Scissor-tail flycatcher. Photo: Noppadol Paothong
Prairie Biodiversity
Articles in the Missouri Prairie Journal
Click on an article title below to open a PDF of the full article.
If you wish to cite any of these articles in presentations or papers, volume, issue, and page numbers are given in the footer of each article page. Example of correct citation:
Mills, Mark S., Darrin Welchert, and Jordan Meyer. 2016. The Hills are Alive with Herps. Missouri Prairie Journal 37(1): 20-23.
Plants & Plant Communities
Ecosystems in Miniature: The Mutualistic World of Lichens, Vol. 46, No. 3-4, 2025
Grama Grasses of Missouri’s Prairies, Vol. 46, No. 1, 2025
Rangeland Wildflowers: Supporting Creatures Big and Small, Vol. 45, No. 2, 2024
Prairie Plants & Climate Smart Agriculture, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2023
Grow Native! An Introduction to Nitrogen Fixation and Prairie Plants, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2023
Stepping into Missouri’s Prairie Grasses: An Introduction & Primer, Vol. 43, Nos. 3 & 4, 2022
Woody Encroachment of Prairies: Shrub Invasion, Root Myths, & Climate Change, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2020
Invasive Species Control for Prairie and Native Grassland Conservation, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2018
Cryptogamic Flora of Northwestern Missouri, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2017
Grow Native! Missouri’s Native Aquatics, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2014
Cantrell: The Milkweed Connection Part Three – Advancing the Conservation Efforts of a Species with an Outdoor Learning Station, Vol 33, No. 3, 2012
Species of Conservation Concern Found on MPF Prairies, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2012
Cantrell: The Milkweed Connection Part Two – Using an Outdoor Learning Station, Vol 33, No. 2, 2012
Cantrell: The Milkweed Connection Part One – Establishing an Outdoor Learning Station, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Missouri’s Largest Remaining Wet Prairie: Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Kingdom of Cord Grass, Emerald World of Sedge: Pershing State Park’s Locust Creek Prairie, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Adaptations of Prairie Cord Grass to Wet Soils, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
The Missouri River Mitigation Project, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Native Cool-Season Grasses in Missouri, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
Prairie Milkweeds, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
Special Package Delivery: Milkweed Pollination, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
The Hosts with the Most: How Good are Plant Pollinator Hosts?, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2009
Best Management Practices for Problem Plants, Vol. 30, No. 1, 2009
Missouri’s Thistles, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2007
Prairie & Other Natural Communities
Research on Missouri Prairie Foundation Prairies, Vol. 46, No. 2, 2025
Missouri’s Bottomland Prairies, Vol. 45, Nos. 3 & 4, 2024
Shrub Encroachment Alters Water Cycling with Long-term Consequences for Tallgrass Prairie, Vol. 45, No. 2, 2024
Karst Fens: Framing These Dynamic Enigmas, Vol 45, No. 1, 2024
Species of Conservation Concern on MPF Prairies, Vol. 44, Nos. 3 & 4, 2023
45,000 Precious Acres, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2023
Sand Prairie Protection, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2023
The Missouri Natural Areas Program Turns 45, Vol. 43, No. 2, 2022
The New Paradigm of Old-Growth Grasslands, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2022
The Mighty Bur Oak, Vol. 42, No. 2, 2021
To Put Out Fire, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2019
Ancient Players, New Game: The Origins of Our Tallgrass Prairies, Vol. 39, Nos. 3 & 4, 2018
Microbial Community Structure in Missouri Prairie Soils, Vol. 39, Nos. 3 & 4, 2018
Invasive Species Control for Prairie and Native Grassland Conservation, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2018
Invasive Plants Affect Soil Biology, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2018
Inventory of Missouri’s Private Tallgrass Prairies, Vol. 38, Nos. 3 & 4, 2017
Mycorrhizal Fungi and Missouri Grasslands, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2017
Grow Native! Native Plants for Erosion Control, Vol. 36, Nos. 3 & 4, 2015
Harnessing Prairie Plant Potential for Human Needs, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2015
Military Training and Natural Resources, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2015
Mapping Missouri’s Glades, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2015
