Our Challenge
Key Terms
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Climate change
A significant and long-term change in temperature, precipitation, or wind. Climate change can happen naturally or can be caused by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, or building cities.
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Ecosystem
The relationships between the plants, animals, and physical conditions of a specific area.
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Erosion
The wearing away of land surfaces by wind or water. Farming, development, road building, and logging can all increase erosion.
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Genetic engineering
Inserting new genetic information into the cells of an organism to change its characteristics.
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Invasive species
A plant or animal species that does not naturally live in a specific area. The introduction of invasive species can cause economic and environmental problems and harm human health.
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Silt
Mud or fine earth deposited by running or standing water.
Explore: Stressors on Wild Rice Habitat
Stressors on Wild Rice Habitat: Wild rice was once true to its name—it grew wild, dependent only on the whims of the weather. Contemporary human activity, however, can threaten wild rice beds. Roll over the highlighted spots to learn more.
Stressors on Wild Rice Habitat: Wild rice was once true to its name—it grew wild, dependent only on the whims of the weather. Contemporary human activity, however, can threaten wild rice beds. Roll over or touch the highlighted spots to learn more.
Mining: Mining activity exposes sulfates—natural mineral salts—that can kill wild rice. As sulfates get into streams and lakes, wild rice stands wither.
Dams: Dams change water levels. If a dam raises water raises levels too high, young wild-rice shoots can be pulled up. If levels are too low, plant stalks will break from lack of support.
Lakeshore Development: When people build homes along lakeshores, they disturb wild rice habitats. The chemicals that homeowners use to kill insects and weeds pose serious threats to wild rice plants.
Beavers: Aspen trees take over areas that have been commercially logged. Beavers are attracted to aspen. As the number of beavers increase, so do beaver dams, which change water flow and damage rice habitats.
Invasive Species: By disturbing local ecosystems, invasive species can harm wild rice. Asian carp activity can kill wild rice, and invasive plants compete with it for shallow-water habitat.
Recreational Boating: The wakes from recreational boat traffic can pull up rice plants or break the stalks of the rice.
Try These Questions
That is correct!
Rice grows best in shallow, flowing water. Clear water allows sunlight to reach young plants. Seeds germinate best in several inches of soft mud.
That is correct!
Asian carp are not poisonous, but they do a lot of damage to shoreline vegetation. Their arrival in wild rice lakes could create serious problems.
That is correct!
For several different reasons, the Ojibwe people are concerned about the effects of commercial wild-rice farming on natural wild rice.
Story Project Planner
Choose Images for Story Project
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Image 1 of 10
Toggle Favorite "We know that everything that we do harm...Jeff Harper, water quality specialist, Leech Lake Division of Resources Management
"We know that everything that we do harms the resources."
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Image 2 of 10
Toggle Favorite Rice beds provide food and shelter for n...Rice beds provide food and shelter for numerous species of birds, fish, and other animals. 1998
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Image 3 of 10
Toggle Favorite "There are several threats to wild-rice ...Steve Smith, instructor, Leech Lake Tribal College
"There are several threats to wild-rice productivity and the sustainability of wild rice. One of the major threats is overdevelopment of lakes, wild-rice lakes."
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Image 4 of 10
Toggle Favorite Since the 1880s, dams have flooded wild-...Since the 1880s, dams have flooded wild-rice habitat along the Mississippi River drainage. More than 2000 dams in Minnesota and Wisconsin pose risks to wild rice plants. 1904
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Image 5 of 10
Toggle Favorite "Invasives also have the potential to al...Susan Kedzie, invasive species program coordinator, Leech Lake Division of Resources Management
"Invasives have the potential to alter the way ecosystems function. Each plant or animal has a specific function. We say protect as much as you possibly can."
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Image 6 of 10
Toggle Favorite Purple loosestrife is a beautiful but ag...Purple loosestrife is a beautiful but aggressive invasive species that crowds out wild rice. Brought to North America in the 1800s for flower gardens, it quickly spread throughout the U.S. 2006
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Image 7 of 10
Toggle Favorite If Asian carp work their way upstream to...If Asian carp work their way upstream to the Leech Lake reservation, shallow-rooted rice could be damaged by their foraging, and they could pose a threat to other fish. The damage Asian carp could do is so serious, laws have been passed making it illegal to import them. Date unknown
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Image 8 of 10
Toggle Favorite "Any impact, whether it's an oil spill or...
Susan Kedzie, invasive species program coordinator, Leech Lake Division of Resources Management
"Any impact, whether it's an oil spill or an invasive species, has greater impact on a reservation because it's culturally important. It helps people connect with their past."
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Image 9 of 10
Toggle Favorite From the mid 1800s to the early 1900s, l...From the mid 1800s to the early 1900s, logging stripped the Leech Lake area of trees, increasing sediment in lakes and rivers. Change in sediment chemistry is thought to affect the establishment of wild-rice plants. 1892
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Image 10 of 10
Toggle Favorite "Wild rice is much like the Ojibwe peopl...
Steve Smith, instructor, Leech Lake Tribal College
"Wild rice is much like the Ojibwe people are: part of their natural world. Historically, the wild rice is also a part of its ecosystem, intimately tied to its ecosystem. And this cultivated rice violates that arrangement."
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Take notes and save images to help answer these questions. Your images and notes will be saved to the Story Project where you can use them to create your own slideshow.
