Suchergebnisse

Island of Grass tells the story of the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area, a 240-acre preserve surrounded by housing developments in Fort Collins, Colorado. This small grassland is a remnant of the once-vast prairies of the West that early European explorers and settlers described as seas of grass. Agricultural land use and urban expansion during the past two centuries have fragmented and altered these prairies. All that remains today are small islands

Context Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomus ludovicianus) often come into conflict with humans in urban natural areas adjacent to private property by destroying plants and denuding the landscape. There is a diversity of attitudes related to urban prairie dog management in Colorado and interest in non-lethal methods is increasing. Therefore, the development of non-lethal methods that allow the existence of prairie dogs and mitigate damage related to population density is needed. Aims The efficacy of DiazaCon (20,25-diazacholesterol dihydrochloride, a cholesterol analogue) as an oral contraceptive bait for reducing reproduction in black-tailed prairie dogs was tested. Persistence of DiazaCon in black-tailed prairie dogs 11 months after initial application was also determined. Methods Prairie dogs were baited with DiazaCon-coated rolled oats or control bait for 10 days over a 20-day period in November 2007 on one control and one treatment site. Sites were randomly assigned to a treatment group. Visual counts were used 8 months post-treatment (June/July 2008) to determine pup:adult ratios on both sites. Prairie dogs on both sites were trapped 11 months post-treatment (September/October 2008) to gather mass and age data to assess juvenile:adult ratios and to collect blood samples for determination of serum cholesterol and desmosterol concentrations. Key results DiazaCon treatment reduced the number of pups per adult by 95.5% when compared with the control site in June/July 2008 (0.09±0.02, n=10, number of observation days) versus 2.0±0.2 (n=10). Free serum cholesterol levels in treated animals (370.7µgmL–1) were lower than control animal levels (411.6µgmL–1, P<0.015), while treated desmosterol levels (14.5µgmL–1) were higher than controls (0.35µgmL–1, P<0.02) 11 months after ingestion of DiazaCon bait. However, these differences would likely not have been sufficient to prevent successful breeding in the upcoming breeding season. Conclusions DiazaCon is an effective contraceptive in black-tailed prairie dogs. It is probably reversible and will likely affect breeding success for only one breeding season. DiazaCon may provide an additional tool to help manage urban populations of prairie dogs in locations where lethal control is unacceptable. Implications The need for further research into secondary hazards to non-target animals, such as predators, is discussed. Recommendations for field application are also discussed.

The 2½-day Colorado Front Range Prairie Dog Technical Workshop was held in Fort Collins, Colorado, February 27-March 1, 2001. The workshop attracted about 250 attendees, mostly government personnel. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) present numerous challenges to landowners and resource managers because they are considered a rare and important ecosystem component, but at the same time they can cause various kinds of damage and pose a disease hazard to humans and their domestic animals. Invited speakers updated the participants on the topics of prairie dog biology and ecology, legal status and distribution, socio-economic issues, management techniques and strategies, and current research. Special topics such as plague management and black-footed ferret re-introductions were also addressed. Several panel discussions on management challenges and options were held. Various perspectives were presented and there was considerable interaction on these volatile issues. There was a field trip to local prairie dog colonies to view and discuss conflicts and management options. In this paper, we summarize some of the key topics and perspectives brought up at the Workshop, in order to provide a broad synopsis of this highly contentious arena of human-wildlife conflict.

Annie Hollis was prominent in the agrarian left for almost two decades, yet her name has nearly escaped the historical inventory. She, along with hundreds of now relatively anonymous farm men and women, struggled against the particular forms of capitalism and patriarchy that dominated the people of Saskatchewan in the 1920s and 1930s. the institutions they developed in the course of their struggle still shape the political and social structure of Western Canada. This study will look at one woman and her praxis as an adult educator. By examining how she integrated her philosophy into action, and her experience into theory, Annie Hollis can be seen as one of the organic intellectuals of the prairie farm movement, who educated – and were educated – through the organizations they founded to change their world. This is not meant to be a biography of the "great (wo)man" genre, but an example of one person shaped by her own history, who in turn helped shape the course of history. By examining her life and the ways she worked, adult educators of today can take encouragement and inspiration. Particularly in Western Canada, Annie Hollis and her contemporaries are part of who we are, and of who we can be.

