The Best Biome https://grasslandgroupies.org/the-best-biome Pinecast (https://pinecast.com) en-USGrassland Groupies Grassland Groupies birdnerdsonly@gmail.com no The Best Biome https://grasslandgroupies.org/the-best-biome https://storage.pinecast.net/podcasts/covers/7323f479-ea61-4e19-b76c-d0763f651ae6/Best_Biome_Pod_Cover_1500px.png episodic Grassland Groupies, Inc. a love letter to grasslands [S5E1] If You Mess with The Bull https://pinecast.com/guid/4c9c19da-a8d6-4417-8445-6bc9dab5e42e Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:00:00 -0000 01:16:54 The Origin of Cows, Plus: Lesser Prairie Chicken Delisting We open the episode with an update on the Lesser Prairie Chicken delisting, why all hope is not lost, and some interviews with experts in the field: Dr. Jackie Augustine (Executive Director, Audubon of Kansas) and Stacy Hoeme (Co-Lead, Lesser Prairie Chicken Landowner Alliance).

The deep dive for this episode is led by Allan on the origin of cows: the mighty aurochs. Humans have lived and traveled alongside cows farther back then recorded human history. They shaped ancient and modern human pastoralist societies and we're finally giving them a spotlight on the pod.

Primary Chicken Sources:

Email Jackie Augustine your fan-mail or chicken stories at: aok@audubonofkansas.org

Primary Cow/Auroch Sources:

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]]> If You Mess with The Bull no 5 1 [S4E9] State of the Grasslands 2025 https://pinecast.com/guid/c7372c83-c73e-476c-b9c0-72800662d430 Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:00:00 -0000 02:25:55 In our final episode of Season 4, The Best Biome team discusses the state of grasslands conservation in the current year (and what an eventful year it has been). We discuss the most significant threats and daunting challenges that we'll need to meet head on to protect our underappreciated and overlooked ecosystems. Topics include rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act, attacks on research funding, extraction on public lands, the truth behind grazing leases, and much, much more.

Of course, we have plenty of good news to share as well! Join us as we bid 2025 farewell and get ready for whatever next year will bring.

Note: There is some occasional strong language used in this episode, as a result of our passion about these topics.

Primary Sources:

Rachel's Sources:

****

****

Nicole's Sources:

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

https://morethanjustparks.substack.com/p/trump-administration-decides-endangered?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share\&utm_medium=web\&triedRedirect=true

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administrations-expansive-push-to-sell-out-public-lands-to-the-highest-bidder/

Allan's Sources:

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]]> State of the Grasslands 2025 no 4 9 [S4E8] The Spookiest Biome! https://pinecast.com/guid/1d72ab22-c8fe-4934-bf50-2ba4da2c41c0 Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:00:00 -0000 00:44:59 'Tis the season FOR TERROR! Fortunately, nature is pretty metal and has no shortage of scary phenomena to discuss. On our Halloween episode of The Best Biome, we bring you three terrible tales of body horror... from the perspective of plants! These are guaranteed to strike fear into your fiber, send a shiver through your leaves and make your chlorophyll run cold. If these give your houseplants nightmares, you can't say we didn't warn you.

Primary Sources:

Nicole's Sources:

  1. https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/insects-diseases/1452-aster-yellows/
  2. https://agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/ipm-pests/aster-leafhopper-and-aster-yellows/

Rachel's Sources:

  1. Texas Plant Disease Handbook by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (https://plantdiseasehandbook.tamu.edu/landscaping/trees/cottonwood-and-poplar/)
  2. Mushroom Monday, Cracked Cap Polypore (https://www.mushroommonday.com/post/cracked-cap-polypore-fulvifomes-robiniae)

Allan's Source: Torres-Cruz, Terry J., et al. "Insects visit Fusarium xyrophilum pseudoflowers on the host Xyris surinamensis (Xyridaceae) and carry fungal DNA on their bodies." bioRxiv (2024): 2024-03. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.05.583517

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]]> The Spookiest Biome! no 4 8 [S4E6] Rivercane Reverie https://pinecast.com/guid/a5749ef3-1d1c-4119-8815-f65061b62941 Thu, 14 Aug 2025 14:00:00 -0000 01:01:26 In this month's Best Biome, Nicole tells the story of a grassland ecosystem so rare and so endangered that neither of her co-hosts had any idea it existed! We're talking about the once-ubiquitous canebrake ecosystems of the eastern United States, which were quite literally American bamboo forests, complete with their own prehistoric red pandas. Find out what happened to the unique rivercane landscape, and what's being done to save it today. Let the search for 30 ft.-tall grasses become your new obsession!

Also, check out these great organizations doing rivercane restoration! Cherokee Preservation Foundation Rivercane Restoration Alliance Chattooga Conservancy

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]]> Rivercane Reverie no 4 6 [S4E5] Sunflower Politics https://pinecast.com/guid/91b37fbc-605e-4740-b5cd-390a377e82b0 Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:00:00 -0000 00:53:50 Our view of nature is often constrained by the idea of competition: life as a zero-sum game, where the victorious survive, and the defeated fade into extinction. But not every relationship in life is competitive! Sure, as living things, we must always be aware of our enemies, but our survival is just as closely tied to our social entanglements- our family, friends, neighbors, and communities.

In a rebuttal to the hyper-competitive view of ecology, Rachel shares evidence from a growing field of botany that dares to look at how plants behave by applying social theory to their choices. There are many conversations happening among the plants of our grasslands that we haven't been hearing, and it's time to unpack the complexity of these interspecies relationships if we want to really understand how this ecosystem works.

Primary Sources:

  • Cahill Lab - University of Alberta: https://cahilllab.ca/
  • Megan K. Ljubotina and James F. Cahill Jr., “Effects of Neighbour Location and Nutrient Distributions on Root Foraging Behavior of the Common Sunflower,” Proceedings of the Royal Society B 286, no. 1911 (2019): 20190955 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0955
  • Mónica López Pereira et al., “Light-Mediated Self
  • Organization of Sunflower Stands Increases Oil Yield in the Field,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, no. 30 (2017): 7975–80. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1618990114
  • James F. Cahill Jr., “The Inevitability of Plant Behavior,” American Journal of Botany 106, no. 7 (2019): 903-5. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1313
  • Robin W. Kimmerer, “Asters and Goldenrod,” in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Minneapolis: Milkweed, 2013)

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]]> Sunflower Politics no 4 5 [S4E4] Healing the World (and Heavy Metals) with Plants https://pinecast.com/guid/c306e220-9a5d-4ea1-bb9e-1f6ff0cf18ae Thu, 12 Jun 2025 13:00:00 -0000 00:55:04 Phytoremediation. A fun word to say, but what does it mean? Turns out it's quite simple: using the superpower many plants naturally have to heal our wonderful Earth from terrible soil contaminants. Allan pulls us off the dark abyss edge that is our current world to deliver a wonderful tale of plants.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Healing the World (and Heavy Metals) with Plants no 4 4 [S4E3] The Hottest Reptile (Tegus) https://pinecast.com/guid/3191283b-5b0e-4cfb-b5e8-764b683bc368 Thu, 08 May 2025 13:00:00 -0000 00:48:58 The Best Biome finally reps reptiles properly as Nicole tells us all about an enormous lizard of the South American grasslands. Buckle up for voracious appetites, raging hormones, and an unexpected peek into the evolution of endothermy. This is: the world's hottest reptile.