Prairie Soil Health: A Benchmark for Better Land Management, Vol. 35, Nos. 3 & 4, 2014
Prairie Streams, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2014
Inviting Country – Savannas and Woodlands of Northern Missouri, Vol. 34, Nos. 3 & 4, 2013
Northern Missouri’s Grand Savanna and Woodland Plan, Vol. 34, Nos. 3 & 4, 2013
Couldn’t See All the Woodland and Savanna for the Trees, Vol. 34, Nos. 3 & 4, 2013
Roeslein Farms Savanna Restoration, Vol. 34, Nos. 3 & 4, 2013
Aquatic Jewels Among the Oaks, Vol. 34, Nos. 3 & 4, 2013
Sand Prairies of the Bootheel, Vol. 34, No. 1, 2013
Value of Grassland Shrubs, Vol. 34, No. 1, 2013
In Washington Irving’s Footsteps: Marmaton River Bottoms Wet Prairie, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Osage Confluence Prairie Wetlands, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Chloe Lowry Marsh Natural Area, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Sedges and Water Quality at Little Bean Marsh, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Missouri’s Rivers of Grass: Prairie Swales and Bottomlands, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Coppermine Hollow Glade: A native grassland gem in the Ozarks, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2011
The Case for Prairie Biodiversity, Vol. 31, Nos. 3 & 4, 2010
Teeming with Life, Vol. 31, Nos. 3 & 4, 2010
To Classify Conserve Missouri’s Prairie Natural Communities, Vol. 31, Nos. 3 & 4, 2010
Biodiversity Snapshot: Penn-Sylvania Prairie, Vol. 31, Nos. 3 & 4, 2010
Prairie Milkweeds, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
Walking the Line for Mead’s Milkweed, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
Best Management Practices for Problem Plants, Vol. 30, No. 1, 2009
MPF Glade Tour: Hikers See Stunning Wildflower Displays, Vol. 29, Nos. 3 & 4, 2008
Healing and Building Soil on Prairie Birthday Farm, Vol. 29, No. 3, 2008
Students Persevere for Big Bluestem, Vol. 28, No. 4, 2007
Birds
Birds of Missouri’s Grasslands: Current Conservation Status, Vol. 46, No. 3-4, 2025
Grasshopper Sparrows & Woody Encroachment,Vol. 46, No. 1, 2025
Cantrell: A Grassland Bird’s Niche, Vol. 45, No. 2, 2024
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: A Neotropical Phenomenon, (p.13) Vol. 44, No. 2, 2023
Grassland Management is Key to Reducing Quail Predation, Vol. 40, Nos. 3 & 4, 2019
The Northern Flicker, a Woodpecker Calling the Prairie Home, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2018
Beef that Benefits Birds, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2018
Grassland Bird Conservation Research in Minnesota and Iowa (pg. 28), Vol. 38, Nos. 3 & 4, 2017
Greater Prairie-Chicken Trapping, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2017
Losing Ground for Loggerhead Shrikes, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2017
Landowners Note Increased Birds Since Planting Native Warm-Season Grass (pg. 27), Vol. 38, No. 1, 2017
Prairie Grouse Diets, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2017
Prairies, Shrublands, and the Birds that Need Them, Vol. 37, Nos. 3 & 4, 2016
The Great Missouri Birding Trail, Vol. 37, No. 1, 2016
Grassland Managers Learn About Grazing for Bobwhite Quail (pg 24), Vol. 36, Nos. 3 & 4, 2015
Cantrell: Remembering the Dough Birds, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2015
Prairie-Chicken Translocation 2008-2014, Vol. 35, No. 3, 2014
Cantrell: Eastern Meadowlark, Vol. 34, No. 2, 2014
Five Years of Greater Prairie Chicken Translocation, Vol. 33, Nos. 3 & 4, 2012
Final Year for Prairie Chicken Translocation to Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Grassland Bird Outlook, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Cantrell: Contributing and Learning as We Go – taking part in a raptor survey, Vol. 32, Nos. 3 & 4, 2011
Greater Prairie Chicken Translocation Update, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2011
Nomadic Sprites: Sedge Wrens, Vol. 30, Nos. 3 & 4, 2009
Going the Distance for Prairie Grouse, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2009
Two Weeks in the Life of a Prairie-Chicken Scout, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2009
Helping Farmers and Grassland Birds, Vol. 30, No. 1, 2009
Prairie Chickens Across North America, Vol. 29, No. 4, 2008
Moving Birds to Save the Species, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2008
The Henslow’s Sparrow, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2008
Courtship on the Plains, Prairie Chicken Style, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2008
Patch Burn Grazing Benefits Grassland Birds and Cattle Producers, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2008
