People and the Enviroment

which plant species has seen the greatest decrease in pollen abundance over time?

Sunflower

When viewed from the air, the Black Hills are generally an oval shape with exposed rocks in a bulls-eye pattern.

True

What type of rock is common in the Dakotas and contains evidence that we used to be the bottom of a sea?

Sedimentary Rock

Put these events in order from oldest to youngest.

1. Interior Seaway and formation of Pierre Shale

2. Regional uplift of the Black Hills

3. Ice Age and glaciation in the eastern Dakotas

4. Beginning of the Age of Mammals in the Paleocene

5. Arrival of European settlers

What are the characteristics of the Missouri Coteau and Prairie Coteau?

Uneven landscapes resulting from hummocky collapsed glacial topography.

What are the characteristics of Sioux Quartzite?

Forms tall, red to buff-colored cliffs such as at Split Rock Creek

What are the characteristics of Lake Agassiz?

One of the largest glacial lakes remaining after the Ice Age.

Pierre Shale

Thick, gray rock layer that contains marine fossils and forms a sticky "gumbo" when wet

The eastern side of the Dakotas is flatter than the western side because of glaciers that moved across the landscape.

True

__________ and __________ set out to explore the west with 2 primary tasks: (1) find a route to the __________ (2) observe and document __________.

Lewis and Clark; Pacific Ocean; plants, animals, and landscapes

What are the five variables included in our textbook's definition of climate?

Temperature, precipitation, solar energy, wind, length of growing season

Which are reasons for overall low precipitation in the Dakotas? (Select all that apply)

Rocky Mountain rain shadow effect; Long distance from an ocean

Weather is a daily pattern of environmental variables such as temperature and precipitation, and climate is a long-term (~30 years) average of the same data.

True

Black Guillemots

Less snow cover and sea ice for bird habitat and animals that depend on the birds for food

Snake River Water Temperature

Warming water threatens salmon and those who rely on the fish for diet, culture, religion, and economy, especially tribes

Cherry Blossom Blooms in DC

Early blooms affect tourism and economy

Glacier National Park

Melting glaciers impact tourism, ecosystem services, animals, and people

Sebago Lake in Maine

Changes in ice cover affect habitat, transportation, power, and recreation

Ice Breakup in Alaskan Rivers

Early thaw is impacting transportation, hunting, fishing, flooding, etc.

Land Loss along the Atlantic

Loss of wetlands affects animals, food production, recreation, and shoreline protection

Southwest Temperature and Drought

Water scarcity is threatening people, animals, plants, etc.

Mean annual temperature is projected to ______ with ______ heat waves and ______ frost seasons. Precipitation is projected to ______ annually, but ______ in the summer, with ______ big events. Extreme weather is projected to ______ in intensity and duration.

increase; more; shorter; increase; decrease; more; increase

Which grass is commonly used but highly invasive in the U.S.?

Kentucky bluegrass

Will the Dakotas likely have more prairie dog habitat in the future?

True

What are the four prairie types in the Dakotas besides sagebrush steppe?

Tallgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, shortgrass prairie, and sand prairie

How much grassland biomass is above the soil?

20%

Which two are NOT natural grassland disturbances?

Removal of top predators and fire suppression

What do bison wallows create?

Biodiversity hotspots and breeding ponds for frogs

What happens with fire suppression?

Detritus and biomass build up, causing future fires

What does grazing by large herbivores do?

Supports diverse grasslands and helps resist invasive species

What happens when top predators are removed?

Fewer decaying carcasses are available for nutrient cycling

What is the effect of drought?

Less water and fewer aquatic ecosystems

What were the three primary factors that led to the Dust Bowl?

Years of below-average precipitation, farmers plowed large areas of prairie, and cattle overgrazed the land

Soil biology is critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems on agricultural lands. True or False?

True

Which tribe, along with the Hidatsa and Arikara, was one of the first farming cultures in the Dakotas?

Mandan

Which Dakota has more wheat?

ND

Which Dakota has more grassland and rangeland?

SD

Which Dakota has more livestock and hay?

SD

Which Dakota has more total area of crops planted?

ND

Which Dakota has more corn?

SD

Which part of the Dakotas saw the greatest conversion of grassland to corn and soybean production from 2006 to 2011?

The area east and north of the Missouri River (Prairie Pothole Region)

What type of agriculture is based on Gabe Brown's six principles of soil health?

Regenerative agriculture

Why was the ring-necked pheasant selected as South Dakota's official state bird?

It adapted well to the climate, provided recreation, and generated income

What percentage of the monarch population has been lost in the past 20 years?

80%

Carbon neutral means that the amount of sequestered carbon is ______ or ______ than the amount of emitted carbon.

Equal to or greater than

Which is not a method of growing a shelterbelt?

Prescribed burning

Shelterbelts will ______ soil erosion.

Derease

Shelterbelts will ______ crop yield.

Increase

Shelterbelts will ______ evapotranspiration in summer.

Decrease

Shelterbelts will ______ snow drifts in winter.

Increase

Bird and mammal abundance will go down in wide shelterbelts with high diversity of tree and shrub species.

False

The US Forest Service, the National Agroforestry Center, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are housed in the US Department of:

Agriculture

Why is it important to plant a replacement tree as soon as possible when one is lost in a shelterbelt? (Select all that apply)

Prevent a wind tunnel; Ensure consistent growth

Which group is most threatened by this ecological trap?

Grassland birds

Name 4 of the 7 site characteristics AWES recommends considering before planting a shelterbelt.

Soil type; Drainage/moisture; Topography (slope); Wind exposure/direction

What factors contribute to sudden aspen decline?

Drought, insect defoliation, and early spring freeze-thaw.

What are the two forest ecosystems in the Turtle Mountains?

Aspen forest (uplands) and bur oak/green ash woodland (foothills).

Less than 3% of the Dakotas are prairie woodlands today.

True

What does dark green vegetation along river breaks indicate?

Dense woody vegetation, forests, or woodlands.

What forest category is the area between water and the upper terrestrial ecosystem?

Riparian forest

What forest category includes intentional plantings such as shelterbelts?

Conservation tree plantings.

What forest category includes trees along streets and in city parks?

Community forest.

What forest category is common in areas of topography in eastern North Dakota?

Upland forest.

Which is NOT a reason woody species live in ravines?

High sunlight on the tops of south-facing slopes.

What is the boundary between two ecosystems where plant abundance depends on climate changes called?

An ecological tension zone.

Besides fire suppression, why has eastern redcedar spread westward?

Seed dispersal by birds and planting of shelterbelts (windbreaks).