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Prairie
by Candace SavageThorough, detailed, and scientifically up-to-date, Prairies: A Natural History provides a comprehensive nontechnical guide to the biology and ecology of the prairies, or the Great Plains grasslands of North America, offering a view of the past, a vision for the future, and a clear focus on the present. With a total area of more than 3.5 million square kilometers (500,000 in Canada and the remainder in the United States), the prairies occupy the heartland of the continent, a vast, windswept plain that flows from Alberta south to Texas and from the Rockies east to the Mississippi River. This is big sky country-the largest ecosystem in North America and, until recently, one of the richest and most magnificent natural grasslands in the world. Today, however, the North American prairies are among the most altered environments on Earth.
Prairie Dog Song: The Key to Saving North America's Grasslands
by Susan L. Roth Cindy TrumboreFocusing on the role of prairie dogs as a keystone species, this book tells the connected histories of the North American grassland prairies and current efforts to preserve and recover the Janos grasslands in northern Mexico.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.
Prairie Dogs (Animals)
by Mari SchuhHave you ever seen a hole in the ground and wondered what's beneath it? It could be a prairie dog! These cute little mammals build communities of underground tunnels. Get all the facts about prairie dogs, and find out what's going on beneath the surface.
Prairie Ghost
by Bart W O'Gara Richard E Mccabe Henry M ReevesIn this lavishly illustrated volume, Richard E. McCabe, Bart W. O'Gara and Henry M. Reeves explore the fascinating relationship of pronghorn with people in early America, from prehistoric evidence through the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. The only one of fourteen pronghorn-like genera to survive the great extinction brought on by human migration into North America, the pronghorn has a long and unique history of interaction with humans on the continent, a history that until now has largely remained unwritten. With nearly 150 black-and-white photographs, 16 pages of color illustrations, plus original artwork by Daniel P. Metz, Prairie Ghost: Pronghorn and Human Interaction in Early America tells the intriguing story of humans and these elusive big game mammals in an informative and entertaining fashion that will appeal to historians, biologists, sportsmen and the general reader alike.
Prairie Ghost: Pronghorn and Human Interaction in Early America (G - Reference, Information And Interdisciplinary Subjects Ser.)
by Richard E. McCabe Henry M. Reeves Bart W. O'GaraA Wildlife Management Institute Book In this lavishly illustrated volume Richard E. McCabe, Bart W. O'Gara and Henry M. Reeves explore the fascinating relationship of pronghorn with people in early America, from prehistoric evidence through the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. The only one of fourteen pronghorn-like genera to survive the great extinction brought on by human migration into North America, the pronghorn has a long and unique history of interaction with humans on the continent, a history that until now has largely remained unwritten. With nearly 150 black-and-white photographs, 16 pages of color illustrations, plus original artwork by Daniel P. Metz, Prairie Ghost: Pronghorn and Human Interaction in Early America tells the intriguing story of humans and these elusive big game mammals in an informative and entertaining fashion that will appeal to historians, biologists, sportsmen and the general reader alike. Winner of the Wildlife Society's Outstanding Book Award for 2005
Prairie School
by Lois LenskiIt&’s the worst blizzard in fifty years! Delores is very ill, but there&’s no way to get through the snow. How long will she be stranded at school?Out on the South Dakota prairie, the winters are fierce. This storm is the worst one yet: It&’s below freezing outside, and the winds are howling. All of the other kids have gone home, but Delores&’s family can&’t get to her, so she has to stay at the school. Between a fuel shortage and having to boil snow for drinking water, it&’s been hard for both Delores and her teacher, Miss Martin. Now Delores is very ill. How will Miss Martin get her to the doctor in all this snow? Prairie School was inspired by letters from children at a real South Dakota prairie school, which Lenski then visited during the severe blizzards of the winter of 1950. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s estate.