Primary Sources:

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]]> The Hottest Reptile (Tegus) no 4 3 [S4E2] The (Second) Best Biome https://pinecast.com/guid/8b754c52-433a-4c1a-8047-174797bfb9be Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:00:00 -0000 01:04:35 This month on The Best Biome, Rachel takes us on a trip to the wetter, saltier cousin of grasslands: seagrass meadows! Is she making a desperate reach to connect the dots, or is she absolutely right that "seagrass meadows are the grasslands of the oceans?" Decide for yourself, dear listener, and get ready to think more about seaweed than you have in a while. Plus, there's manatees! A very special episode awaits.

Primary Sources:

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]]> The (Second) Best Biome no 4 2 [S4E1] Satoyamas: Aso-Kuju Grasslands https://pinecast.com/guid/f2ef7053-f5fb-40bf-8dc7-8a685922687c Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:00:00 -0000 00:55:00 People thriving alongside wilderness The grasslands of Japan are beautiful, full of volcanos, and revered by the people living there. Japan's unique model of conservation method of Satoyamas is one we wish the US would model - one where people push to thrive alongside the environment, not claim or set it aside. Allan hosts this episode and the five minute math break in the middle has been severely shortened (though stick around past the credits for a bit more).

Primary Sources:

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]]> Satoyamas: Aso-Kuju Grasslands no 4 1 [S3E11] The Environment under Trump https://pinecast.com/guid/a86cba59-181d-4567-b9f9-26d7f8dca69d Thu, 12 Dec 2024 16:00:00 -0000 01:57:18 Conservation is (unfortunately) political. In the final episode of the season for The Best Biome we lay out some concerns we have for the conservation of our beloved grasslands under a second term of the Trump administration. It's a hard discussion, but one we felt we needed to have. And boy was it a long one. If you don't feel up to listening now, we understand, though we still recommend you check out the action items at the end (see timestamps below to skip there). Much love to you all, and we'll be back in March.

Timestamps: (00:00:00) Introduction (00:04:37) Nicole: Implications of DOI Changes (00:33:00) Brain Bleach Success Stories (00:35:45) Rachel: EPA Changes and the Author of Project 25 (01:09:58) Allan: The Fall of Science (01:41:06) Action Items (01:55:57) Outro

Action Items:

Inaction is not an option when it comes to fighting for what you believe in and those you love... but you don't have to do it all. Take care of yourself.

Arm Yourself With Knowledge:

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]]> The Environment under Trump no 3 11 [S3E10] Creator and Destroyer: African Elephants https://pinecast.com/guid/f03eeed1-4c36-42fa-9fe2-c97bdf47eccf Thu, 14 Nov 2024 14:00:00 -0000 01:06:51 A big animal can make big changes in their environment... and cause big problems for the people who live alongside it. African Elephants have a fascinating relationship to the savanna and the people who call it home, where it is equal parts feared and revered. The world of elephant conservation is complicated, and in this episode, Nicole examines the nuanced stories of these beautiful beasts and the conflicts that surround them.

Primary Sources:

  1. https://www.elephantvoices.org/ - great general information hub on elephants, plus home of The Elephant Ethogram.
  2. The Fingernail Problem: How a Common Interpretive Technique Fuels Negative Attitudes and Harmful Stereotypes. National Association of Interpreters. 
  3. Sieber, C. 2019. Zoos Called It a ‘Rescue.’ But Are the Elephants Really Better Off? The New York Times Magazine. 

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]]> Creator and Destroyer: African Elephants no 3 10 [S3E9] Worm Lizards: Undulating and Unknowable https://pinecast.com/guid/adbcafe8-d114-4062-9bed-c169bfaa6297 Thu, 24 Oct 2024 16:48:18 -0000 00:56:08 Happy Halloween from your grasslands PR Team! This month, Rachel confronts one of her worst childhood fears to bring us a tale of the strange and slithering: a group of animals so odd and cryptic that the existence of many species was only confirmed after their habitat was bulldozed. We're delving into the fascinating world of worm lizards, a world full of unknowns that still begs to be explored. After all, how can we learn about an animal that's virtually impossible to observe in the wild? A fanged and ferocious creature that creeps below our feet, hearing our every step, and slipping ever deeper into the darkness...

Primary Sources:

  1. Baeckens, S., García‐Roa, R., Martín, J., Ortega, J., Huyghe, K., & Damme, R. V. (2016). Fossorial and durophagous: implications of molluscivory for head size and bite capacity in a burrowing worm lizard. Journal of Zoology, 301(3), 193–205.
  2. Guynup, Sharon. (2021, June 6). “Race against time”: Saving the snakes and lizards of Brazil’s Cerrado. Mongabay Environmental News.
  3. García, E. R. (2020). How to maintain underground social relationships? Chemosensory sex, partner and self recognition in a fossorial amphisbaenian. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237188 
  4. García, E. R. (2021). Offspring and adult chemosensory recognition by an amphisbaenian reptile may allow maintaining familiar links in the fossorial environment. Peerj.
  5. Ribeiro, L. B., Gomides, S. C., & Costa, H. C. (2020). A New Worm Lizard Species (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae: Amphisbaena) with Non-autotomic Tail, from Northeastern Brazil. Journal of Herpetology, 54(1), 9.
  6. Ortega, J. (2021). Going underground: short- and long-term movements may reveal the fossorial spatial ecology of an amphisbaenian. Movement Ecology. 

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]]> Worm Lizards: Undulating and Unknowable no 3 9 [S3E8] Drafting Porcupines into the Best Biome https://pinecast.com/guid/1cb1fddf-6e5e-4b22-ab32-6582d7043a67 Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:00:44 -0000 00:58:32 Possibly the best episode of all time (according to me, Rachel). Allan gives us EVERYTHING. Great science, high quality takes, crying with laughter, investigative reporting and red string conspiracy boards. To what end?? Drafting porcupines, well-known "tree-lovers," into the Best Biome (grasslands). Potentially. Hear us out!