Context Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are rodents enjoyed by some humans; yet, they cause crop and property damage, and carry zoonotic disease. Non-lethal control of prairie dogs is of interest in urban/suburban settings. The injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine GonaCon (active ingredient is gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH]) has been shown to be effective at reducing fertility in equine and deer, and is a US EPA-registered vaccine for use in these ungulate species. Aims To conduct a replicated field study to test efficacy of GonaCon in black-tailed prairie dogs (C. ludovicianus), and if found to be efficacious, to help facilitate the EPA registration of this product for prairie dog management in urban/suburban areas. Methods Prairie dogs were live-trapped in October–December 2018 in three treatment and three control sites. Every captured female ≥660 g was injected with 0.4 mL of either GonaCon (0.032% w/w GnRH) at treatment sites or a sham vaccine (absent of GnRH) at control sites. Juveniles and adults were counted at all six sites to establish juvenile:adult (ratio) and juvenile density in May–June 2019 (determining initial GonaCon effectiveness) and 2020 (determining persistence of contraception). Key results In 2019, the juvenile:adult ratio was significantly reduced (P = 0.0022) in GonaCon (mean ± s.e.: 0.23 ± 0.01) relative to the sham (1.10 ± 0.58) sites. Juvenile density was three times greater in sham than GonaCon sites. In 2020, GonaCon sites produced equal offspring to nearby sham sites. Conclusions GonaCon is highly effective during the first year (2019) but not in the second year (2020) if only a small area (0.6–2.8 ha) or small proportion of females in a colony is treated, such as was undertaken in this study. Implications In 2022, GonaCon−Prairie Dogs was EPA-registered. Treating whole colonies of prairie dogs at once is favoured; yet, if small or partial colony treatment is desired, then annual GonaCon treatment may be needed.

Moderator: Stewart Breck. ; Presented at the 8th international congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit, that was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado. ; Video presenter: Shandra Nicole Frey. ; Utah Prairie Dogs (Cymomys parvidens) have been listed, first as an endangered, then as a threatened species, under the Endangered Species Act since its inception in 1973. The species exists only in southern Utah, where approximately 75% of the land is managed by the Federal Government; however, it is estimated that 75% of the species' population occurs on private lands. Unfortunately, humans have had direct conflict with Utah prairie dogs since they first began agricultural practices in the area. We must find ways to create a benefit from Utah prairie dogs on private lands, in order to alleviate conflicts, to encourage species conservation, and to recover the species. One program, the Utah Prairie Dog Habitat Credit Exchange (HCE) has done just that. Created by a collaboration of experts working in wildlife biology, sociology, finance, and policy the HCE works with landowners to create conservation easement on parcels of their property where prairie dogs can do little harm. In return, landowners can manage prairie dogs elsewhere on their property AND receive monetary credit for their efforts. These credits are then sold to developers that need 'take' for their property in order to develop their land. With this system, landowners have a bit of control over Utah prairie dogs on their land, get monetary compensation for protecting Utah prairie dogs on their land, the local towns have an avenue to continue to develop their land, and 'the ultimate goal' more Utah prairie dogs are protected across the landscape.

Presented at the 8th international congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit, that was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado. ; September 11, 2014. ; Video presenter: Chris Pague. ; This project is designed to inspire conversations among oil and gas companies and government agencies about how best to achieve goals for wildlife conservation and oil and gas development across eastern Colorado's vast prairie grasslands. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) developed this project based on its "Development by Design" methodology (http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/smart-development/) and with input from a variety of external partners. The project spans all of eastern Colorado (30 million acres) and includes three components: A forecast of oil and gas development, potential risk to wildlife, and an assessment of "Available Practices for Wildlife." Project results may be used to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts to wildlife through site-specific oil and gas drilling plans, the use of best management practices, etc. Those interested in this project may include oil and gas companies; landowners; and local, state, and federal government agencies within and outside of Colorado.

