1,647 research outputs found
Prairie Repertory Theatre company member Aarron Shuelke
No full textPortrait of Prairie Repertory Theatre company member Aaron Shuelke for the 2014-2015 season
Tallgrass Prairie Center News, Fall 2015
No full textInside This Issue:
-- Black Soil and Gold Hues: 29th Roadside Conference-- In-Field of Dreams: Prairie Strips Will Come-- Putting TPC expertise to work on Monarch and Pollinator Conservation-- Paddy Woodworth, Irish Author Visits UNI-- 2015 Iowa Prairie Conference: Working Prairies-- Controlling Invasive Cattails by Fire, Herbicide, and Mowing-- Iowa IRVM Story Map Project-- A Sand Mound Prairie Attracts Butterflies...and Admirers-- New Publications Available from the Tallgrass Prairie Center-- Student Profiles: Jordan Young, Graduate Student, Biology-- Student Profiles: Wynton Karanja, Global Health: Health Disparitieshttps://scholarworks.uni.edu/tpcnews/1016/thumbnail.jp
Aaron Miller diary
No full textAaron Miller (1784-1872) kept this diary while traveling through Ohio and Indiana looking for land suitable for growing wheat and for relocating his family from Virginia. He includes information on the geography and natural resources of the areas he visits, as well as information about costs and arability of land. In the entry dated May 28th, he discusses purchasing his new farm in Highland County. While in Madison County, Miller remarks on the vast prairie that covered the area, describing it as a "level plain grass where you can see as far as your eyes will carry you." The journal includes 57 written pages, and appears to start with the date "April 31st" (1832)
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Observations of cattle use of prairie dog towns
No full textWe investigated the use of prairie dog towns by cattle (Bos taurus) on the shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado by conducting surveys of cattle and vegetation from June to August 1999. Cattle presence and behavior were recorded 3 times a week during driving surveys of 15 black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns. A subset of 3 pastures with prairie dog towns was intensively surveyed twice weekly wherein the habitat and activity of a randomly chosen focal animal was recorded every 6 minutes for 3.5 hours. Bite and step counts of other individuals were recorded for 5-minute intervals. Vegetation height and cover data were collected monthly on each of 6 habitats. Results from driving surveys and intensively surveyed pastures were similar; cattle neither significantly preferred nor avoided prairie dog towns. Bare ground cover on prairie dog towns did not significantly differ from most other habitats, but vegetation on prairie dog towns was significantly shorter on (mean = 6.7 cm) than that off (mean = 11.9 cm) prairie dog towns. Nevertheless, foraging observations indicated that there was no significant difference between cattle foraging rates on swales (70.9 bites/min) and prairie dog towns (69.5 bites/min). Thus, cattle on the shortgrass steppe appear to use prairie dog towns in proportion to their availability and, while there, they graze as intensively as they do on habitats not inhabited by prairie dogs.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202
Rosalie the Prairie Flower
No full textA beautiful woman on the prairie dies.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/kgbsides_uk/2257/thumbnail.jp
Evaluating the Success of Prairie Restorations in Southwest Illinois in Providing Suitable Habitat for Prairie Birds
No full textTallgrass prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystem types in North America, as over 99% of historic tallgrass prairie has been lost, even though it is one of the younger ecosystem types. The main factors behind the dramatic loss of tallgrass prairie include conversion to agriculture or development and a suppression of the natural fire regime in these grassland areas. Any natural prairies left are often too small and isolated to serve as viable habitat for grassland-dependent species, making the efforts at restoring these areas critical. Prairie restoration is crucial to grassland-dependent species because it increases the area of suitable habitat. Once a prairie restoration has taken place, it must be managed and evaluated to keep succession at bay and to help ensure that all restoration objectives have been met. Illinois has less than 1% of natural tallgrass prairie remaining, causing the grassland bird communities of the state to experience severe population declines within their ranges. Grassland bird species are important pollinators and dispersers of plants, and are under significant decline, which make them important priorities for conservation efforts. Birds in general are good ecological indicators of restoration success as they can be seen and heard easily, they have specific habitat requirements, and they are often the first animals to reach a restoration effort. Illinois has seen several prairie restoration attempts take place within the last 40 years, but very few studies have been conducted to assess the relative success or failure of these restoration efforts. The objectives of this study are to (1) examine temporal trends in the avian community composition, richness, and diversity among prairie restorations at The Nature Institute, (2) to test whether these trends are heading in the direction of the old growth reference prairie, and (3) to investigate which habitat attributes are the best predictors of the presence and abundance of prairie bird species. I hypothesize that (1) the restorations are on track to attain the bird community composition and diversity of an old growth prairie; (2) changes in vegetation structure over time during restoration provide suitable habitat for particular species of prairie birds. Five 20 m radius sampling plots were established in each of the study sites and utilized for both avian and vegetation sampling. Avian sampling took part in two periods, one spanning the entire avian breeding season from late May into early August, and the other corresponded with avian migration and lasted from September into late October. Plots were divided into regular distance intervals (0-5 m, 6-10 m, 11-15 m, 16-20 m) and all birds within as well as those flying over and outside of the plot were recorded. Vegetation characteristics (e.g., litter depth, forb coverage, and vegetation height) were measured along a 40 m transect within each study plot. Species richness, Antilog Shannon’s and Simpson’s diversity indices, and density (birds per hectare) for each plot was calculated. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination was utilized to visualize patterns within the avian community data and to assess whether or not the restorations were on track to achieve the avian community structure of the old-growth reference prairie. Diversity indices were highest in the youngest restorations before dropping off at the oldest restoration and the reference prairie. Indicator species analysis showed that the northern cardinal, willow flycatcher, indigo bunting, and the ruby-throated hummingbird were indicative of restored prairies less than seven years old, whereas species like the chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, and the red-winged blackbird signaled older prairie restorations (15-29 years). Field sparrows were found to be indicator species of the old-growth reference prairie used in this study. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that each study prairie was different from one another based on their avian communities and that the restorations are not on track to achieve the avian community structure found in the reference prairie. The results of this research will provide valuable information to prairie managers across the region. Results from this study show that small isolated prairie restorations, although good for community outreach and public education on the topic, will not meet objectives related to stopping prairie bird declines in a region. Large and well-connected prairie restorations are ideal for grassland-dependent species when planning out future restoration efforts
Cattle use of prairie dog towns on the Shortgrass Steppe of Colorado
No full text2000 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Studies on the mixed-grass prairie have found that native large herbivores preferentially graze on prairie dog towns. I investigated the use of prairie dog towns by cattle (Bos taurus) in northeast Colorado by conducting surveys of cattle and vegetation on the Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research Site from June-August, 1999. Twelve pastures containing 15 black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns were surveyed three times a week, and the number of cattle on the towns and their behavior were recorded. A subset of three pastures was intensively surveyed twice weekly wherein the habitat and activity of a randomly chosen focal animal was recorded every six minutes for 3.5 hours. Bite and step counts of other individuals were recorded for five-minute intervals. Vegetation height and cover data were collected monthly on each of the six habitat types. Resource selection functions for driving survey data indicated no significant difference between prairie dog town use and availability. Regression analysis showed no correlation between rain events and prairie dog town use by cattle. The intensively surveyed pastures yielded similar results: i.e., cattle did not significantly prefer or avoid the prairie dog towns. Cattle spent 60% of their time grazing, 13% resting, and 15% traveling when present on prairie dog towns. These percentages were not significantly different from most other habitat types. There were no significant differences in the number of bites per step taken by cattle on towns compared to off town swales, Atriplex canescens terraces, and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) strips. Five plant species palatable to cattle occurred in relatively high frequencies (36-65%) on prairie dog towns. In general, bare ground, litter, and vegetation cover on prairie dog towns did not significantly differ from most other habitat types. Vegetation on prairie dog towns was however significantly shorter on (mean= 6.7cm) than that off (mean= 11.9cm) prairie dog towns. This research indicates that cattle on the shortgrass steppe use prairie dog towns randomly and do not avoid them despite the shorter vegetation on prairie dog towns. However, cattle do not prefer to graze on prairie dog towns as bison (Bison bison) do on the mixed-grass prairie
Prairie Rose - Words and Music
No full textPamphlet - Prairie Rose, composed and written by Mary Mercer, with Biography of Mary Mercer of the Nightingale Women's InstituteAWI Collectio
AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF WETLAND MITIGATION IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
No full textThe economic efficiency of wetland mitigation in Minnesota's Red River Valley was examined using the Minnesota Routine Assessment Method on ten wetland case studies to rate the functions of impacted and replacement wetlands. Secondary sources were used to assign dollar values to wetland functions of impacted and replacement wetlands. Mitigation costs for projects ranged from 4,171 per acre. Estimated annual social values ranged from 1,027 per acre for impacted wetlands and from 927 per acre for replacement wetlands. Social values of replacement wetlands exceeded the social value of impacted wetlands in seven cases. Values of replacement wetlands were 1.8 to 4 times greater than the values of impacted wetlands due to 2-to-1 replacement ratios. When society gains benefits from mitigation, public cost-sharing may be appropriate. In one case the value of the impacted wetlands was higher than the value of the replacement wetland. There were insufficient data to evaluate two cases. Results are only indicators of efficiency, since not all social costs and benefits of the impact-mitigation activity are addressed by legislation. These results suggest wetland mitigation policy in Minnesota needs to be reevaluated if efficient use of society's resources is a legislative goal.Wetland(s), mitigation, economics, values, Minnesota, Red River, Wetland Conservation Act, Minnesota Routine Assessment Method, restoration, Land Economics/Use,
The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, 2006: Reviewers, Author Index, and Subject Index
No full textThe list of reviewers, author index, and subject index for volume 38 (2006) of The Prairie Naturalist published by the Great Plains Natural Science Society out of Fort Hays State University in Kansas, United States
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