+++ Primary Sources +++

Porcupine Fossils:

Antibiotic Quills:

  • Roze, U., Locke, D. C., & Vatakis, N. (1990). Antibiotic properties of porcupine quills. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 16(3), 725–734. doi:10.1007/bf01016483

Geographic Differences in Behavior:

  • Griesemer, S., R. DeGraaf. 1996. Denning pattern of porcupines, Erithizon dorsatum . Canadian Field Naturalist, 110/4: 634-637.
  • Ilse, L., E. Hellgren. 2001. Demographic and behavioral characteristics of North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) in pinyon-juniper woodlands of Texas. The American Midland Naturalist, 146/2: 329-338.
  • Sweitzer, R., J. Berger. 1992. Size-related effects of predation on habitat use and behavior of porcupines. Ecology, 73: 567-875.

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]]> Drafting Porcupines into the Best Biome no 3 8 [S3E7] Bees Know Everything https://pinecast.com/guid/57892182-005e-4e28-bf5d-739a30dc1c77 Thu, 08 Aug 2024 13:00:00 -0000 00:43:45 Bees know more than you. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but they definitely know more than you realize! From complex problem solving to tool use to wing-sparkle navigation, bees illuminate our understanding of insect cognition. In this episode, Nicole invites us to perceive the world as our buzzy, bumbly friends might, in beautifully smooth 240 fps.

Primary Source:

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]]> Bees Know Everything no 3 7 [S3E6] Sandyland Groupies https://pinecast.com/guid/4fedc3d2-4815-4660-9a70-4c3dcb763d09 Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:08:06 -0000 00:50:23 Desertification is a major threat to many grasslands, so let's study the best real-world example: The Horqin Grassland, aka the Horqin Sandy Lands. How has this landscape changed over time, what can it teach us about the future of arid grasslands, and which approaches by Inner Mongolia and China to fight desertification give us hope? We love a hopeful story, and this certainly is one.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Sandyland Groupies no 3 6 [S3E5] Better National Symbols https://pinecast.com/guid/22d67a34-e385-4735-ac0a-ccad2f9fb206 Thu, 13 Jun 2024 14:00:00 -0000 01:09:50 We get patriotic (kinda) in this special episode where all three hosts work together to petition for new national symbols for the US of A. New floral emblem, new national symbol, and a brand new category all-together. Why do we love non-native national symbols? Who knows. Do better, America.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • As if this silly episode could have any. Do let us know who picked the best emblem though.

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]]> Better National Symbols no 3 5 [S3E4] Goat Antelope Knife Fight https://pinecast.com/guid/6ea50f09-c78c-464d-b62c-6b9238dec5ae Thu, 09 May 2024 14:56:52 -0000 00:58:27 Pronghorns The fastest land animal in North America, second fastest in the world: the graceful, wonderful, pronghorn. Nicole shares all the reasons these icons of the American prairie are truly the best from their evolutionary history to their epic stare battles between each other and rump flashes to warn of predators.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Goat Antelope Knife Fight no 3 4 [S3E3] (Patas) Monkeying Around With Ants https://pinecast.com/guid/a5ce9ac5-eff4-40f3-8995-310c2515ce64 Thu, 11 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0000 00:53:51 Patas Monkeys are weird little guys with fabulous mustaches and very intricate relationships with a special tree on the African savannah. We talk acacias, ants, and the Lorax as Allan tries to make Nicole love just a single primate.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> (Patas) Monkeying Around With Ants no 3 3 Bonus! Power of Fire: Kindred Podcast https://pinecast.com/guid/b9cdd488-e894-45f4-95e6-f8f066732b54 Tue, 09 Apr 2024 15:00:00 -0000 01:04:53 Bonus Podcast Swap This is a special podcast swap episode where we host Kindred Podcast's Power of Fire episode. Learn about the history of fire, how it shapes the landscape and people that live there.

Speakers: Tony Incashola Jr., forest manager for CSKT (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), and Stephanie Gillin, information and education program manager and former wildlife biologist for the CSKT at the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Kindred Podcast hosts: Kate and Jen. Producer: Kat Gatti.

Primary Sources:

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]]> no bonus [S3E2] Sickle Claw Seriema https://pinecast.com/guid/118965bc-ad7d-4ad3-8c3e-d8eee8e077fe Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:00:00 -0000 01:00:54 The long-legged, sickle claw wielding seriema is a wonderful bird that provides insight into the extinct terror birds of old. Rachel explains the link between past and present and we ponder whether or not scientists ever bother actually looking at birds.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Sickle Claw Seriema no 3 2 [S3E1] Embrace Winter (Wood Bison) https://pinecast.com/guid/eb39d408-c6e7-4d8e-849d-d3f0be941b59 Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:00:00 -0000 00:53:58 The conservation story of Canada's polar-vortex-loving Wood Bison is one of colossal mistakes, stacked odds, and (to our gleeful surprise) hope and optimism. These animals have survived drowning, disease, and hybridization, and have gone on to... success? Allan explores this topic in today's episode.

Primary Sources:

2018 Wood Bison Recovery Strategy (SARA Series) https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/recovery-strategies/wood-bison-2018.html#toc11

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]]> Embrace Winter (Wood Bison) no 3 1 [S2E23] Bundle Up and Bird! https://pinecast.com/guid/26c10956-5a1b-4bb0-b219-f083f34a7985 Sun, 26 Nov 2023 17:07:06 -0000 01:02:30 It's snowy and getting colder where we're at, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go outside. Rachel gives a compelling argument as to why winter is the best time of year for birding and gives insight into the Christmas Bird Count: a citizen science project dating back over a hundred years.

Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count here.

Primary Sources:

  • Gill, F. B., Prum, R. O., & Robinson, S. K. (2019). Ornithology. W.H. Freeman, Macmillan Learning.
  • Sibley, D. (2020). What it’s like to be a bird: From flying to nesting, eating to singing -- what birds are doing, and why. Alfred A. Knopf. Affiliate purchase link.

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]]> Bundle Up and Bird! no 2 23 [S2E22] The Best Cryptid https://pinecast.com/guid/b0d5cdeb-96c6-4cd8-a579-c12a811feccb Mon, 30 Oct 2023 19:06:35 -0000 00:56:22 This episode is a little different. We celebrate spooky season with the haunting tales of feldgeist, Sinkhole Sam, and the Ohio Grassman. These stories haunt the minds of those who visit prairies and fields across the globe. Be weary, you never know what's lurking in the tall grass.

Photos and more are at our site.

