21: Biodiversity in Minnesota Flashcards
What are the 3 main biomes in Minnesota?
- Prairie Grassland
- deciduous forest
- coniferous forest
Where is the prairie grassland located in Minnesota?
the southwest
Where is the deciduous forest located in Minnesota
the southeast
What is a deciduous forest?
forest that is made up of trees that drop their leaves during the fall
Where is the coniferous located in Minnesota?
northern half of state
What is the coniferous forest also known as?
the taiga or boreal forest
What is the dominant species in the taiga?
coniferous plants like spruce, pine and fir
- the trees are evergreen (don’t lose their leaves)
- leaves look like spines
- fruits look like cones
What do indigenous communities consider moose as?
a cultural keystone
- food source (up to 700 pounds of meat)
- part of Native American spiritual practices
What is happening to the moose population in Minnesota?
it is declining, in 1986 they used to inhabit the northwest and northeast parts of Minnesota, now they are only located in northeast Minnesota
How do researchers research the moose?
1) researchers fly on a helicopter, follow moose and shoot them with a gun loaded with tranquilizer darts
2) in one hour, they test for
- test for COVID
- take blood, stool, and urine samples
- do a tick count
3) moose is also fitted with a GPS collar for tracking
4) ID a moose stops moving for more than 6 hours, the researchers gets a text and investigate
How many moose have been collared?
around 160 adult moose
What is killing the moose?
a brain worm and ticks
What has been done with some of the dead moose?
their carcass is picked up by researchers to further study in their lab
Are ticks insects?
no, they are arachnids
- they are relatives of spiders
- they have 8 legs not 6
What led the ticks in?
the white tail deer
- usually does not share habitat with the moose since it is not adapted to very cold temperatures and to deep snow, so it usually stays south
- since winters are becoming milder, the deer is moving north
- NOW there is an overlap with the deer and moose habitat (Deer –> Moose)
