The Best Biome

Grassland Groupies•grasslandgroupies.org

Three prairie biologists make the ever-growing argument for why grasslands are the world's best biome. Features hosts Rachel Roth, Nicole Brown, and Allan Saylor of Kansas-based nonprofit Grassland Groupies.

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Episodes

[S1E7] Fat-tailed and CUTE

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!...

Mar 17, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 7

[S1E6] Camels are Grasslanders

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 c...

Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 6

[S1E5] Tumbleweeds

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 explorat...

Mar 03, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 5

[S1E4] Coastal Tussac and Seabirds

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 : 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 eco...

Feb 17, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 4

[S1E3] Extinct African Megafauna

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 ! Plio-Pl...

Feb 11, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 3

[S1E2] Parrots of the Plains

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 com...

Feb 03, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 2

[S1E1] Prairie Dogs Required

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 : Con Slobodchikoff , "Prairie Dogs: Prairie Dogs: Communication and ...

Jan 25, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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