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Author: John Ernest Weaver
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781258398705
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 360
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Book Description
Author: John Ernest Weaver
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781258398705
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: Anthony Joern
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 276
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Book Description
Grasslands have figured prominently in our North American heritage. Prairies first provided significant barriers to westward expansion, then offered both economic and sociological opportunity, as well as heartache, for settlers. Many artists have gained significant inspiration from the beauty as well as the harshness of these regions and its biota. And, because of ideal climate and soil conditions, these grasslands have provided the agricultural foundation upon which much of the growth and stability of the United States economy rests. Yet, many see North America prairies as beautiful only when manipulated or exploited--green croplands or manicured park lawns are attractive, whereas native grasslands are "those ugly weeds." In the past, plowing virgin prairie could be easily defended on both economic and sociological grounds. And historically, North American prairies must have seemed threatening in both their wildness and vastness. But preservation of these prairies is now an urgent need. This book describes the ecology of the North American prairie and urges conservation measures to protect the remaining North American grasslands. It provides non-economic arguments for the value of prairies, presents a current synthesis of prairie ecology to facilitate the best possible management, and deftly summarizes conservation and management issues, pointing out the costs and benefits of alternative actions. By approaching its subject from a variety of perspectives, including ethical and aesthetic considerations, the book will appeal to environmentalists and conservationists as well as to ecologists, botanists, and conservation biologists.
Author: Fred B. Samson
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 9781610913942
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 358
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Book Description
The area of native prairie known as the Great Plains once extended from Canada to the Mexican border and from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to western Indiana and Wisconsin. Today the declines in prairie landscape types, estimated to be as high as 99%, exceed those of any other major ecosystem in North America. The overwhelming loss of landscape and accompanying loss of species constitute a real threat to both ecological and human economic health.Prairie Conservation is a comprehensive examination of the history, ecology, and current status of North American grasslands. It presents for the first time in a single volume information on the historical, economic, and cultural significance of prairies, their natural history and ecology, threats, and conservation and restoration programs currently underway. Chapters cover: environmental history of the Great Plains the economic value of prairie prairie types -- tallgrass, mixed grass, shortgrass, wetlands -- and the ecological processes that sustain each type prairie fauna -- invertebrates, fish and other aquatic creatures, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and mammals conservation programs such as the Great Plains Partnership, Canada's Prairie Conservation Action Plan, the U.S. Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, and others The book brings together knowledge and insights from a wide range of experts to describe and explain the importance of prairies and to position them in the forefront of North American conservation efforts. Praire Conservation is an essential reference for anyone interested in prairie ecology and conservation and will play a critical role in broadening our awareness and understanding of prairie ecosystems.
Author: Stephen R. Jones
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780618179299
Category : Prairies
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
A guide to wildlife and flora of the prairie, includes advice on where to hike and camp in the Great Palains.
Author: Richard Manning
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0140233881
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 321
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Book Description
More than forty percent of our country was once open prairie, grassland that extended from Missouri to Montana. Taking a critical look at this little-understood biome, award-winning journalist Richard Manning urges the reclamation of this land, showing how the grass is not only our last connection to the natural world, but also a vital link to our own prehistoric roots, our history, and our culture. Framing his book with the story of the remarkable elk, whose mysterious wanderings seem to reclaim his ancestral plains, Manning traces the expansion of America into what was then viewed as the American desert and considers our attempts over the last two hundred years to control unpredictable land through plowing, grazing, and landscaping. He introduces botanists and biologists who are restoring native grasses, literally follows the first herd of buffalo restored to the wild prairie, and even visits Ted Turner's progressive--and controversial--Montana ranch. In an exploration of the grasslands that is both sweeping and intimate, Manning shows us how we can successfully inhabit this and all landscapes.
Author: Chris Helzer
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
ISBN: 1587299313
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 234
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Book Description
Most prairies exist today as fragmented landscapes, making thoughtful and vigilant management ever more important. Intended for landowners and managers dedicated to understanding and nurturing their prairies as well as farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and all those with a strong interest in grasslands, ecologist Chris Helzer’s readable and practical manual educates prairie owners and managers about grassland ecology and gives them guidelines for keeping prairies diverse, vigorous, and viable. Chapters in the first section, "Prairie Ecology," describe prairie plants and the communities they live in, the ways in which disturbance modifies plant communities, the animal and plant inhabitants that are key to prairie survival, and the importance of diversity within plant and animal communities. Chapters in the second section, "Prairie Management," explore the adaptive management process as well as guiding principles for designing management strategies, examples of successful management systems such as fire and grazing, guidance for dealing with birds and other species that have particular habitat requirements and with the invasive species that have become the most serious threat that prairie managers have to deal with, and general techniques for prairie restoration. Following the conclusion and a forward-thinking note on climate change, eight appendixes provide more information on grazing, prescribed fire, and invasive species as well as bibliographic notes, references, and national and state organizations with expertise in prairie management. Grasslands can be found throughout much of North America, and the ideas and strategies in this book apply to most of them, particularly tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies in eastern North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Missouri, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, Iowa, southwestern Wisconsin, and southwestern Minnesota. By presenting all the factors that promote biological diversity and thus enhance prairie communities, then incorporating these factors into a set of clear-sighted management practices, The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States presents the tools necessary to ensure that grasslands are managed in the purposeful ways essential to the continued health and survival of prairie communities.