Prairie Chicken Recovery Accomplishments Year in Review, Vol. 28, No. 4, 2007
The Greater Prairie Chicken Puzzle, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2006
The Prairie Chicken In Illinois, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2006
Prairie Chickens
Greater Prairie-Chicken Trapping, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2017
Differences in Some Cool-Season and Native Grasses for GPC Nesting Cover, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2015
Prairie-Chicken Translocation 2008-2014, Vol. 35, No. 3, 2014
Five Years of Greater Prairie Chicken Translocation, Vol. 33, Nos. 3 & 4, 2012
Final Year for Prairie Chicken Translocation to Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Greater Prairie Chicken Translocation Update, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2011
Two Weeks in the Life of a Prairie-Chicken Scout, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2009
Prairie Chickens Across North America, Vol. 29, No. 4, 2008
Moving Birds to Save the Species, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2008
Courtship on the Plains, Prairie Chicken Style, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2008
Prairie Chicken Recovery Accomplishments Year in Review, Vol. 28, No. 4, 2007
The Greater Prairie Chicken Puzzle, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2006
Recovery of Greater Prairie Chicken, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2006
The Prairie Chicken In Illinois, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2006
Native Bees, Butterflies, Moths, Other Insects and Other Arthropods
The Regal Fritillary: An Emissary from Missouri’s Rare Prairies, Vol. 46, No. 2, 2025
Native Bees in Missouri’s Ozark Woodlands & Glades, Vol. 45, Nos. 3 & 4, 2024
Show Me Tarantualas!, Vol. 45, No. 1, 2024
A Tale of Three Bees: Part Three: The Giant Sunflower Sweat Bee, Vol. 44, Nos. 3 & 4, 2023
A Tale of Three Bees: Part Two: The Hibiscus Turret Bee, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2023
Leaf Beetles of Missouri’s Prairies, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2023
Burrowing Crayfish, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2023
A Tale of Three Bees: Part One: The Spring Beauty Mining Bee, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2023
Legions in the Grass: A look at the lives of prairie ants, Vol. 41, Nos. 3 & 4, 2020
Grow Native!: Wasps: Allies in the Garden, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2019
Dung Beetles, The Unsung Heroes of Grassland Health, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2019
Monitoring Insects on Prairie Reconstructions and Remnants, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2019
Grow Native!: Fantastic Moths and Their Woody Host Plants, Vol. 39, Nos. 3 & 4, 2018
On-the-Ground Restoration: Do planted prairies support diverse communities of ground beetles?, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2018
Thankful for Flies in the Garden, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2018
Grasshoppers, Glades, and Ecological Gradients, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2018
Native Landscaping for Skippers, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2018
Macroinvertebrate Communities in Missouri Prairie Streams, Vol. 38, Nos. 3 & 4, 2017
Prairie Paparazzi: Documenting the Regal Fritillary, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2017
Grow Native!: Gardening for Bumble Bees, Vol. 37, Nos. 3 & 4, 2016
Grassland Spiders and Prairie Vegetation Variability, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2016
Prairie Moths, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2016
Missouri Gets Moving for Monarchs, Vol. 36, No. 3, 2015
Native Bee-Plant Relationships on Missouri Prairies, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2015
MPF Prairie Bee Survey, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2015
Prairie Odonates: Dragonflies and Damselflies of our Grasslands, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2014
Cantrell: The Milkweed Connection Part Three – Advancing the Conservation Efforts of a Species with an Outdoor Learning Station, Vol 33, No. 3, 2012
Prairie Planthoppers: An Interview with Dr. Stephen W. Wilson, Vol. 34, No. 2, 2013
Saving Endangered Beetle Species, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Cantrell: The Milkweed Connection Part Two – Using an Outdoor Learning Station, Vol 33, No. 2, 2012
Cantrell: The Milkweed Connection Part One – Establishing an Outdoor Learning Station, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Missouri Biologist Discovers Two Prairie Bees New to Science, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2011
