INTRODUCTION TO BIODIVERSITY In the tallgrass prairie community

The prairie is a community – with many different plants & animals. Bio means: Diversity means: BIODIVERSITY means: a variety of life forms life. a variety Each one has a special job its “ecological niche” Here we will call its “prairie job”

A eco-system is stronger if it has more biodiversity. For example, risks are spread out between more species. i.e in a field of only corn plants: if a corn disease comes in, it could wipe out the whole crop. In the prairie full of many kinds of plants, a disease may hurt one kind of plant, but not all of them.

Let’s meet some of our neighbors on our biodiverse tallgrass prairie. Remember: they have lived here a lot longer than we have. . . We should know their names! As we see their pictures and names, see how many you can remember!

First, here are the four main warm season tallgrasses in our prairie community.

Big Bluestem 2-9 feet high Seed heads -usually have 3 spikes –look like a turkey’s foot The biggest, most predominant member of the prairie community - the “superhero” of grasses!

Indiangrass Indiangrass Height: 3-7 feet Seedheads are -long, thick, shaped like a feather - A beautiful golden color This is also a big grass, not quite as big as Big Bluestem, but tall and strong.

Switchgrass Height: 2-6 feet Seed heads pyramid-shaped open with branches like a tree Another big, strong, tall grass!

Little Bluestem Height: 2-4 feet Short stout stems grow in a clump Seed heads are fuzzy with little stars Turn red after frost Is our Kansas State Grass! A strong little grass that can grow in many different places. Not as big as the Big Bluestem, but a very productive grass.

The FOUR main grasses of the Flint Hills have important PRAIRIE JOBS: grow big and reproduce hold the soil – prevent erosion provide food for the grazing animals such as cattle and buffalo give cover - shelter and protection - to little animals & birds such as Prairie Chickens

Who else is in the prairie? Remember: Prairies have high biodiversity with a variety of different plants – not just grasses. Who else is in the prairie? The Flint Hills have over a thousand species of WILDFLOWERS.

FORBS are non-woody, flowering plants. Often called: “wildflowers” They are beautiful! Many are quite palatable = tasty to cattle. Some taste SO good. . . cows want to eat them first! We call them “ice cream plants”. Here are a few . . .

Our first forb / wildflower is a spectacular-looking plant! Its broad lower leaves line up north and south – so it is named... COMPASS PLANT

BUTTERFLY MILKWEED 1 – 3 feet high Big bunches of bright orange blooms Attracts butterflies People love this plant! The prairie jobs of Butterfly Milkweed & Compass Plant are to Look spectacular! - attract bees and other insect pollinators Hold soil Provide food for grazers.

The next group of forbs are LEGUMES – their prairie jobs are to: Gather nitrogen to fertilize the prairie Grow and reproduce Attract pollinators Hold the soil Provide food for grazers

CATCLAW SENSITIVE BRIAR This pretty plant Is a legume Has gorgeous flowers - golden-tipped pink pom-poms. Is called “briar” since it’s stickery - but nutritious for cattle and they love it Is called “sensitive” - when touched, its leaves fold together – you can SEE IT MOVE! CATCLAW SENSITIVE BRIAR

LEADPLANT legume with tall purple & orange blooms silvery-colored leaves like the color of lead roots can go down 16 feet! Native Americans used it to make a tea

BLUE WILDINDIGO BLUE WILDINDIGO A legume tallest plant in early spring flower is tall column over a foot high loaded with bluish-purple blooms One of the prettiest plants of the tallgrass prairie!

RED-TAIL HAWK Beautiful big bird of prey – or predator - eats other animals - even other birds. Big wing span - 4-5 feet wide! Flies very high- looking down to find food His prairie job is to control the populations of rodents, snakes, etc.

RACOON very common on the prairie - even in town eat everything: insects, plants, and small animals and birds sometimes they are predators - might steal eggs from a nest! have a black mask around their eyes

PRAIRIE CHICKEN Used to be hundreds of thousands, but now because so much prairie has been plowed, they live mainly only in the Flint Hills. Lives only in the open prairie - never near forests Make their nest down in tallgrass Male performs amazing mating dance and “booms” Their job is to search for thick tall grass to build their nest – to hide it from predators and grow their eggs.

Can you identify these members of the PRAIRIE COMMUNITY?

BLUE WILDINDIGO

RACOON

BUTTERFLY MILKWEED

Switchgrass

PRAIRIE CHICKEN

COMPASS PLANT

Little Bluestem

CATCLAW SENSITIVE BRIAR

Big Bluestem

LEADPLANT

Indiangrass

RED-TAIL HAWK