On the Prairie
Chat transcript, Dave Rider
Read from bottom to top.
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: This was really fun! See you on the 13th!
Moderator: Thanks so much for the great chat, Donna! We will see you on October 13th during the Bell LIVE! broadcast! Make sure to tune in for the next chat on October 5th!
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: An ecotone is an area where 2 (or more) ecosystems meet, for example, where the forest meets the prairie, or the prairie meets the desert. In that area, plant and animal diversity is often high because you get species from both adjacent areas as well as plants/animals that are adapted to the specific ecotone area.
Moderator: Katie from the Bell Museum asks, What is an ecotone?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: Good question! Prairie dogs live naturally only in the mixed or shortgrass prairie. The tallgrass prairie receives too much rainfall for prairie dogs to exist naturally. They need slightly drier areas with shorter vegetation so that they can keep it clipped down to a level where they can see predators. This is especially true of the black-tailed prairie dog.
Moderator: Brenda from Minneapolis asks, Why don't prairie dogs live in the tallgrass prairie?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: If you look at historical maps, they show that there was tallgrass prairie around the St. Paul area. However, this area is also right at the ecotone of the prairie and the deciduous forest. So it probably depends exactly where in the area you are referred to (St. Paul is pretty big). In any case, St. Paul is right in the ecotone area.
Moderator: Curtis from St. Paul asks, Did there used to be prairie in St. Paul?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: Probably the best and favorite part of my job is getting to work with students to teach them about animals and give them an opportunity to gain an appreciation for animals. Having the chance to be outside with both the animals and my students is a real bonus!
Moderator: Kari from St. Paul asks, What's the favorite part of your job?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: Prairies, as a habitat are nearly gone. As a result, due to lack of habitat, many prairie mammals have gone extinct or nearly so. All animals in the prairie ecosystem play a role - either predator, prey, nutrient recycler, etc. As species disappear, the structure of the prairie breaks down. Each species, including each mammal species is important.
Moderator: Jeff from Wayzata asks, Why is it important to take care of prairie mammals?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: That's a tough one. Probably most of the funny things were due to the people I was working with. Probably some of the most memorable are the scary things that you can laugh at later - like when a big bull bison nearly side-swiped our vehicle while we were observing the bison herd. All of a sudden he was just there and the window was open - student yelled in surprise and then the driver gunned the vehicle to avoid getting a horn through the door. In doing so, the video camera was dropped and we got great footage of the inside of the van as the camera tumbled to the floor.
Moderator: mrs-mc from Meadow Creek asks, What is the funniest thing that has happened to you in your job?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: Yes, buffalo (technically called bison now) still live on the prairie. However, the bison now live mainly in parks, preserves, or private herds. They no longer roam unrestricted like deer do.
Moderator: Anne from California asks, Do buffalo still live on the prairie?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: Almost all of the mammals that you see in the summer in MN are also there in the winter in MN - you just often can't seem them! Chipmunks, some bats, etc. might hibernate. Some bat species migrate south. You can especially see things like deer and squirrels in the winter. You might also see lots of tracks of mammals, even if you don't see the mammal itself.
Moderator: mrs-antiel asks What mammals do we find on a Minnesota prairie during the winter?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: I like all kinds of animals, so it is hard to choose. My favorite wild animal is probably the prairie dog - I have been studying them for over 20 years now! Their behavior is very interesting and they help shape the prairie. I also have lots of pets, so on the domestic side, I really like dogs, horses, and cats. (I have 5 horses, 3 dogs, and 4 cats). On my farm, we also have wild deer, ducks, beaver, muskrats - you name it. I really like to observe them all.
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: The best thing to do during Junior and Senior high school is to take as many science and math courses as you can. Computer science is also helpful. All of these courses develop your mind and give you ideas about future careers in science. Math cannot be stressed enough - scientists might not use higher mathematics every day, but the math helps teach your mind to work in certain ways - and scientists do use this part of their minds every day.
Moderator: Paul from California asks, "Do you have a favorite mammal?"
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: A mammalogist is a person who studies mammals. Mammals are organisms that have characteristics such as hair, mammary glands, "warm-blooded" (i.e., homeothermic), etc. The name mammalogist comes from the fact that mammals have mammary (i.e., milk) glands.
Moderator: Ok let's get started!mrs-mc from Meadow Creek asks, What is your advice for a 7th grader to take as subjects in school?
Moderator: What is a mammalogist? mrs-mc from Meadow Creek asks, What is a mammalogist?
Donna Bruns Stockrahm: Hi - I am on-line now. Donna
Moderator:Hello Donna. We will start in just a few minutes.
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