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]]> The Best Cryptid no 2 22 [S2E21] Grasshopper Mice: Small but Fierce https://pinecast.com/guid/ab7174ba-9541-4106-aa0f-ce7bde94c66f Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:41:42 -0000 01:01:57 Grasshopper mice are small but fierce. They howl like wolves, stalk their prey like cats, and finish up with a quick face clean. These solitary animals like to live life dangerously and enjoy even venomous meals.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Grasshopper Mice: Small but Fierce no 2 21 [S2E20] Sneeze if You Love Painted Dogs https://pinecast.com/guid/5c92959e-a3f2-48dd-b2da-b3bc54eb74b5 Thu, 20 Jul 2023 16:38:41 -0000 01:02:46 Nicole talks painted dogs: a surprisingly wholesome and fun-loving animal. They are excellent hunters, take care of not just their pups but their elderly, and rarely squabble amongst themselves.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Sneeze if You Love Painted Dogs no 2 20 [S2E19] 1 Lie, 2 Truths, 3 Idiots https://pinecast.com/guid/67b5b448-d3e8-4f61-8eb9-2302f0d50fc9 Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:00:00 -0000 01:00:47 Enjoy this episode of very good facts and very good nonsense. We revisit a nice game of stump the podcast host, this time with more bug viscera and talking ourselves out of an obvious answer.

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]]> 1 Lie, 2 Truths, 3 Idiots no 2 19 [S2E18] Paramo's Strongest: Hummingbirds https://pinecast.com/guid/863b3a8a-17dd-4355-978b-38820d46d641 Thu, 22 Jun 2023 20:11:11 -0000 01:03:05

In the Páramo grasslands of South America is a cloud covered land where a unique ecosystem thrives. Allan tells us all about a plant that drinks clouds plus the miraculous little hummingbirds that call this place home.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Paramo's Strongest: Hummingbirds no 2 18 [S2E17] Murderous Meerkats https://pinecast.com/guid/c52b03f8-7169-4437-b89a-1a4b34cdaa9d Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:19:39 -0000 00:52:50 Did you know meerkats are far more murderous than they seem or that their burrows can be as wide as a Purple Worm's? All this and more as we delve underground and find out why they can be so aggressive and who would win in a fight: 1000 meerkats or Nicole.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Murderous Meerkats no 2 17 [S2E16] Good Vibes Only https://pinecast.com/guid/f6b639d8-e94e-42f6-a077-0354ed161661 Thu, 25 May 2023 14:10:18 -0000 00:58:17 Conservation can be DEPRESSING, so for Mental Health Month we decided to share ONLY positive news and stories (after taking a little break for our brains). Rewire those neurons everybody, because it's not all bleak.

Good news so far in May:

Good news deep dives:

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]]> Good Vibes Only no 2 16 [S2E15] The Best of Nest (A DEFINITIVE LIST) https://pinecast.com/guid/4131f6bc-f763-4041-b7a3-a2c5a0cf1196 Thu, 27 Apr 2023 16:37:14 -0000 01:22:54 Wherein Rachel makes a definitive list of best bird nests in North American grasslands.

Primary Sources:

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]]> The Best of Nest (A DEFINITIVE LIST) no 2 15 [S2E14] Ostrich: Winner Takes All (of the Children) https://pinecast.com/guid/2c791dca-9e54-4a3f-95c7-0fb1fb52def8 Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:34:11 -0000 01:01:26 Ostriches are one of the strangest birds we've ever talked about. They are the world's biggest bird and toughest survivor. They nest together, have radiators for necks, and can drink saltwater.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • "Strangest Bird Alive". 2016. National Geographic. Documentary.
  • Schou, M.F., Bonato, M., Engelbrecht, A. et al. Extreme temperatures compromise male and female fertility in a large desert bird. Nat Commun 12, 666 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-20937-7
  • Knut Schmidt-Nielsen, John Kanwisher, Robert C. Lasiewski, Jerome E. Cohn, William L. Bretz, Temperature Regulation and Respiration in the Ostrich, The Condor, Volume 71, Issue 4, 1 October 1969, Pages 341–352, https://doi.org/10.2307/1365733

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]]> Ostrich: Winner Takes All (of the Children) no 2 14 [S2E13] Soil: The Best Microbiome https://pinecast.com/guid/e22faefa-a05a-4c81-a014-f6b401f8a599 Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:03:17 -0000 01:07:05 Soils define habitats as much as the plantlife, so let's talk about that! How do you identify a soil species, and should grassland ecosystem restorations include soil microbe transplants?

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • Prairie: A Natural History of the Heart of North America by Candace Savage [Affiliate Bookshop Link]
  • Current and Future Perspectives on Microbially Focused Restoration Strategies in Tallgrass Prairies: [Link]

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]]> Soil: The Best Microbiome no 2 13 [S2E12] Harris's Sparrow: They were here the whole time. https://pinecast.com/guid/47e69124-42ed-4b27-9267-c11d125e3b9f Thu, 16 Mar 2023 16:44:26 -0000 00:53:27 Basic midwest feeder bird or mysterious exotic tundra sparrow? Actually, both! Harris's Sparrows, one of the most enigmatic North American sparrows, are about to travel well out of reach into the remote frigid north, so let's gossip about them before they're gone. Only a handful of studies have been done with this species, and to this day we lack pretty basic Breeding Bird Survey information about their populations.

Primary Sources:

  • Norment, C. J., S. A. MacDougall-Shackleton, D. J. Watt, P. Pyle, and M. A. Patten (2020). Harris's Sparrow(Zonotrichia querula ), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.harspa.01

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]]> Harris's Sparrow: They were here the whole time. no 2 12 [S2E11] Native Gardens: How to become better than your neighbors. https://pinecast.com/guid/adf031d1-708f-4b6e-8843-d35bda526acd Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:17:42 -0000 01:09:12 If you haven't started thinking about your gardens yet, now is the perfect time to get started planning. Nicole walks us through gardening for native habitats, wildlife, and how to get your neighbors on board too.

Photos and more are at our site.

Further Reading:

  • Find out more about Bee City Wichita at our website
  • Dyck Arboretum of the Plains "Prairie Notes" blog
  • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, wildflower.org - database of US plants
  • GrowNative.org - database with lower Midwest focus
  • FloraVeg.eu - Europe native plant/habitat database

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]]> Native Gardens: How to become better than your neighbors. no 2 11 [S2E10] Prairie Voles: The Grassland is for Lovers https://pinecast.com/guid/f69a8721-cd5e-4ecc-893c-0306998345b4 Thu, 16 Feb 2023 16:02:42 -0000 00:56:01 A wholesome episode about secure love, forming bonds under stress, and human connection through the lens of a grasslands specialist: the prairie vole.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Prairie Voles: The Grassland is for Lovers no 2 10 [S2E9] Baboons: A Grasslands Primate https://pinecast.com/guid/58022346-43d5-498b-a0b0-68e339d576af Fri, 03 Feb 2023 02:15:21 -0000 01:09:31 wherein Allan does the talking So many monkeys that are forest dwellers, but baboons as a group are ground-dwelling grasslanders whose habitat use and social structure might help us learn about our own hominid ancestors. In this episode, Allan combines ecology and anthropology to discuss some grasslands monkeys.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Baboons: A Grasslands Primate no 2 9 [S2E8] Chamois: ChamWOW! https://pinecast.com/guid/e8a65e33-4ed6-4555-b20f-ca5242bbc8db Thu, 19 Jan 2023 16:02:09 -0000 01:06:25 the hills are alive The chamois is a goat-antelope from the rolling alpine meadow scenery of European mountains, and today's episode is a straightforward peek into the idyllic life of this animal that's (for once) doing alright! Unless you count the mandatory 7 years of grizzled aging in the mountains and their shrinking body masses. (I don't!)