Foreword /Jeannine Carriere --From the editors /Dorothy Badry, H. Monty Montgomery, Daniel Kikulwe, Marlyn Bennett, and Don Fuchs --Acknowledgements /Dorothy Badry --Introduction /Don Fuchs --Exploring human rights approaches to kinship care provision in the Prairie provinces: implications for social work practice /Daniel Kikulwe and Julie Mann-Johnson --Working with First Nations child welfare to build professionalism /Shelley Thomas Prokop, Laura Hicks, and Rachel Melymick --Exploring decolonization through kinship care home assessments /Julie Mann-Johnson and Daniel Kikulwe --Aging out of care: the rural experience /Anne Marie McLaughlin, Richard Enns, and Deena Seaward --Inappropriate application of parenting capacity assessments in the child protection system /Peter Choate and Gabrielle Lindstrom --Listening in a settler state: (birth) mothers as paraprofessionals in response to FASD /Michelle Stewart, Lisa Lawley, Rachel Tambour, and Alexandra Johnson --A summary: on the edge between two worlds: community narratives on the vulnerability of marginalized Indigenous girls /Marlyn Bennett and Ainsley Krone --Factors associated with the child welfare placement decision in Alberta /Bruce MacLaurin, Hee-Jeong Yoo, and Morgan DeMone --A strained relationship: Southern Sudanese communities and child welfare systems in two urban centres in Western Candada /David Este and Christa Sato --The linkage between FASD and homelessness for individuals with a history of child welfare care /Dorothy Badry, Christine Walsh, Meaghan Bell, and Kaylee Ramage --The development of a training video: demonstrating essential skills for child welfare practice /Cathy Rocke and Judy Hughes --Transforming the classroom: supporting critical change in social work education in the spirit of reconciliation for child welfare /Jennifer Hedges --Epilogue /H. Monty Montgomery.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- Tables, Figures, and Maps -- Editor's Introduction -- Preface -- Introduction: Themes and Theses -- Part 1 Reconstitution, Building Civic Capital, Economic Renewal -- 1 The Civil Community and Its Governance -- 2 The Internal Dynamics of the Cities of the Prairie -- 3 The Cities and Their Environment -- 4 Civil Community, Government, and the New Frontier -- 5 The Cities of the Prairie in Cyberspace -- 6 New Departures -- Part 2 Northeastern Illinois and Chicagoland -- 7 The Rockford Civil Community: New Kid in the Northeastern Bloc -- 8 The Joliet Civil Community: A Buckle on the Rustbelt -- Part 3 Central Illinois: The Grand Prairie -- 9 The Peoria Civil Community: Recession and Recovery in the Illinois Valley -- 10 Champaign-Urbana: Prosperity on the Prairie -- 11 Decatur: Agribusiness in a Cybernetic Age -- 12 Springfield: Capital Prospering -- Part 4 Western Illinois: North and South -- 13 The Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan Region -- 14 The Quad Cities: The "State of Scott" and Illinois' Northwest -- Part 5 Across the Mississippi -- 15 The Duluth Civil Community: The End of a Long Depression? -- 16 Pueblo, Colorado: Modernization and the Mobilization of Public Capital: 1967-1997 -- Part 6 A Summation -- 17 Building Civil Community on the Cybernetic Frontier -- Conclusion: Citizenship and Public in Metropolitan America -- Bibliography -- Index

Diets during critical brooding and winter periods likely influence the growth of Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) populations. During the brooding period, rapidly growing Lesser Prairie-Chicken chicks have high calorie demands and are restricted to foods within immediate surroundings. For adults and juveniles during cold winters, meeting thermoregulatory demands with available food items of limited nutrient content may be challenging. Our objective was to determine the primary animal and plant components of Lesser Prairie-Chicken diets among native prairie, cropland, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields in Kansas and Colorado, USA, during brooding and winter using a DNA metabarcoding approach. Lesser Prairie-Chicken fecal samples (n = 314) were collected during summer 2014 and winter 2014-2015, DNA was extracted, amplified, and sequenced. A region of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was sequenced to determine the arthropod component of the diet, and a portion of the trnL intron region was used to determine the plant component. Relying on fecal DNA to quantify dietary composition, as opposed to traditional visual identification of gut contents, revealed a greater proportion of soft-bodied arthropods than previously recorded. Among 80 fecal samples for which threshold arthropod DNA reads were obtained, 35% of the sequences were most likely from Lepidoptera, 26% from Orthoptera, 14% from Araneae, 13% from Hemiptera, and 12% from other orders. Plant sequences from 137 fecal samples were composed of species similar to Ambrosia (27%), followed by species similar to Lactuca or Taraxacum (10%), Medicago (6%), and Triticum (5%). Forbs were the predominant (>50% of reads) plant food consumed during both brood rearing and winter. The importance both of native forbs and of a broad array of arthropods that rely on forbs suggests that disturbance regimes that promote forbs may be crucial in providing food for Lesser Prairie-Chickens in the northern portion of their distribution. ; Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism [KS W-73-R-3]; USDA Farm Services CRP Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation [12-IA-MRE CRP TA#7, KSCFWRU RWO 62]; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative ; Funding for the project was provided by Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (Federal Assistance Grant KS W-73-R-3); USDA Farm Services CRP Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation (12-IA-MRE CRP TA#7, KSCFWRU RWO 62); and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative. ; Public domain authored by a U.S. government employee

Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) populations have declined since the 1980s. Understanding factors influencing nest-site selection and nest survival are important for conservation and management of lesser prairie-chicken populations. However, >75% of the extant population is in the northern extent of the range where data on breeding season ecology are lacking. We tested factors influencing fine-scale and regional nest-site selection and nest survival across the northern portion of the lesser prairie-chicken range. We trapped and affixed satellite global positioning system and very high frequency transmitters to female lesser prairie-chickens (n = 307) in south-central and western Kansas and eastern Colorado, USA. We located and monitored 257 lesser prairie-chicken nests from 2013 to 2016. We evaluated nest-site selection and nest survival in comparison to vegetation composition and structure. Overall, nest-site selection in relation to vegetation characteristics was similar across our study area. Lesser prairie-chickens selected nest microsites with 75% visual obstruction 2.0-3.5 dm tall and 95.7% of all nests were in habitat with >= 1 dm and <= 4 dm visual obstruction. Nests were located in areas with 6-8% bare ground, on average, avoiding areas with greater percent cover of bare ground. The type of vegetation present was less important than cover of adequate height. Nest survival was maximized when 75% visual obstruction was 2.0-4.0 dm. Nest survival did not vary spatially or among years and generally increased as intensity of drought decreased throughout the study although not significantly. To provide nesting cover considering yearly variation in drought conditions, it is important to maintain residual cover by managing for structural heterogeneity of vegetation. Managing for structural heterogeneity could be accomplished by maintaining or strategically applying practices of the Conservation Reserve Program, using appropriate fire and grazing disturbances in native working grasslands, and establishing site-specific monitoring of vegetation composition and structure. (c) 2018 The Wildlife Society. ; Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism [KS W-73-R-3]; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Services CRP Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation [7, KSCFWRU RWO 62]; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative ; Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the United States Government. We thank the private landowners for allowing us to access their land to conduct this research and all of the technicians who assisted with this research. We thank J. L. Kramer, M. W. Mitchener, J. A. Prendergast, P. G. Kramos, A. A. Flanders, J. H. Reitz, D. K. Dahlgren, and B. S. T. Hyberg for their assistance with the project. B. K. Sandercock, W. A. Boyle, C. Nichols, B. A. Grisham, the Associate Editor, and an anonymous reviewer provided helpful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. We appreciate the assistance from M. R. Bain and Smoky Valley Ranch of The Nature Conservancy. Funding for the project was provided by Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (Federal Assistance Grant KS W-73-R-3); United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Services CRP Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation (12-IA-MRE CRP TA#7, KSCFWRU RWO 62); and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative. ; Public domain authored by a U.S. government employee