Prairie Spring: A Journey Into the Heart of a Season
by Pete DunneA grasslands nature trek that &“weaves together spiritual insight, plant biology, geology lessons and American history—and a plethora of bird sightings&” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). A nature writer and avid birder offers a portrait of a season in the heartland of North America as he and his wife travel through the country and share stories of all that they encounter: people putting their lives back in place after a tornado, volunteers giving their time to conservation efforts, and the drive of all species to move their genes to the next generation, which manifests itself so abundantly in spring. &“Their journey begins in New Jersey and continues to Nebraska, their arrival timed to witness the annual migration of half a million northbound sandhill cranes. Next come Colorado and a primer on how homesteading sodbusters transformed an ocean of vibrant prairie grasses into a devastating dustbowl; New Mexico and the Sixth Annual High Plains Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival; back through Colorado and the Pawnee National Grasslands for a glimpse of the threatened prairie dog, once (along with bison) among the environmental engineers of the 19th century Western plains; and into South Dakota, home to between 800 and 1,400 free-ranging bison. Dunne&’s melodic prose and rhapsodic connection with the natural world brilliantly entice an estranged audience to explore a . . . now alien environment.&” —Publishers Weekly, starred review &“Although a theme of humanity&’s effects on the prairie runs as an undercurrent throughout the narrative, it never overwhelms the sense of awe and wonder at the natural beauty of the grasslands and their inhabitants.&” —Booklist
Prairie Town
by Bonnie GeisertDuring the early 1900s, railroad companies laid tracks across America's open land. In fields of grass beside the new tracks prairie towns grew. The towns prospered amid the golden wheat fields, and grain elevators dominated the skyline. Bonnie Geisert's clear text explores the social and economic life of one of these towns, while the dramas of everyday life can be experienced in Arthur Geisert's panoramic hand-colored etchings. Here is a fascinating view of life in a thriving midwestern town, told with respect and affection for the resilient townspeople, as they work and play, their lives directly affected by the changing seasons.
Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design
by Benjamin VogtLandscaping with native plants has encouraged gardeners from the Midwest and beyond to embark on a profound scientific, ecological, and emotional partnership with nature. Benjamin Vogt shares his expertise with prairie plants in a richly photographed guide aimed at gardeners and homeowners, making big ideas about design approachable and actionable. Step-by-step blueprints point readers to plant communities that not only support wildlife and please the eye but that rethink traditional planting and maintenance. Additionally, Vogt provides insider information on plant sourcing, garden tools, and working with city ordinances. This book will be an invaluable reference in sustainable garden design for those wanting both beautiful and functional landscapes. Easy to use and illustrated with over 150 color photos, Prairie Up is a practical guide to artfully reviving diversity and wildness in our communities.
Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design
by Benjamin VogtConnecting to nature with native plants Landscaping with native plants has encouraged gardeners from the Midwest and beyond to embark on a profound scientific, ecological, and emotional partnership with nature. Benjamin Vogt shares his expertise with prairie plants in a richly photographed guide aimed at gardeners and homeowners, making big ideas about design approachable and actionable. Step-by-step blueprints point readers to plant communities that not only support wildlife and please the eye but that rethink traditional planting and maintenance. Additionally, Vogt provides insider information on plant sourcing, garden tools, and working with city ordinances. This book will be an invaluable reference in sustainable garden design for those wanting both beautiful and functional landscapes. Easy to use and illustrated with over 150 color photos, Prairie Up is a practical guide to artfully reviving diversity and wildness in our communities.
PrairyErth: A Deep Map
by William Least Heat-Moon(from flaps) PrairyErth is a vigorous and exalted evocation of the American land, its people, its past, its hopes. The very word "prairyerth," an old geologic term for the soils of our central grasslands, captures the essence of the American tall- grass country. Only a writer of William Least Heat-Moon's gifts could find in a single Kansas county the narrative of an epic, the nonfiction equivalent of the great American novel. Robert Penn Warren pronounced Heat-Moon's Blue Highways "a masterpiece ... a magnificent and unique tour." That best-selling book described a 13,000-mile, 38-state automobile journey into America. Now Heat-Moon has pulled to the side of the road and set off on foot. Instead of traveling endless miles, he takes us on an exploration of time and space, landscape and history, in one fragment of the Great Plains. Most American readers know three things about Kansas: it is flat, it has something to do with The Wizard of Oz, and the events of In Cold Blood took place there. Three illusions: the first is a lie, the second a fairy tale, the third a nightmare. Chase County is, however, a sparsely populated tract in the Flint Hills of central Kansas, "the last remaining grand expanse of tallgrass prairie in America," and PrairyErth lovingly details its 744 square miles and 3,000 souls till it looms as large as the universe while remaining as intimate as a village. PrairyErth is rich with Chase County's voices past and present, and is filled with anecdotes, gossip from its bars and cafes, Native American lore, and rueful tales of man's inhumanity to man and nature and of nature's indifference to humanity. Heat-Moon recounts the story of a farm couple swept aloft "by a tornado; reveals an Indian recipe to avert lightning; unearths a century-old unsolved murder; interviews a retired postmistress, a cowboy, a quarryman, a coyote hunter, a young feminist rancher. PrairyErth sets the story of a nineteenth- century tycoon, who dreamed of building a rail line to China through the county, against the memories of a retired Mexican railroad worker who can still recall every tie he spiked for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe. It speaks of the passion of the slavery wars of Bleeding Kansas and the sad fate of the Kaw tribe, and gives us a hundred new ways to see stones, creeks, grasses, birds, beasts, and weather. Each of the book's vivid and evocative chapters is totally unexpected, yet "unexpected Kansas must be sought in its remoteness, a place you find only with effort." The millions who have read Blue Highway,), and those who have yet to encounter the genius of William Least Heat-Moon's writing, will find that he is one of those rare modern writers who can change forever the way we see ourselves and our country.