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Chamois: ChamWOW! no 2 8 [S2E7] Prairie Crayfish: like prairie dogs with extra legs https://pinecast.com/guid/268afc58-35ed-4af8-beab-a0e13a12357b Thu, 05 Jan 2023 16:00:00 -0000 01:02:49 Yank your concept of crayfish out of the water. In this episode, Nicole walks us through one of her favorite arthropod groups and makes a pretty good case for why prairie lovers should love these little crustaceans that burrow deep into the prairie. She also makes us rethink crayfish boils forever.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Prairie Crayfish: like prairie dogs with extra legs no 2 7 [S2E6] African Savannas 101 https://pinecast.com/guid/c44c0f12-6deb-4b77-8261-fade381f01e1 Thu, 22 Dec 2022 15:18:38 -0000 01:00:01 what savanna plants want, what savanna plants need In this episode, Rachel goes down the opposite of a rabbit hole as we discuss a single widely-cited paper from 2018. Take a look at Africa's savanna plants and what their adaptations mean for conservation, human impacts, and climate change across the continent.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • Osborne, C. P., Charles-Dominique, T., Stevens, N., Bond, W. J., Midgley, G., & Lehmann, C. E. (2018). Human impacts in African savannas are mediated by plant functional traits. New Phytologist, 220(1), 10–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15236

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]]> African Savannas 101 no 2 6 [S2E5] Bumblelove: why bumblebees matter more than honeybees https://pinecast.com/guid/01a0fbee-8e8a-4574-a7e2-a322920062d8 Thu, 08 Dec 2022 16:13:35 -0000 01:29:00 a measured look at bumblebees Have an existential crisis about the inner lives of bees with us! In this episode, Nicole attempts to teach us a few things about bumblebees while under constant antagonization to slander honeybees. This overview of bumblebees tumbles into some very specific studies on energy, cognition and learning, and even play behaviors for this big bumbly group of native social bees.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Bumblelove: why bumblebees matter more than honeybees no 2 5 [S2E4] Henslow's Sparrow: Lifestyles of the Secretive and Soggy https://pinecast.com/guid/467882de-25fb-4b00-8ad4-fc24aa289d17 Thu, 24 Nov 2022 16:13:35 -0000 00:53:25 and the longleaf pine savanna. What does the American South and the Tallgrass Prairie have in common? Their grasslands support an elusive little grassland specialist that the old timey ornithologists roast way too hard: the Henslow's Sparrow. In this episode we explore the beloved longleaf pine savannas of the southern US, and ask why a little grassland sparrow who hates trees chooses to spend its winters among the longleaf pines.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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]]> Henslow's Sparrow: Lifestyles of the Secretive and Soggy no 2 4 [S2E3] Patagonian Mara: Helicopter Mates https://pinecast.com/guid/5debeda8-bcb2-43a6-9c7c-e19bb20e07bd Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:11:03 -0000 the highly monogamous, antisocial rodent This rabbity rodent of South America's grasslands is a common sight in zoos, but has one of the strangest social structures we've talked about in mammals. What makes this strictly monogamous-til-death, pair-bonded, troupe-travelling mammal SO antisocial? How does that work, and what else have we been missing all this time? Nicole shares about the Patagonian Mara (Cavy) in this episode of The Best Biome.

Thanks for listening!

Primary Sources: Photos and more at our site!

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]]> Patagonian Mara: Helicopter Mates no 2 3 [S2E2] Hyenas: Savage Stinky Scavengers https://pinecast.com/guid/9d4c60a3-18e8-424e-8131-0345d8bdda39 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 20:28:18 -0000 01:31:16 ft hyena butter CW: we talk about animal genitalia in this episode in the last 30 mins (it's hard to avoid with hyenas)

Hyenas have historically been painted in a pretty negative light, only for recent PR teams to praise their strong women leaders, successful hunts, and sophisticated societies. And while we're all for praising the underdog, a lot of recent media is half truths. Let's all learn to appreciate them for what they are: rowdy stinky scavengers.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Hyenas: Savage Stinky Scavengers no 2 2 [S2E1] Buff-necked Ibis: The Noble Bin Chicken https://pinecast.com/guid/24428892-3cf8-4cd8-b992-efcb47acf752 Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:00:00 -0000 01:13:13 We are always fans of highlighting underappreciated animals and this week we tackle the ibis. Bin chicken or noble alarm clock? You decide. One thing's for sure: their poop is a problem. Thank you to our guest this week: Allan Saylor!

Thanks for listening, we'll see you again in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Buff-necked Ibis: The Noble Bin Chicken no 2 1 [S1E25] Disease-ridden Bloodsuckers https://pinecast.com/guid/933a1e46-fb62-48ec-9599-5aa022b8b477 Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:00:00 -0000 01:04:13 Ticks

Content Warning: talk of blood. The last of our "spooky"-themed episodes, let's talk about ticks! How do they feed, what kind of diseases do they carry, and how best to prevent getting sick from them. Did you know there are over 900 species of ticks and they live quite literally everywhere? Well, now you do. Be safe out there.

Thanks for listening to our exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Disease-ridden Bloodsuckers no 1 25 [S1E24] Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 2) https://pinecast.com/guid/342292a7-0d2c-434b-98a8-75da0688f5d5 Thu, 14 Oct 2021 23:00:00 -0000 01:14:32 Old World Vultures Content Warning: talk of dead things (not graphic). Old World Vultures have a different set of tricks in order to survive including eating fruit, bones, and garbage. We talk Bearded Vultures, Eurasian Griffons, and more in this part two of our vulture special.

http://savebellbowlprairie.org - save this Illinois prairie by Nov. 1st! Included is more information on the prairie itself as well as easy actions to take in the next two weeks. Please share to bring awareness before it's too late!

Thanks for listening! Liked this episode? Why not share with a friend?