Author: Mary E. Barkworth
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1457180987
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1552
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Book Description
Grasses are the world’s most important plants. They are the dominant species over large parts of the earth’s land surface, a fact that is reflected in the many different words that exist for grasslands, words such as prairie, veldt, palouse, and pampas to mention just a few. As a group, grasses are of major ecological importance, as soil binders and providers of shelter and food for wild animals, both large and small. Some grasses, such as wheat, rice, corn, barley, rye, tef, and sugar cane are major sources of calories for humans and their livestock; others, primarily bamboos, are used for construction, tools, paper, and fabric. More recently, the seed catalogs that tantalize gardeners each winter have borne witness to an increasing appreciation of the aesthetic value of grasses. The Manual of Grasses for North America is designed as a successor to the classic volume by Hitchcock and Chase. It reflects current taxonomic thought and includes keys, illustrations, and distribution maps for the nearly 900 native and 400 introduced species that have been found in North America north of Mexico. In addition, it presents keys and illustrations for several species that are known only in cultivation or are of major agricultural significance, either as progenitors of bread wheat and corn or as a major threat to North American agriculture because of their ability to hybridize with crop species. The Manual of Grasses for North America is a major reference work for grasses that will retain its value for many years.
Author: Harold Gardner
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 144197427X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 291
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Book Description
This work advocates the restoration of the North American tallgrass prairie, which is rapidly disappearing. Historical descriptions of prairie aesthetics are outlined. As we are experiencing a worldwide mixing of plant species, prairie restoration is particularly important. Plants alien to North America do not readily support insect populations, including all animal species higher on the food chain. Prairie restoration methods are described for amateurs, academics, and land managers. Some of the techniques described are growing crops for seed production, times of seed gathering for specific species, facile seed processing for amateurs, land preparation, segregation of seed into its preference for habitat, and required seed treatment for germination. Over 200 species are described that comprise the predominant species found in tallgrass prairie nature preserves, as well as degraded prairies. Some additional plants of especial interest are also described. The appendix tabulates all likely species found on prairies regardless of their scarcity. Safe fire management of prairies is described in detail. Finally, methods of controlling aggressive alien weeds by herbicides are detailed.
Author: Rex C. Buchanan
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700617000
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 392
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Book Description
Two decades after its first publication, Roadside Kansas remains the premier guide to the geology, natural resources, landmarks, and landscapes along nine of the Sunflower State's major highways. During that span, however, many aspects of the Kansas landscape changed: the growth of some towns and near disappearance of others, the expansion of highways, the development of industry. Even the rocks themselves changed in places as erosion took its relentless toll. More broadly, there have been changes in the science of geology. This new edition reflects all of these changes and thoroughly updates the previous edition in ways that reinforce its preeminent status. Covering more than 2,600 miles, Buchanan and McCauley organize their book by highway and milepost markers, so that modern-day explorers can follow the road logs easily, learning about the land as they travel through the state. Featuring more than 100 photographs, drawings, and maps, the book also provides deft descriptions of fascinating contemporary and historical features to be seen all across Kansas. Especially in an economic era that has encouraged all of us to travel closer to home, the new edition is sure to be a hit with families from Kansas and the region who decide to explore and learn more about the state and its distinctive wonders. They'll discover what Buchanan and McCauley have known for a long time: Kansas highways provide much more than passage to Colorado or some other state. They are destinations in their own right. Published for the Kansas Geological Survey
Author: John Hoogland
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1597268526
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 368
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Book Description
The prairie dog is a colonial, keystone species of the grassland ecosystem of western North America. Myriad animals regularly visit colony-sites to feed on the grass there, to use the burrows for shelter or nesting, or to prey on the prairie dogs. Unfortunately, prairie dogs are disappearing, and the current number is only about 2% of the number encountered by Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s. Part I of Conservation of the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog summarizes ecology and social behavior for pivotal issues such as when prairie dogs breed, how far they disperse, how they affect other organisms, and how much they compete with livestock. Part II documents how loss of habitat, poisoning, plague, and recreational shooting have caused the precipitous decline of prairie dog populations over the last 200 years. Part III proposes practical solutions that can ensure the long-term survival of the prairie dog and its grassland ecosystem, and also are fair to private landowners. We cannot expect farmers and ranchers to bear all the costs of conservation while the rest of us enjoy all the benefits. With 700 references, 37 tables, 75 figures and photographs, and a glossary, Conservation of the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog is a unique and vital contribution for wildlife managers, politicians, environmentalists, and curious naturalists.