Beyond the Bees: Entomologist’s Insect Collection of Prairie Visitors, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2011
More Than Bees, If You Please! A Primer to Prairie Wildflower Visitor Ecology, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2011
Cantrell: Fishing for Pink Katydids, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2011
Special Package Delivery: Milkweed Pollination, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
Meet the Bees: Native Bee Pollination and Prairie Ecosystem Health, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
What is a Prairie Without Native Bees?, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2010
Plant-Pollinator Interactions on Prairies and Glades: Implications for Endemism, Vol. 30, Nos. 3 & 4, 2009
How Good are Plant Pollinator Hosts?, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2009
Missouri’s Rare Prairie Butterflies, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2007
Grasshoppers in our Grasslands, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1997
Fish
Prairie Streams, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2014
Restoring Land and Streams for Prairie Fish, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Arkansas Darters Found at Golden Prairie, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2011
Amphibians and Reptiles
The Hills are Alive with Herps, Vol. 37, No. 1, 2016
Cantrell: Ornate Postcards (Ornate Box Turtle), Vol. 35, No. 2, 2014
Snakes in the Grass: Prairie Diversity, Vol. 34, No. 1, 2013
Missouri’s River of Grass: Prairie Swales and Bottomlands, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Collared Lizard Recovery in the Ozarks, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2011
Keeping Crawfish Frogs on Missouri’s Prairies, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2008
2008: International Year of the Frog, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2008
Mammals
Small Mammals and Missouri’s Prairies, Vol. 43, Nos. 3 & 4, 2022
The Ecological Role of Mammals on Missouri’s Prairies, Vol. 36, Nos. 3 & 4, 2015
Cantrell: Species Study – Voles, Vol. 36, Nos. 3 & 4, 2015
Cantrell: A Closer Look At Color Part II, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2015
Cantrell: A Closer Look At Color, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2015
Ground Squirrels of Missouri Prairies, Vol. 32, Nos. 3 & 4, 2011
American Bison Returning to Northern Missouri, Vol. 32, Nos. 3 & 4, 2011
Soils
From Macro to Micro: Rethinking the Ecological Foundations of Conservation, Vol. 46, No. 2, 2025
Microbial Community Structure in Missouri Prairie Soils, Vol. 39, Nos. 3 & 4, 2018
Invasive Plants Affect Prairie Soil Biology, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2018
Mycorrhizal Fungi and Missouri Grasslands, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2017
Soil Microbiota of the Prairie, Vol. 36, Nos. 3 & 4, 2015
The Clean Up Crew– Insect Decomposers, Vol. 35, Nos. 3 & 4, 2014
Prairie Soil Health, Vol. 35, Nos. 3 & 4, 2014
Prairie Strips, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2014
Nitrate Build Up in the Soil, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2012
Prairie Hydrology, Streams, and Aquatic Life
Macroinvertebrate Communities in Missouri Prairie Streams, Vol. 38, Nos. 3 & 4, 2017
Grow Native! Missouri’s Native Aquatics, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2014
Prairie Streams, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2014
In Washington Irving’s Footsteps: Marmaton River Bottoms Wet Prairie, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Osage Confluence Prairie Wetlands, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Chloe Lowry Marsh Natural Area, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Sedges and Water Quality at Little Bean Marsh, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Restoring Land and Streams for Prairie Fish, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2012
Adaptations of Prairie Cord Grass to Wet Soils, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Missouri’s Largest Remaining Wet Prairie: Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Kingdom of Cord Grass, Emerald World of Sedge: Pershing State Park’s Locust Creek Prairie, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
The Missouri River Mitigation Project, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Missouri’s Rivers of Grass: Prairie Swales and Bottomlands, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2012
Arkansas Darters Found at Golden Prairie, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2011
Hydrology and Water Quality of Tallgrass Prairie and Agricultural Streams, Vol. 31, No. 1, 2010