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  • Eurasian Griffons at a feeding station (video).
  • Barcell, M., Benítez, J. R., Solera, F., Román, B., & Donázar, J. A. (2015). Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) Uses Stone-Throwing to Break into a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) Egg. Journal of Raptor Research, 49(4), 521–522. https://doi.org/10.3356/rapt-49-04-521-522.1
  • Margalida, A., Schulze-Hagen, K., Wetterauer, B., Domhan, C., Oliva-Vidal, P., & Wink, M. (2020). What do minerals in the feces of Bearded Vultures reveal about their dietary habits? Science of The Total Environment, 138836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138836
  • Negro, J. J., Grande, J. M., Tella, J. L., Garrido, J., Hornero, D., Donázar, J. A., … Barcell, M. (2002). An unusual source of essential carotenoids. Nature, 416(6883), 807–808. https://doi.org/10.1038/416807a
  • Winkler, D. W., S. M. Billerman, and I.J. Lovette (2020). Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.accipi1.01 (edited)

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]]> Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 2) no 1 24 [S1E23] Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 1) https://pinecast.com/guid/c78d30f3-3971-48a2-a5c1-d45c33996628 Fri, 08 Oct 2021 13:02:04 -0000 01:18:41 New World Vultures Content Warning: talk of corpses and the eating of them. Vultures are nasty birds which cleanse the landscape of death and disease. In this part of our first ever two part episode we learn about the New World vultures from North and South America and how they fit into their landscapes and interact with each other. Next time: Old World vultures!

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week for part two!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  • Zepeda Mendoza, M. L., Roggenbuck, M., Manzano Vargas, K., Hansen, L. H., Brunak, S., Gilbert, M. T. P., & Sicheritz-Pontén, T. (2018). Protective role of the vulture facial skin and gut microbiomes aid adaptation to scavenging. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 60(1). doi:10.1186/s13028-018-0415-3
  • Winkler, D. W., S. M. Billerman, and I.J. Lovette (2020). New World Vultures (Cathartidae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.

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]]> Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 1) no 1 23 [S1E22] Vampiric Plants https://pinecast.com/guid/eb7941f3-6375-4200-b560-bb312d04078b Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:00:00 -0000 00:51:49 Dodder

If you ever find yourself staring at a tangle of orange spaghetti in a grassland, it's probably a dodder plant. These talented, strange parasites have no leaves or roots, but plenty of other tricks to make sure that they succeed. Learn about plant communication systems, haustoria, plus a bonus fun tale of a maiden in a prairie looking for love.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site.

  1. Dodder management guidelines. University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources.
  2. Penn State. 2018. Agricultural parasite takes control of host plant's genes. Science X Network.
  3. Shen, G., Liu, N., et at. 2020. _Cuscuta australis_ (dodder) parasite eavesdrops on the host plants’ FT signals to flower. PNAS 117(3).
  4. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. 2017. Dodder: A parasite involved in the plant alarm system. Science Daily.

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]]> Vampiric Plants no 1 22 [S1E21] Chasing the Summer https://pinecast.com/guid/a3edd14d-ca80-418c-a862-78488d45b239 Thu, 02 Sep 2021 13:00:00 -0000 00:48:38 Swainson's Hawks

A raptor like no other crosses 20,000km across hemispheres every year, chasing summer and bugs and grasslands through the Americas. The Swainson's Hawk is a spectacle, and we're grateful to have them fighting on our side in the looming grasshopper apocalypse.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time!

Primary Sources:

  • Bechard, M. J., C. S. Houston, J. H. Sarasola, and A. S. England (2020). Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.swahaw.01
  • Bird Names for Birds; William Swainson

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]]> Chasing the Summer no 1 21 [S1E20] Grasshopper Grazing https://pinecast.com/guid/832c0591-37dc-4807-bc42-97ee355adb40 Fri, 20 Aug 2021 22:42:43 -0000 01:00:32 How hoppers can save the world

How can grasshoppers save the world? By doing what they do best: eating. But too many grasshoppers might end us all so keep that in mind the next time you turn your nose up at entomophagy.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Grasshopper Grazing no 1 20 [S1E19] The Mighty Oak Savanna https://pinecast.com/guid/af820cc2-569a-418d-81bc-6894aa2fc00b Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:03:14 -0000 01:11:37 bur oaks are my new favorite

Rachel takes us on a journey into one of North America's savannas dominated by oak trees. They provide shelter and food for a variety of different animals and (surprise) are critically endangered. One of the biggest causes of decline is a change in land management when European settlers pushed out indigenous land caretakers. This episode is a little long but worth the ride.

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  • Gucker, Corey L. 2011. Quercus macrocarpa. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). [2021, August 2].
  • Savanna Oak Foundation, http://www.oaksavannas.org/
  • Nuzzo, V.A. 1986. Extent and status of Midwest oak savanna: presettlement and 1985. Natural Areas Journal 6: 6-36.
  • McPherson, Guy R. 1997. Ecology and Management of North American Savannas. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.(edited)

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]]> The Mighty Oak Savanna no 1 19 [S1E18] The Cunning Coyote https://pinecast.com/guid/b11e81fb-326b-4ebe-9e06-0e58652716fb Thu, 22 Jul 2021 23:56:06 -0000 00:55:06 The animal people love to hate. Episode Notes

Coyotes are fantastic survivors that no matter how much people hate them (and boy do they hate them) they keep thriving. They are the ultimate flexitarian, can control their litter sizes, and just can't be stopped on their conquest to take over the world. We also dive into the problem of human-coyote conflict and how best to etch out a living alongside these awesome creatures.

Thanks for listening to our exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> The Cunning Coyote no 1 18 [S1E17] Pleistocene Park https://pinecast.com/guid/08745fd4-add4-46ef-a43b-bcdd3a8b99d7 Fri, 09 Jul 2021 00:35:49 -0000 fighting climate change with grasslands The concept behind Pleistocene Park is deceptively simple: rewild the Pleistocene Siberian arctic, slow the effects of climate change in the arctic. All it takes to revive the 10,000-year-old Mammoth Steppe, restore permafrost, and seriously reduce carbon and methane emissions--according to scientists--is releasing long-gone megafauna and watching the ecosystem shift under their influence.

The park is an incredible experiment, but more incredible is the paleoscience, climate science, grassland ecosystem development, and the incredible work of Sergey and Nikita Zimov to show that the science can work in practice.

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  1. Nikita Zimov: Pleistocene Park & Rewilding Siberia to Save the Climate. Webinar hosted by Sustainable Design Masterclass.
  2. Beer, C., Zimov, N., Olofsson, J. et al. Protection of Permafrost Soils from Thawing by Increasing Herbivore Density. Sci Rep 10, 4170 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60938-y
  3. Zimov, S. A., Zimov, N. S., Tikhonov, A. N., & Chapin, F. S. (2012). Mammoth steppe: a high-productivity phenomenon. Quaternary Science Reviews, 57, 26–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.10.005
  4. Zimov, N. Pleistocene Park. https://pleistocenepark.ru/

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]]> Pleistocene Park no 1 17 [S1E16] Trees are Pretty Cool https://pinecast.com/guid/721d0eb7-dba0-47a2-b443-f14ab0279b97 Thu, 24 Jun 2021 13:00:49 -0000 01:02:34 Madagascar's Grasslands Episode Notes

Madagascar... land of the forest and lemurs and definitely not mostly grassland, right? Wrong. Welcome to another case of grassland erasure as we try to set the record straight on the wonderful, beautiful grasslands that blanket this tropical island. We even highlight a very special tree!

