PINES AND PRAIRIES Environmental Education Lesson Plan Edwards Camp and Conference Center Summary While visiting the Prairie and the Pine plantation, students will investigate how the plants and animals survive there. They will also learn how to identify some common coniferous trees and prairie plants in each habitat. Usage - Grades 3-12, year round. IL Standards 12.A.2a, 12.A.3c, 12.B.2a, 12.B.2b, 12.B.3b, 12.E.2a, 12.E.3a, 12.E.2b, 12.E.3c. Objectives Upon completion of this lesson students will be able to Describe differences between a pine forest and a prairie. Explain environmental factors causing those differences. Define ecotone. Identify White Pine, Red Pine and Spruce. Identify three plants in the prairie. In addition students could Compare the level of plant diversity between the two habitats. Discuss the importance of fire in prairie development. Materials Prairie Plant Scavenger Hunt Identification cards. Winter Scavenger hunt Cards for the food chain game Cards for habitat exploration Prairie Plant Identification Wheels Forest Trees of Wisconsin book Wildflower guidebooks Soil sampler tool Introduction Edward s prairie and pine plantation were both planted by humans and did not develop naturally. However we can learn about natural habitats by visiting them. They can also show us how returning disturbed land to natural areas can be beneficial to wildlife and to people. They provide aesthetics, recreation opportunities, homes to wildlife and profit, (selectively harvesting trees and selling lumber as part of our management plan).
Pines Pine trees are referred to as coniferous trees, (which means they bear cones). The Pines were planted in approximately 1967. They were planted in rows to ensure that each tree could get an equal opportunity for sun, soil, water, and nutrients. This helps more trees survive than if they are planted randomly. The pine forest is composed mostly of White Pine, Red Pine and Norway Spruce trees. It exhibits less species diversity than a natural forest would. We are managing the forest to increase the diversity but this is a slow process. The lack of diversity has an effect on the animals that live there. The thick canopy and acidic soil, from the decomposing pine needles, do not allow many other plants to grow on the forest floor. So unless an animal can feed primarily on the seeds of pinecones, it is not a great habitat for animals to live. However there are a lot of places to build homes (nests in trees, brush piles) so a number of animals will build their homes in the Pine forest but travel to other habitats to feed. The White Pine and Red Pine trees can be differentiated by their needles and their bark. White Pine needles grow in bundles of 5, the same number of letters as in the word white. They are usually about 3 inches long and fairly soft. Red Pine needles grow in bundles of 2, are usually 3-6 inches long, and are stiffer and sharper than White Pine needles. White Pines have smooth to moderately rough grayish bark. The Red Pines pinkish brown bark is in flaky plates. As the tree grows taller, while surrounded by other trees, the canopy reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the lower branches. Without sunlight the needles die and fall off. If a branch is not able to produce food the tree moves its energy toward the canopy and the branch dies and starts to decay. The tree conducts a sort of self pruning. The lowest and oldest branches have broken off close to the trunk while the branches are progressively longer and less decomposed the closer they are to the canopy. This as a natural process and to some extent happens to all pine trees as they mature. The age of a pine tree can be determined by counting the number of whorls. The branches of a pine tree all grow outward from the perimeter of the trunk at one particular location annually. This is a called a whorl. There are stretches of no branches in between the whorls. A growing pine tree adds another whorl of branches each year. To determine the age of a pine tree simply count the whorls of branches from the bottom to the top of the tree. Near the bottom of the tree the branches may be completely broken off and you will need to find the knots on the trunk where the branches broke off in order to be able to count all the whorls. Then add approximately 3-5 years to account for when the seedling was so small that there is no evidence remaining of its branches.
You will be able to find stumps in the pine forest. This is because the forest has been thinned twice. The young seedlings were originally planted close together in order to provide protection from the elements while the trees were small. In 1987 entire rows were taken out of the forest, and in 2000 trees were selectively removed from the forest to provide more space and light in order for the remaining trees to continue to grow with less competition. If all the trees were originally the same age, size and type, and all were planted equal distance apart, why are some trees larger than others? (The same reason that people are different, different genetic makeup causes some trees to succeed better than others.) Prairies Prairies are very diverse communities of grasses and forbs (broadleaf, non weedy flowering plants) that once blanketed large parts of North America. For thousands of years, grassland ecosystems covered much of the Midwest; this vast sea of grasses and flowers provided a diverse habitat for wildlife. It also created the richest, deepest topsoil in the world. Just a few decades after the arrival of settlers in the 1800s, nearly all of the prairie areas were converted to agriculture. Of the original millions of acres of prairie, less than one percent remains today. Prairies developed in part due to a favorable climate, the type of animals living in the area, and human intervention. Prairie plants have adapted to grazing, from animals like bison and elk, by developing growth-producing tissues located at or below the surface of the soil and the ability to branch near the base (most prairie grasses grow in clusters from a large deep root base). This also allows them to rejuvenate quickly following fires, a common occurrence on the prairie. Prairies are a diverse ecosystem that provides great cover for wildlife in the summer amongst the sometimes 6 plus foot blanket of plants. The dozens of species of plants provided food and medicines to the Native Americans. Other plants were used for seasonings and for making rope. Fire was significant and instrumental in the establishment and perpetuation of prairies. Fires were caused accidentally by lightning strike or intentionally by Native Americans as an aid for hunting or war. These fires removed heavy surface debris allowing new sprouts to grow and perpetuated prairies by preventing trees from becoming established and forming forests. Here at Camp Edwards we intentionally burn our prairie in the spring every two or three years according to our management plan. This reduces the number of trees and unwanted non-prairie plants. Nearly all the once abundant prairie has been destroyed by agriculture and land development. Of the less than 1 % of the original prairie that remains most exists in rare small wild patches or in purposefully restored areas, such as here at Edwards.
