America's Prairies and Grasslands
Author: Marianne D. Wallace
Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
Published: 2001
Total Pages: 52
ISBN-13: 9781555919924
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Explains the flora and fauna that survive in America's prairies and grasslands.
Lanterna Rally
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Grassland
Author: Richard Manning
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 1997-07-01
Total Pages: 321
ISBN-13: 0140233881
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →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.
The Changing Prairie
Author: Anthony Joern
Publisher:
Published: 1995
Total Pages: 276
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →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.
Conservation of the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Author: John Hoogland
Publisher: Island Press
Published: 2013-04-09
Total Pages: 368
ISBN-13: 1597268526
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →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.
North American Prairie
Author: John Ernest Weaver
Publisher:
Published: 2012-06-01
Total Pages: 360
ISBN-13: 9781258398705
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Prairie Dog Song
Author: Susan L. Roth
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Published: 2016
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 9781620142455
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →For thousands of years, green and gold grasses covered North America from Canada to Mexico. The prairie and desert grasslands were home to a variety of animals, from small prairie dogs to huge bison. But in the nineteenth century, ranching and farming took hold in the grasslands, and over time many of the animals and plants vanished. Then, in the late 1980s, scientists discovered a region in Mexico where green and gold grasses still waved and prairie dogs still barked. The scientists understood the importance of this grassland ecosystem and the prairie dogs' key role in it. Could they now preserve the area and bring back its lost animals and plants? This moving nonfiction tale of environmental recovery builds on the success of the acclaimed Parrots Over Puerto Rico and The Mangrove Tree. Cumulative song text plus prose passages combine to celebrate North America's grasslands, their iconic prairie dogs, and the dedicated scientists who work to make the grasslands healthy again. Comprehensive backmatter makes this book perfect for classroom use, with text that hits both Science and Social Studies Common Core Standards. Teacher's Guide available at leeandlow.com.
Otero Mesa
Author:
Publisher: UNM Press
Published: 2008
Total Pages: 106
ISBN-13: 082634397X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →A powerful defense in words and photos of this unique grassland under increasing threat of oil and gas exploitation.
Prairie Conservation
Author: Fred B. Samson
Publisher: Island Press
Published: 1996-08
Total Pages: 358
ISBN-13: 9781610913942
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →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.
Americas Prairies And Grasslands
Author: Marianne D. Wallace
Publisher: Turtleback
Published: 2001-09-01
Total Pages:
ISBN-13: 9780613879637
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Describes the plants and animals found in the different types of North American prairies and grasslands.
Forgotten Grasslands of the South
Author: Reed F. Noss
Publisher: Island Press
Published: 2012-12-03
Total Pages: 353
ISBN-13: 159726489X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Forgotten Grasslands of the South is the study of one of the biologically richest and most endangered ecosystems in North America. In a seamless blend of science and personal observation, renowned ecologist Reed Noss explains the natural history of southern grasslands, their origin and history, and the physical determinants of grassland distribution, including ecology, soils, landform, and hydrology. In addition to offering fascinating new information about these little-studied ecosystems, Noss demonstrates how natural history is central to the practice of conservation. Although theory and experimentation have recently dominated the field of ecology, ecologists are coming to realize how these distinct approaches are not divergent but complementary, and that pursuing them together can bring greater knowledge and understanding of how the natural world works and how we can best conserve it. This long-awaited work sets a new standard for scientific literature and is essential reading for those who study and work to conserve the grasslands of the South as well as for everyone who is fascinated by the natural world.