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Trees are Pretty Cool no 1 16 [S1E15] Toads on Ice https://pinecast.com/guid/a7c2e8b0-6390-458a-bebe-e6d43fe6825f Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:33:36 -0000 00:52:34 Mongolian Toads Episode Notes

We're going back to the Eurasian Steppe this week to take a look at the Mongolian toad. How do these toads survive where no other amphibian dares to travel? What the heck is a drink patch? The answer is more complex than you might think.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  • Litvinchuk SN, Schepina NA, Borzée A. 2020. Reconstruction of past distribution for the Mongolian toad, Strauchbufo raddei (Anura: Bufonidae) using environmental modeling. PeerJ 8:e9216 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9216
  • AmphibiaWeb 2017 Strauchbufo raddei: Mongolian Toad. University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Apr 23, 2021.
  • Berman, D. I., Bulakhova, N. A., Meshcheryakova, E. N., & Shekhovtsov, S. V. (2020). Overwintering and cold tolerance in the moor frog (Rana arvalis, Anura) across its range. Canadian Journal of Zoology. doi:10.1139/cjz-2019-0179
  • Kuzmin, S. L., E. A. Dunayev, K. Munkhbayar, M. Munkhbaatar, and K. Terbish. 2017. Kuzmin, S. L. ed., The Amphibians of Mongolia [In Russian and English]. Moscow, KMK Scientific Press.

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]]> Toads on Ice no 1 15 [S1E14] Muppets on the Steppe https://pinecast.com/guid/c281e677-cac8-4a52-a483-64bf9bd613e4 Mon, 24 May 2021 13:00:00 -0000 00:41:14 Saiga Antelope Episode Notes

Saiga antelope: strange Muppet or amazing survivor? These animals have some amazing adaptations to help them survive the nearly insurmountable odds stacked against them. Also, sandalwood is evil apparently? Who knew.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  1. Planet Earth II: why more than 200,000 saiga antelopes died in just days. Milner-Gulland, E., Morgan, E., and Kock, R. 2016. The Conversation.
  2. Saiga. Fitz, B., and Fitz, R. 1999. Documentary. CONTENT WARNING: footage of live animals butchered and horns taken.
  3. Big Island, Small Planet: Challenges and Failures in Conserving Hawaiian Sandalwood Trees. Leopold, S. 2015. PDF.
  4. Steppe change – Kazakhstan saiga population has more than doubled in last two years. Knight, T. 2019. Fauna & Flora International.
  5. Floppy-nosed antelope has baby boom, raising hope for critically endangered species. Bittel, J. 2020. National Geographic.

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]]> Muppets on the Steppe no 1 14 [S1E13] Fruit Toss https://pinecast.com/guid/50622354-7522-49e0-b6a0-4d84a314eb01 Thu, 06 May 2021 13:00:00 -0000 00:46:22 Toco Toucan Episode Notes

THE characteristic toucan species, Toco Toucan, tucanuçu, is the only toucan that doesn't live exclusively in forests. Like many hornbills in the Old World, these birds thrive in South America's savannas, where they're intricately connected to their ecosystems. Let's put them back in their place and do an explore.

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Primary Sources:

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]]> Fruit Toss no 1 13 Bonus: the North American Model (a critique) https://pinecast.com/guid/de9831c5-443a-4b51-8de3-dc9d7584a17c Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:00:00 -0000 00:24:56 Nuance below:

We have some feelings on the North American Model and the way it's implemented and discussed in the wildlife field. It usually disparages other models of wildlife conservation, silences non-consumptive users, and erases the indigenous "north American models" developed and implemented long before colonization.

We'd love to hear other voices on this issue, so reach out if you'd like to bring your perspective to a future conversation!

Recommended reading:

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]]> no bonus [S1E12] Man and the Biosphere (Reserves) https://pinecast.com/guid/9b8715d4-bc67-4b8c-b0e0-33cba8231991 Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:15:13 -0000 00:58:44 linking natural and social sciences Episode Notes

Apparently Biosphere Reserves are everywhere? Nicole's deep dive into UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme takes several twists and turns, linking natural and social sciences, the program's protected grasslands, the difficulties of international cooperation, and other land conservation efforts here in the United States. Happy Earth Day or something?

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Man and the Biosphere (Reserves) no 1 12 [S1E11] Riverine Grasslands and the Bengal Florican https://pinecast.com/guid/adc47d31-bc54-4464-9824-90d2b0f38f39 Thu, 15 Apr 2021 15:28:31 -0000 00:55:53 Assam's floating river islands Episode Notes

In Assam, India, the grasslands along the river Brahmaputra totally contain tigers, but Rachel is bound and determined to talk about something hiding in the shadows of those tigers: riverine and river-island grasslands and their flagship species the Bengal Florican.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Riverine Grasslands and the Bengal Florican no 1 11 [S1E10] Biospheres for Horses (Takhi) https://pinecast.com/guid/ed3a5099-c5eb-4f44-9171-d81b26afe027 Wed, 07 Apr 2021 15:58:50 -0000 01:01:00 a Mongolian conservation story Episode Notes

What has four legs and walks on its middle finger and features heavily in all your favorite childhood video games?? Horses are actually kinda neat, it turns out, especially the modern conservation work of the last remaining wild horse, Przewalkski's Horse, the Takhi. Nicole embraces her childhood horsegirl vibes and kinda sorta teaches Rachel to appreciate horses because they're like camels. This description brought to you by Rachel.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  1. Origin of horse domestication. Britannica Encyclopedia.
  2. Biosphere reserves. (2020, October 30).
  3. Kaczensky, P., Burnik Šturm, M., Sablin, M. V., Voigt, C. C., Smith, S., Ganbaatar, O., et al. (2017). Stable isotopes Reveal diet shift FROM PRE-EXTINCTION TO Reintroduced Przewalski’s horses Scientific Reports, 7(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-017-05329-6
  4. Ransom, J. I., Kaczensky, P., Lubow, B. C., Ganbaatar, O., & Altansukh, N. (2012). A collaborative approach for estimating terrestrial wildlife abundance. Biological Conservation, 153, 219-226. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.05.006
  5. William Taylor Assistant Professor and Curator of Archaeology. (2020, March 02). Humans domesticated horses – new tech could help archaeologists figure out where and when

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]]> Biospheres for Horses (Takhi) no 1 10 [S1E9] Two Truths and a Lie: stump the naturalist edition https://pinecast.com/guid/98e431b0-4654-435f-9e71-71c80c9b6469 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 13:00:00 -0000 01:10:00 Episode Notes

In an April 1 break from the normal format, Nicole and Rachel try to stump each other with a game of Two Truths, One Lie. Buckle up for carnivorous prairie plants, Saiga death by banging, and so, so many bugs.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources, pics, and more are on our site, to keep these notes spoiler-free. ;)

