On the Prairie: Prairie ecology and environmental education from Bell LIVE! DISTANCE LEARNING Bell LIVE! On the Prairie The prairie is one of North America's great ecosystems and a vital habitat for many plants and animals. The prairie once spread across 1.5 million square kilometers of the Great Plains (that's seven times the size of Minnesota!)—but less than 2% of native prairie remains today. In October 1999, Bell LIVE! traveled to the prairie and explored cool animals and plants of this fascinating ecosystem. We discovered why prairies are important to the way we live and what humans do to impact this vanishing ecosystem. Discover the plants and animals that compose the prairie ecosystem with our online activities and resources. By pdboyerin Ecologywith animalsecosystemshabitatminnesotanativeplainsplantsprairie