, high winds, and grazing animals. Prairie areas vary based on soil types, drainages, topography, and the animal and plant communities present.
Vocabulary
Habitat: The native environment of a particular plant or animal, including food, water, and shelter.
Grasses: Grasses are flowering plants with long, narrow leaves, and small inconspicuous flowers. Grasses have long taproots anchored to the soil, and waxy leaves to retain moisture.
Forbs: Non-woody, green stemmed plants, with small flowers.
Drought: Extended period of little moisture, during which plant and animal communities are under stress. Many prairie plants are adapted to deal with extended or seasonal droughts.
Aridity: Environmental condition characterized by limited moisture and generally high temperatures and strong winds. Many prairie environments undergo seasonal aridity.
Erosion: Loss of soil due to weathering or other environmental processes. Many grasses serve to bind the soil and prevent erosion. Erosion can also occur when native plants are replaced with non-native vegetation or agricultural crops.
Regeneration: Process in which prairie plants, particularly grasses, re-grow after undergoing environmental stress, such as fire or drought.
Concepts
Plant and animal communities of the prairie are adapted to seasonal stresses such as aridity and fire. Grasses and prairie plants have deep taproots, and store moisture for extended periods. Grasses g
row from the base, which allows them to regenerate after fires, drought, and
grazing.
-Large grazing animals flourish on prairie vegetation, especially the grasses which continually regenerate. Many prairie birds have adapted to the lack of trees by constructing nests at or under the ground surface. Burrowing animals, common in prairie environments, foster plant growth by churning up the soil.
- Farming and development have cause prairie habitats to become scarce. In the past, over-farming and destruction of native grass communities has resulted in severe erosion and soil loss (i.e. the 1930s Dust Bowl). Today, prairie restoration is attempting to maintain these environments, helping to prevent future soil erosion.
Suggested Post-Visit Activities
After your visit to some of the Nature Net sites, you can explore prairies further by creating a prairie garden at your school! Native prairie plant seeds are available at local nurseries.
There are many stories available about early settlers on the prairies, such as the Little House series by Laura Ingals Wilder. Your students can discuss how the prairie environment affected how they lived, as well as the harsh conditions they had to endure.
Suggested Readings
For Teachers:
Project Bluestem: A Curriculum on Prairies and Savannas. Walnut Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Prairie Learning Center, Prairie City, Iowa. 1995.
Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie. Roosa, D., and S. Runkel. Iowa State University Press, Ames. 1989.
For Students:
Seasons of the Tallgrass Prairie. Lerner, C. Morrow, 1980.