Prairie Field Environmental Report

For this field excursion the coastal prairies and dune communities of the BML were explored. Community composition and interactions in these areas were areas of emphasis on the excursion, as well as morphological adaptations organisms use to survive in these landscapes. These coastal environments can be a harsh place for species to make a living. Factors such as solar radiation, desiccation, sand showering, coastal winds, nutrient deficient soil, invasive species, and structural instability are all factors species in these areas have to cope with. However, despite these challenges these communities have found a way to thrive and are teeming with life. Prairie fields are abundant with different kind of species. A few of animals we physically

Plant species on the rock cliffs facing the ocean have to be very morphologically different to cope with different stress. Plant species that are located on leeward sides of a mountain are going to face different stresses than organisms on the wayward side. As species got closer to the wayward side of the cliff, there a decline in height of plants in these areas. On the wayward side Northwest winds became a major abiotic stress factor for these plants. Since this area is experiencing greater wind stresses, from a fitness perspective it makes no biological sense for these organisms to grow upward. Instead we see plants staying low to the ground and growing horizontally. One example was the Dudleya succulents, this species can be found near the cliffs edge. This succulent was a low lying plant, the morphological advantage of this is it helps cope with the added wind stress coming in from the ocean. Another adaptation we saw on this succulent was the leaves had a pale tint to them to reflect harsh UV rays from the sun. In order for UV-B radiation to be effective it must first penetrate the leaf, reach sensitive targets and be absorbed by the chromophores present (Teramura and Sullivan 1993). Plants cant move like animals can so it has come up with adaptations to combat stresses. The reason this plant is able survive in this type of harsh environment is because it copes

Scoured around the prairie and dunes were these massive holes, they were burrowed by badgers. Once abandoned by the badgers, burrowing owls utilize these holes on their winter migration up North. This is a classic example of communalism, as we see the owls benefiting, getting protection and refuge while the badgers were unaffected by the interaction. Normally, these burrowing owls are dependent on ground squirrels for burrowing holes, but we see that in this ecosystem the owls are able to find an organism to fill the role of ground squirrels. One interaction that I found particularly interesting was the interaction of rabbits and coyote brush. This interaction was likely a mutualism as the rabbits got refuge, while the coyote brush got nutrients from fecal pellets. Lewis pointed out that the brush was encircled by approximately 1 foot of relatively short grass compared to the rest of the prairie. We got to see the ecology of fear on display here. This strange occurrence can be traced to trait meditated indirect interactions. Predators are effecting the behaviors of prey and changing their foraging behaviors due predation risk. Species have to account for risk and reward when going out and gathering resources. One classic example of this is the reintroduction of grey wolves into Yellowstone National Park. In 2001 and 2002, they found willow and young cottonwood plants 2