For millennia grasslands have provided a myriad of ecosystem services and have been coupled with human resource use. The loss of 46% of grasslands worldwide necessitates the need for conservation that is spatially, temporally, and socioeconomically strategic. In the Southern Great Plains of the United States, conversion of native grasslands to cropland, woody encroachment, and establishment of vertical anthropogenic features have made large intact grasslands rare for lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). However, it remains unclear how the spatial distribution of grasslands and anthropogenic features constrain populations and influence conservation. We estimated the distribution of lesser prairie-chickens using data from individuals marked with GPS transmitters in Kansas and Colorado, USA, and empirically derived relationships with anthropogenic structure densities and grassland composition. Our model suggested decreased probability of use in 2-km radius (12.6 km(2)) landscapes that had greater than two vertical features, two oil wells, 8 km of county roads, and 0.15 km of major roads or transmission lines. Predicted probability of use was greatest in 5-km radius landscapes that were 77% grassland. Based on our model predictions, similar to 10% of the current expected lesser prairie-chicken distribution was available as habitat. We used our estimated species distribution to provide spatially explicit prescriptions for CRP enrollment and tree removal in locations most likely to benefit lesser prairie-chickens. Spatially incentivized CRP sign up has the potential to provide 4189 km2 of additional habitat and strategic application of tree removal has the potential to restore 1154 km(2). Tree removal and CRP enrollment are conservation tools that can align with landowner goals and are much more likely to be effective on privately owned working lands. ; Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (Federal Assistance Grant) [KS W-73-R-3]; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Services CRP Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation [12-IA-MRE CRP TA, KSCFWRU RWO 62, 7]; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative ; We thank Kent Fricke, three anonymous reviewers, and the associate editor for providing reviews that improved the quality of the manuscript. We thank K. Schultz and A. Chappell for capturing and providing GPS data from lesser prairie-chickens captured on the Cimarron National Grasslands. B. Anderson, S. Baker, S. Bard, G. Brinkman, K. Broadfoot, R. Cooper, J. Danner, J. Decker, E. D. Entsminger, R. M. Galvin, N. Gilbert, A. Godar, G. Gould, B. Hardy, S.P. Hoffman, D. Holt, B. M. Irle, T. Karish, A. Klais, H. Kruckman, K. Kuechle, S. J. Lane, E. A. Leipold, J. Letlebo, E. Mangelinckx, L. McCall, A. Nichter, K. Phillips, J. K. Proescholdt, J. Rabon, T. Reed, A. Rhodes, B. E. Ross, D. Spencer, A. M. Steed, A. E. Swicegood, P. Waldron, B. A. Walter, I. Waters, W. J. White, E. Wiens, J. B. Yantachka, and A. Zarazua, provided much needed assistance with data collection. We greatly appreciate the logistic and technical support provided by J. C. Pitman, J. Kramer, M. Mitchener, D. K. Dahlgren, J. A. Prendergast, C. Berens, G. Kramos, and A. A. Flanders. Funding for the project was provided by Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (Federal Assistance Grant KS W-73-R-3); United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Services CRP Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation (12-IA-MRE CRP TA#7, KSCFWRU RWO 62); and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. ; Public domain authored by a U.S. government employee

Moderator: Ken Morgan. ; Presented at the 8th international congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit, that was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado. ; Despite a successful captive propagation and reintroduction program, the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) remains one the most endangered mammals in North America due to widespread lethal control of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), diseases such as sylvatic plague and canine distemper, and conversion of rangeland to row crop agriculture. Black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced at 22 separate sites throughout the Great Plains and Intermountain West, primarily on public lands. Private rangelands throughout the Great Plains, the historic core of black-footed ferret range, represent a unique opportunity to recover the species, provided that regulatory concerns, financial incentives, disease management, and prairie dog management issues can be addressed to the satisfaction of private landowners, agricultural producer groups, and local governments. We provide an update on the implementation of the Black-footed Ferret Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement in the Great Plains, its potential future use, and an update on ongoing challenges to black-footed ferret recovery rangewide.

"In The Texas Lowcountry: Slavery and Freedom on the Gulf Coast, 1822-1895, author John R. Lundberg examines slavery and Reconstruction in a region of Texas he terms the lowcountry-an area encompassing the lower reaches of the Brazos and Colorado Rivers and their tributaries as they wend their way toward the Gulf of Mexico through what is today Brazoria, Fort Bend, Matagorda, and Wharton Counties. In the two decades before the Civil War, European immigrants, particularly Germans, poured into Texas, sometimes bringing with them cultural ideals that complicated the story of slavery throughout large swaths of the state. By contrast, 95 percent of the white population of the lowcountry came from other parts of the United States, predominantly the slaveholding states of the American South. By 1861, more than 70 percent of this regional population were enslaved people-the heaviest such concentration west of the Mississippi. These demographics established the Texas Lowcountry as a distinct region in terms of its population and social structure. Part one of The Texas Lowcountry explores the development of the region as a borderland, an area of competing cultures and peoples, between 1822 and 1840. The second part is arranged topically and chronicles the history of the enslavers and the enslaved in the lowcountry between 1840 and 1865. The final section focuses on the experiences of freed people in the region during the Reconstruction era, which ended in the lowcountry in 1895. In closely examining this unique pocket of Texas, Lundberg provides a new and much needed region-specific study of the culture of enslavement and the African American experience"--