PrairyErth: A Deep Map
by William Least Heat-MoonThis New York Times bestseller by the author of Blue Highways is &“a majestic survey of land and time and people in a single county of the Kansas plains&” (Hungry Mind Review). William Least Heat-Moon travels by car and on foot into the core of our continent, focusing on the landscape and history of Chase County—a sparsely populated tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of central Kansas—exploring its land, plants, animals, and people until this small place feels as large as the universe. Called a &“modern-day Walden&” by the Chicago Sun-Times, PrairyErth is a journey through a place, through time, and into the human mind from the acclaimed author of Here, There, Elsewhere: Stories from the Road. &“A sense of the American grain that will give [PrairyErth] a permanent place in the literature of our country.&” —Paul Theroux, The New York Times
Praxisleitfaden Amphibien- und Reptilienschutz: Schnell - Präzise - Hilfreich
by Martin Lay Dieter GlandtMit diesem handlichen Band werden Ihnen schnelle und zuverlässige Informationen in knapper übersichtlicher Form über alle mitteleuropäischen Amphibien- und Reptilienarten geboten.Frösche, Kröten, Unken, Molche, Salamander, Echsen und Schlangen in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz werden behandelt. Dabei wird der Schwerpunkt auf die Gefährdung der Arten, deren Ursachen und besonders auf praktische Schutz- und Hilfsmaßnahmen gelegt.Studierende, freiberufliche Biologen, Landschaftsplaner und Naturschützer werden mit Gewinn dieses Nachschlagewerk bei Ihrer Arbeit nutzen. Interessierte Laien werden es gern in die Hand nehmen. Ziel der Maßnahmen soll sein, ein intaktes Netz in Verbindung stehender Populationen aufrecht zu halten oder dort, wo dies nicht der Fall ist, aufzubauen.Der Amphibien- und Reptilienschutz wird eingebettet in den Gesamtkomplex Naturschutz, wozu ein vorangestelltes allgemeines Kapitel dient. Verdeutlicht wird auch, dass diese Tiere einen wichtigen Stellenwert im Naturhaushalt (Stoffkreislauf) haben.
Praying and Campaigning with Environmental Christians
by Maria NitaThis book presents an ethnographic study of environmental Christian networks involved in the climate and transition towns movements. Maria Nita examines the ways in which green Christians engage with their communities and networks, as well as other activist networks in the broader green movement. The book interrogates key categories in the field of religious studies which intersect activist concerns, including spirituality, community, and ritual. In this sociological exploration the author uses existing research tools, such as discourse analysis, and proposes new theoretical models for the investigation of network expansion, religious identity, and relationality through ritual. Nita examines the mechanisms underlying the greening of religion and thus offers an in-depth analysis of prayers, rituals, and religious practices, such as praying through painting, fasting for the planet, and sharing the green Eucharist in or with nature.
Precious
by Carlos AponteThe heartwarming story of a boy, all the things he holds dear, and the song that inspires him when he needs it mostSometimes hearing a song gives you all the courage you need for a day. That&’s what happens to Pedrito after a hurricane howls through his neighborhood and he has to give up his rescue dog. The moment his big brother starts strumming &“Preciosa,&” a beautiful song about his beautiful island, Pedrito knows that somehow everything will be okay. . . .Pura Belpré Honor winner Carlos Aponte&’s love for Puerto Rico shines through his vibrant illustrations and touching story, which show the power of music and community to comfort and give strength.
Precipitation Partitioning by Vegetation: A Global Synthesis
by A. Bagus TyassetaThis book presents research on precipitation partitioning processes in vegetated ecosystems, putting them into a global context. It describes the processes by which meteoric water comes into contact with the vegetation's canopy, typically the first surface contact of precipitation on land. It also discusses how precipitation partitioning by vegetation impacts the amount, patterning, and chemistry of water reaching the surface, as well as the amount and timing of evaporative return to the atmosphere. Although this process has been extensively studied, this is the first review of the global literature on the partitioning of precipitation by forests, shrubs, crops, grasslands and other less-studies plant types. The authors offer global contextualization combined with a detailed discussion of the impacts for the climate and terrestrial ecohydrological systems. As such, this comprehensive overview is a valuable reference tool for a wide range of specialists and students in the fields of geoscience and the environment.
