Children touch a prairie rattlesnake during a presentation by a scientist at BioBlitz. The snake’s head was safely restrained by an experienced biologist who held it using special handling tools. (Photo: Dave M. Shumway)
Four hundred and eighty species were documented in American Prairie Foundation’s first-ever BioBlitz on American Prairie Reserve, which occurred from Friday, June 24 through Saturday, June 25.
A BioBlitz is a 24-hour event in which a team of scientists and volunteers conduct an intensive biological inventory of all species in a given area. The data collected during BioBlitz will help American Prairie Foundation understand the baseline health of ecosystems and wealth of biodiversity on the grasslands of the Reserve. APF’s event was the fourth BioBlitz to occur in Montana.
“APF really enjoyed hosting this opportunity for so many volunteers and scientists to spend time together on American Prairie Reserve,” said Sean Gerrity, APF President. “Participants were excited to discover, first-hand, the incredible biodiversity and beauty of the prairie.”
More than 60 scientist and volunteer participants came from 6 states and 16 Montana towns, including communities as close to the Reserve as Malta and Lewistown and states as far away as Minnesota and Colorado. Participants camped on American Prairie Reserve at Yurt Camp and worked in field teams to document species from various taxonomic groups including plants, birds, mammals and others.
Dr. Cathy Cripps, a mycologist at Montana State University, focused on fungi. Her team discovered 28 species of fungi, including the tiny “prairie polypore,” which occurs on the rhizomes of grasses throughout the prairies of Russia, Mongolia, and Argentina, but is rarely reported in North America. The BioBlitz discovery of prairie polypore on American Prairie Reserve may mark the first discovery of the fungus in Montana. Dr. Cripps is currently investigating the legitimacy of a 1917 report of prairie polypore in Montana.
“This fungus is well-known in other prairies of the world, but we don’t know it well,” Dr. Cripps said. “This is exciting because prairie polypore is really a global fungus in terms of its presence in other prairies worldwide.”
While 480 species were documented at BioBlitz, many other species are still being indentified. A final report of all documented species will be available in the coming months. All BioBlitz data will be submitted to the Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Encyclopedia of Life, an online reference and biological database founded by prominent American biologist E.O. Wilson, who was one of the first scientists to organize BioBlitz events. American Prairie Foundation will also retain copies of complete data sheets as a permanent record.
Dave M. Shumway, a professional photographer and instructor of photography at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, volunteered on the field team focusing on birds. Shumway had never spent time on Montana’s northern prairie before BioBlitz.
“What really surprised me on the prairie was the diversity of insects, grasses, fungi, flowers, and birds,” Shumway said. “I don’t think people realize the biodiversity and beauty that we have in the eastern half of this state.”
Grants in support of BioBlitz were provided by The Cinnabar Foundation, The Leonard Tingle Foundation and The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation. The next BioBlitz on American Prairie Reserve is scheduled for 2013. APF plans to host a BioBlitz every other year.
For additional information on BioBlitz, including photo galleries and results, please visit APF’s BioBlitz website.