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]]> Two Truths and a Lie: stump the naturalist edition no 1 9 [S1E8] Little Brown Bird https://pinecast.com/guid/a43119f9-bde1-461f-9419-b02876eb63ae Thu, 25 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0000 00:49:07 falling in love with the Grasshopper Sparrow Episode Notes

Some of the smallest, most unassuming birds among us have the most amazing stories to tell. The Grasshopper Sparrow is a tiny little bird with a big personality. Learn about captive breeding of the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow and other ways we are helping this prairie icon avoid the brink of extinction.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Links we promised:

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Little Brown Bird no 1 8 [S1E7] Fat-tailed and CUTE https://pinecast.com/guid/8ad70ebc-c6d4-46e1-99b9-0936dc30d39f Wed, 17 Mar 2021 16:22:17 -0000 00:50:02 Dunnarts in Australia Episode Notes

What is mouse-sized, carnivorous, and gives birth to tiny fetal joeys? Lots of things probably, but this week dunnarts are the star of the show. Hailing from Australian grasslands, these fat-tailed little marsupials are losing their habitats before we've even figured out their social behaviors, but maybe their cute faces will help them sneak into charismatic species status.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources:

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]]> Fat-tailed and CUTE no 1 7 [S1E6] Camels are Grasslanders https://pinecast.com/guid/8d78935c-25e7-48cf-a392-0570b50e2f46 Wed, 10 Mar 2021 15:31:17 -0000 01:02:18 another case study in grassland erasure Episode Notes

Rachel coincidentally ruins another desert creature and exposes why the vast majority of camels are actually grassland animals. This episode detours into evolution and the veterinary science realm to answer why prairies are probably the cause of the mass extinction of this North American (yeah) animal. Also: camels are weird. And they're not ruminants.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

PS check out this cool paleoart of new world camels.

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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]]> Camels are Grasslanders no 1 6 [S1E5] Tumbleweeds https://pinecast.com/guid/f3e0f9e6-ccec-4bc4-9d16-43449f354866 Wed, 03 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0000 00:56:59 saving and terrorizing the world Episode Notes

Tumbleweeds, icon of the... desert? Grasslands birthed some of the world's worst tumbleweed invaders, and there's more to them than their iconic "American old west" imagery. Desert caviar, savior of the cattle industry, and colonizer extraordinaire, this broad paraphyletic group of plants have been terrorizing and blessing the world for centuries. Nicole breaks down why tumbleweeds are pretty neat.

PS keep your pet tumbleweeds on leashes.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  1. Baker, D. V., Withrow, J. R., Brown, C. S., & Beck, K. G. (2010). Tumbling: Use of Diffuse KNAPWEED (Centaurea DIFFUSA) to examine an understudied dispersal mechanism. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 3(3), 301-309. doi:10.1614/ipsm-d-09-00016.1
  2. George P. Stallings, Thill, D., Carol A. Mallory-Smith, & Lawrence W. Lass. (1995). Plant Movement and Seed Dispersal of Russian Thistle (Salsola iberica). Weed Science, 43(1), 63-69.
  3. United States Department of Agriculture. Plant Guide For SALSOLA TRAGUS (prickly Russian Thistle). Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  4. Bernstein, J. (2019, October 07). Monster tumbleweed: Invasive new species is here to stay. University of California, Riverside. Retrieved February 24, 2021. 
  5. Barroso, J., Lyon, D. J., and Prather, T. Russian Thistle Management in a Wheat-Fallow Crop Rotation. Pacific Northwest Extension Publishing.

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]]> Tumbleweeds no 1 5 [S1E4] Coastal Tussac and Seabirds https://pinecast.com/guid/106ba7c0-779a-41fc-9e24-0dbee8c53385 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 14:00:00 -0000 00:49:50 palaeoecology in the Falklands Episode Notes

The coastal tussac grasslands of the Falkland Islands have been a struggle for conservationists. A team of paleoecologists used this grass's unique characteristics to uncover the ecosystem's origins, track its changing climate, and reveal why seabirds make these grasslands thrive.

Primary Sources:

  1. Groff, D. V., Hamley, K. M., Lessard, T. J., Greenawalt, K. E., Yasuhara, M., Brickle, P., & Gill, J. L. (2020). Seabird establishment during regional cooling drove a terrestrial ecosystem SHIFT 5000 years ago. Science Advances, 6(43). doi:10.1126/sciadv.abb2788
  2. Palaeocast Episode 116: Ice Age Palaeoecology, with Dr. Jacquelyn Gill.
  3. Falklands Conservation Registered Charity

Dr. Dulcinea Groff / Twitter Dr. Jacquelyn Gill / Twitter

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]]> Coastal Tussac and Seabirds no 1 4 [S1E3] Extinct African Megafauna https://pinecast.com/guid/e97115fd-be58-4a51-87fb-a9bfc25bfda4 Thu, 11 Feb 2021 17:05:45 -0000 00:45:14 and the resurrection of a zebra Episode Notes

African megafauna are already super well-known, but when grasslands took over the forests of ancient Africa, some megafauna were driven to extinction. What other megafauna has reached the brink, never to return, and can a subspecies of Plains Zebra really be resurrected from the void of extinction?

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

Contact Website / Facebook / Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org 316-512-8933

]]> Extinct African Megafauna no 1 3 [S1E2] Parrots of the Plains https://pinecast.com/guid/7a9538b8-58e6-48d1-9536-ced1b8409210 Wed, 03 Feb 2021 14:00:00 -0000 00:59:37 traveling the world for grassland parrots Episode Notes

What do Burrowing Owls and Blue-throated Macaws have in common? Their habitat. Rachel takes us on a tour of the parrots, cockatoos, lovebirds, and parakeets that thrive in Australia, American, and African grasslands.

Thanks for listening to our weekly ~~love letter~~ podcast exploring a straightforward thesis: grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources: I had a million sources from this episode because of the breadth of species covered, so for more complete information look for the parrot post on our site!

Contact: Email: info@grasslandgroupies.org Website Facebook Twitter

]]> Parrots of the Plains no 1 2 [S1E1] Prairie Dogs Required https://pinecast.com/guid/992e9e51-81a0-4f60-9832-20a18d8c409e Mon, 25 Jan 2021 15:30:10 -0000 00:56:37 furry little architects saving the prairie Episode Notes

Our first episode has Nicole talking about prairie dogs, go figure. They not only help to increase plant and animal diversity around their burrows, but are also very tasty snacks. Nicole believes that without prairie dogs, we would have no prairies.

Thanks for listening to our weekly ~~love letter~~ podcast exploring a straightforward thesis: grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

Primary Sources:

Prairie Dogs: America's Meerkats - Language (Youtube)

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