Ecotone An ecotone is the transition zone between two natural communities. The ecotone between the prairie and pine forest is characterized by small stature trees and thick, woody shrubbery. Animals that live there can enjoy the advantages of both habitats Pines Versus Prairies When comparing the prairie to the pine forest, we would generally find more plant diversity and greater abundance of plants in the prairie. This is due to the shading effect of the forest canopy which suppresses plant abundance and diversity on the forest floor. Simply put, it is just too shady in the forest for very many different types of plants to grow. Temperature conditions are another difference between the habitats. The pine forest is generally cooler in the summer than the prairie, due to the abundance of shade provided by the canopy, and warmer in the winter due to being sheltered from the wind. Prairie and forest both provide shelter for a variety of animals. Due to the greater diversity of plants in the prairie it is able to provide more food for more different types of animals. For these reasons you can think of the Prairie as an animal restaurant and the forest as an animal hotel. The two communities also respond to fire differently. Prairies can bounce back quickly from frequent fires, forests however, can not. Due to the fact that most trees have the majority of their growth tissue above ground, they are not able to survive and re-grow after being burned by fire. Some trees, such as Jack Pine need fire to activate their seeds to grow. Fires separated by many years do help to rejuvenate forests. However, forests can not survive frequent fires. Prairie plants with their quick growth and ability to re-grow from the base actually benefit from frequent fires which set back succession. Fire can improve wildlife habitat, recycle nutrients into the soil, clear out competing vegetation and stimulate fire-dependent plants to grow. WARM-UP ACTIVITIES Ask the students what they know about the pines and the prairies. Then ask what they think they will find in each of the habitats. Discuss what animals could be found in the prairie, what types of plants could be found there, some history of the great prairies, and the role of fire in perpetuating prairie.
Compare Habitats In both the Prairie and Pine forest, provide the students with some time to explore the environment. Ask them to be very observant of what is there and what is happening around them. Give each student a card (the cards each have one of the statements below to facilitate their exploration) and give them about five minutes to do the activity on the card in each of the habitats. When they come back as a group have them share what they did. 1. Pick a spot on the ground then count the number of different plants within three feet of where you are and carefully observe them. 2. Pick one plant and come up with as many adaptations as you can that help it survive in its habitat. 3. Look for an animal s home and describe it. 4. Look at home much sun and or shade there is in the place that you are. Describe how this would affect the plants that live there. 5. Pick a plant and try to find the seeds it produces and determine how they are dispersed. 6. Find a sign of an animal that would live there. 7. List as many animals as you could think of that live in your habitat. 8. Look for a tunnel or burrow (in the ground or a piece of wood) try to predict what may have made it and why it was there. 9. Find and observe an animal or an insect. Predict why it is doing what it is. 10. Find a plant and come up with a list of two positive and two negative things about it. 11. If you were a mouse where would you choose to make home and why. 12. Locate as many different colors as you can in your habitat and come up with reasons why things are the colors they are. 13. Find a plant that is damaged and try to determine what has happened to it. 14. Find a very large plant and a very small plant and describe similarities and differences. 15. Find a discarded item and figure out alterative uses for it. 16. Locate an area that would best protect a small bird from a bad storm. 17. Look around and note things that catch your eye. Why do you think they caught your attention. 18. List ways the sun affects plants and animals in this habitat. 19. If you were going to live in this habitat what would be some advantages. 20. Search for the most interesting thing in this habitat and explain why you chose it. 21. Find several seeds. Try to determine how they are spread.
In the Pine Forest Use the identification sheets to teach the students identification of spruce, red pine and white pine. Also give the students an opportunity to count pine tree whorls or find a stump to count the rings to determine age. To practice their memory and identification skills play a game of Tree Tag with students. Call a tree (spruce, red or white pine and either tree, cone, or needle and have the kids go and find an example of it. They would tag a tree or pick a cone or a needle off the ground to show you an example. In the Prairie When in the prairie please stress the importance of staying on trails while exploring. We need to limit trampling the plants! While visiting the prairie, discuss a little about prairie history, ecology and what the students find with their cards. Be sure to talk about what is/is not found there, the importance of fire in a prairie, diversity of plants and abundance of food for animals. Aside from the plants and their seeds there are many insects and small animals that serve as food for other animals there. Try to have the students identify some of the common plants. Students can also use the Prairie ID Sheets. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES Discuss and examine golden rod galls in the prairie. Examine tree core samples or cross section. WRAP UP After visiting both the Prairie and Pine Forest, compare the level of plant diversity and animal activity between the two. You should generally, expect to find more plant diversity in prairie. Do these numbers make sense? Why or why not? PRE-ACTIVITIES Vocabulary Coniferous a plant that bears its seeds in cones. usually a needle leaf plant but not always. Deciduous term describing a plant that periodically loses its leaves Diversity variety of species. Ecotone a mixing zone where two ecosystems and their accompanying plant and animal species overlap. Animals can benefit from having the benefits of both habitats in the ecotone. Evergreen a plant that does not lose all its leaves at one time. Often a conifer but not always. Galls tissue forms a growth on plants around a foreign body, usually an egg of an insect. A small fly lays the eggs causing the round galls found on Goldenrod in the prairie.