PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Somewhere you can find a variety of prairies would be in the United States of America towards the middle of the country.
In the month of January it can be as low as 20 degrees, and on the month of July as high as 70 degrees or higher.
The annual precipitation that the prairie gets is about 10-30 inches.
The growing point of many prairie plants is underground, where it can survive fire and regrow.
Prairie grasses have narrow leaves that lose less water to evaporation than broad, flat leaves lose.
Prairie plants have roots that extend downward for as much as 3.5 meters and form networks to absorb moisture during dry periods.
Brightly colored flowers attract pollinators such as bees, wasps, and birds.
Some animals, such as bison, have broad, flat-topped teeth and digestive systems especially adapted to feed on grasses.
Many prairie animals have front legs and paws that allow them to burrow into the ground, where they are protected from predators.
Many prairie animals are adapted for nocturnal life; that is, they are active at night, which helps conceal their presence from predators.
The color of many prairie animals blends in with the plant life, which also helps them hide from predators.
Things to do in the Prairie
- Walk trails
- Walk the same route Lewis & Clark did up the Missouri River
- Hunt
- See Indian Rock Cultural Site
Ever since the early colonization to North America the population of black-tailed prairie dogs has significantly decreased.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Sciurognathi
Family: Sciuridae
Subfamily: Sciurinae
Genus: Cynomys,
Species:ludovicianus (Ord)
The black-tailed prairie dog is a multicellular organism. Its cells contain a nucleus but no cell wall. It is a eukaryotic organism, and heterotroph. Its close relatives are the Mexican prairie dog's. Some of it's phylum characteristics aretail projecting beyond the anus at some stage of development, and complete digestive system.
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Echinacea
Species: Echinacea purpurea
The purple coneflower is a multicellular organism and its cells contain both a nucleus and a cell wall. Its Eukaryotic and autotroph. A close relative is a daisy. Its an angiosperm. It is a deciduous flower because it can only bloom during warm climates and will die during cold climates. This flower is also nonvascular.
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes (mushroom-forming fungi)
Order: Auriculariales
Family: Exidiaceae
Has cell wall present in all of its cells. Its prokaryotic and autotrophic . Close relatives are mushrooms. Manufacture their food with solar radiation and water.
Predation
Coyote and gazelle
Mutualism
A bird eating the ticks off of a bison
Commensalism
Cattle egrets and livstock
Competition
Black-tailed prairie dog
And
Black-footed ferret