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Bell
LIVE! 1999
On the Prairie Curriculum Overview
Introduction to Prairies
- Definition of a prairie; origin of the word "prairie"
- Biogeography
- grasslands of the world
- different types of prairies
- tall grass
- mixed grass
- short grass
- Physical characteristics of a prairie
- vegetation / biomass
- soil types and structure
- climate
- Forces that affect formation / endurance of prairies
- glaciation
- fire
- savannas
- succession
- drought
- grazing
Prairie Plant Ecology
- Characteristic plant types
- identification
- classification
- Prairie plant adaptations
- cool season / warm season
- root growth
- seed dispersal mechanisms
- seed germination
- stratification
- scarification
- biotic potential
- Biodiversity / plant communities
- Plant / Animal interactions on the prairie; symbiosis
- Endangered / Extinct / Exotic prairie species
Prairie Animals
- Birds
- prairie chicken
- burrowing owl
- songbirds
- Mammals
- bison
- prairie dog
- black-footed ferret
- thirteen-lined ground squirrel
- Reptiles / Amphibians
- snakes
- skinks
- Insects
- butterflies
- grasshoppers
- Prairie food webs / microhabitats
- Endangered / Extinct / Exotic prairie species
Prairies and People
- Plains Indians
- culture
- history
- life on the prairie
- Pioneers-prairie settlement
- psychological effects of changing landscape
- navigating the prairie
- sod homes / covered wagons
- history of land development
- Prairie uses
- agricultural cultivation history
- corn belt / grain belt
- grasses and the world food supply wind energy
Prairie Conservation and Restoration
- Prairie remnants
- definition
- where found
- conservation
- management
- research
- Restoration
- large scale
- prairie gardens
- research
Throughout the curriculum, students will be introduced to the Bell LIVE! researchers featured live on October 13. Curricular activities will be modified and may not be titled as listed above. If you have further questions about this curriculum, please contact Bell LIVE! at 1-800-923-5548.
Bell LIVE! Distance Learning Site Map
College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences
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Last modified on May 23, 2002.