Precipitation: From Cloud Physics to Satellite Observations (Geophysics and Environmental Physics)
by Vincenzo Levizzani Christopher KiddThis book provides a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the physics involved in the formation of precipitation in the Earth's atmosphere. It begins by emphasizing the significance of precipitation in the Earth system and climate. Cloud physics is incorporated to provide readers with the essential physical background necessary to understand the process of hydrometeor formation within clouds. Subsequently, the intricate structure of precipitation systems is elucidated, aiding readers in comprehending the mesoscale and synoptic characteristics of precipitation organization. The book concludes with a section on precipitation observation and measurements, which examines various sensors, such as gauges, radars, satellites, and platforms. These networks enable access to global precipitation data for meteorology and climate analysis. Designed to meet the needs of graduate and PhD students in fields such as geophysics, meteorology, climate science, hydrology, environmental sciences, water management, and geography, this book is also valuable for researchers and professionals from diverse disciplines who require a solid understanding of precipitation products for their work. Although the book requires a fundamental understanding of classical physics (including dynamics, thermodynamics, electricity, and magnetism), as well as a basic grasp of inorganic chemistry, its content remains accessible and informative for readers with diverse levels of expertise.
Precision Agriculture for Sustainability and Environmental Protection (Earthscan Food and Agriculture)
by Margaret A. Oliver Thomas F. A. Bishop Ben P. MarchantPrecision agriculture (PA) involves the application of technologies and agronomic principles to manage spatial and temporal variation associated with all aspects of agricultural production in order to improve crop performance and environmental quality. The focus of this book is to introduce a non-specialist audience to the the role of PA in food security, environmental protection, and sustainable use of natural resources, as well as its economic benefits. The technologies covered include yield monitors and remote sensing, and the key agronomic principles addressed are the optimal delivery of fertilizers, water and pesticides to crops only when and where these are required. As a result, it is shown that both food production and resource efficiency can be maximized, without waste or damage to the environment, such as can occur from excessive fertilizer or pesticide applications. The authors of necessity describe some technicalities about PA, but the overall aim is to introduce readers who are unfamiliar with PA to this very broad subject and to demonstrate the potential impact of PA on the environment and economy. Chapter 3 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license. https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/tandfbis/rt-files/docs/Open+Access+Chapters/9780415504409_oaChapter_3.pdf
Precision in Crop Farming: Applications and Results
by Hermann HeegeHigh yields and environmental control in crop farming call for precise adaptations to local growing conditions. Treating large fields in a uniform way by high capacity machinery cannot be regarded as a sustainable method for many situations. Because differences existing within single fields must be considered. The transition from former field work carried out manually or by small implements to present-day high-capacity machinery caused that the farmers lost the immediate and close contact with soils and crops. However, modern sensing and controlling technology can make up for this deficit. High tech methods that include proximal sensing and signals from satellites can provide for controls that allow adjusting farming operations to small fractions of one ha and sometimes even down to some m2, hence in a site-specific mode. This applies to operations for soil cultivation, sowing, fertilizing and plant protection. This book deals with site-specific concepts, applications and results.
Predation ID Manual: Predator Kill and Scavenging Characteristics
by Kurt Alt Matthew EckertPart of the challenges and rewards of being a field biologist is being able recreate a predation event. But that experience is often difficult and frustrating, as time, weather, and other factors can be make clues sparse. Even the most careful of investigators can spend hours of time second-guessing themselves while exhausting every possibility from inconclusive evidence.The Predation ID Manual is designed to help assuage some of those difficulties by providing the reader with practical, expert advice, including:• A step-by-step approach for gathering evidence.• Suggestions of what to focus on at carcass site• A template of terminology to use when classifying a predation• A guide for investigating and determining signs of hemorrhage • Signs of kill and kill sites by species, including deer, elk, and lynx• And dozens more tipsWith a waterproof cover and sturdy pages, the SCIF’s Predation ID Manual is a must have for every serious hunter and field biologist.
Predator-Prey Dynamics: The Role of Olfaction
by Michael R. ConoverHumans, being visually oriented, are well versed in camouflage and how animals hide from predators that use vision to locate prey. However, many predators do not hunt by sight; they hunt by scent. This raises the question: do survival mechanisms and behaviors exist which allow animals to hide from these olfactory predators? If so, what are they, a
Predictive Species and Habitat Modeling in Landscape Ecology
by Falk Huettmann Yolanda F. Wiersma C. Ashton DrewMost projects in Landscape Ecology, at some point, define a species-habitat association. These models are inherently spatial, dealing with landscapes and their configurations. Whether coding behavioral rules for dispersal of simulated organisms through simulated landscapes, or designing the sampling extent of field surveys and experiments in real landscapes, landscape ecologists must make assumptions about how organisms experience and utilize the landscape. These convenient working postulates allow modelers to project the model in time and space, yet rarely are they explicitly considered. The early years of landscape ecology necessarily focused on the evolution of effective data sources, metrics, and statistical approaches that could truly capture the spatial and temporal patterns and processes of interest. Now that these tools are well established, we reflect on the ecological theories that underpin the assumptions commonly made during species distribution modeling and mapping. This is crucial for applying models to questions of global sustainability. Due to the inherent use of GIS for much of this kind of research, and as several authors' research involves the production of multicolored map figures, there would be an 8-page color insert. Additional color figures could be made available through a digital archive, or by cost contributions of the chapter authors. Where applicable, would be relevant chapters' GIS data and model code available through a digital archive. The practice of data and code sharing is becoming standard in GIS studies, is an inherent method of this book, and will serve to add additional research value to the book for both academic and practitioner audiences.
Preference Data for Environmental Valuation: Combining Revealed and Stated Approaches (Routledge Explorations In Environmental Economics Ser. #31)
by John Whitehead Tim Haab Ju-Chin HuangThe monetary valuation of environmental goods and services has evolved from a fringe field of study in the late 1970s and early 1980s to a primary focus of environmental economists over the past decade. Despite its rapid growth, practitioners of valuation techniques often find themselves defending their practices to both users of the results of applied studies and, perhaps more troubling, to other practitioners. One of the more heated threads of this internal debate over valuation techniques revolves around the types of data to use in performing a valuation study. In the infant years of the development of valuation techniques, two schools of thought emerged: the revealed preference school and the stated preference school, the latter of which is perhaps most associated with the contingent valuation method. In the midst of this debate an exciting new approach to non-market valuation was developed in the 1990s: a combination and joint estimation of revealed preference and stated preference data. There are two primary objectives for this book. One objective is to fill a gap in the nonmarket valuation "primer" literature. A number of books have appeared over the past decade that develop the theory and methods of nonmarket valuation but each takes an individual nonmarket valuation method approach. This book considers each of these valuation methods in combination with another method. These relationships can be exploited econometrically to obtain more valid and reliable estimates of willingness-to-pay relative to the individual methods. The second objective is to showcase recent and novel applications of data combination and joint estimation via a set of original, state-of-the-art studies that are contributed by leading researchers in the field. This book will be accessible to economists and consultants working in business or government, as well as an invaluable resource for researchers and students alike.
Prehistoric Life (A Whole World of... #1)
by Anna ClaybourneGet lost in the diverse and bustling world of prehistoric life - with more to explore than you ever imagined!A Whole World of Prehistoric Life presents the stunning breadth of animal and plant varieties that filled prehistoric Earth. Which types of animal could swim or fly? When did flowers start appearing? Where do the dinosaurs fit into all of it? Which living things look familiar, and which look absolutely alien? This book has the answers and so many more facts filling the beautifully illustrated pages.A Whole World of is a book series looking at the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth - the defining features and evolutionary branches - and encourages readers age 7 and up to consider why it is important to maintain biodiversity. Written by award-winning author, Anna Claybourne, with artwork by award-winning illustrator, Yekyung Kwon.Books in the series:A Whole World of Mammals/A Whole World of Prehistoric Life/A Whole World of Minibeasts/A Whole World of Birds/A Whole World of Rocks and Minerals/A Whole World of Plants and Fungi
Prehistoric Native Americans And Ecological Change: Human Ecosystems In Eastern North America Since The Pleistocene
by Paul A. Delcourt Hazel R. DelcourtThere has long been controversy between ecologists and archaeologists over the role of prehistoric Native Americans as agents of ecological change. Using ecological and archaeological data from the woodlands of eastern North America, Paul and Hazel Delcourt show that Holocene human ecosystems are complex adaptive systems in which humans have interacted with the environment on a series of spatial and time scales. Their work therefore has important implications for the conservation of biological diversity and for ecological restoration today, making it of great interest to ecologists and archaeologists alike.