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International and Area Studies

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

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Beyond Ecology: Bugs Reveal The Deep Roots Of Grassland Ecoregions, K. G.A. Hamilton Jan 2004

Beyond Ecology: Bugs Reveal The Deep Roots Of Grassland Ecoregions, K. G.A. Hamilton

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Northern grassland faunas that were most affected by glaciation, induced climate shifts include more than 225 endemic phytophagous bugs (leafhoppers and related insects, the Homoptera,Auchenorrhyncha) on Canadian plains, and another 275 in Pacific Northwest intermontane grasslands. These exceptionally rich endemic faunas include many insect,plant associations common to related species of bugs, suggesting adaptation to certain environmental factors that persisted over millions of years despite radical environmental changes induced by glacial advances and retreats. Smaller, but significant, endemic faunas of Homoptera,Auchenorrhyncha in other glaciated areas also reveal patterns of ancient ecological areas. Groups of these grassland,endemic bugs are common to grassland …

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Influence Of Matrix Elements On Prairie-Inhabiting Curculionidae, Tenebrionidae, And Scarabaeidae In The Palouse, Timothy D. Hatten, Sandford D. Eigenbrode, Nilsa A. Bosque-Pérez, Sarah Gebbie, Frank Merickel, Chris Looney Jan 2004

Influence Of Matrix Elements On Prairie-Inhabiting Curculionidae, Tenebrionidae, And Scarabaeidae In The Palouse, Timothy D. Hatten, Sandford D. Eigenbrode, Nilsa A. Bosque-Pérez, Sarah Gebbie, Frank Merickel, Chris Looney

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

It is well established that the invertebrate community in cropland under conservation-tillage (consT) is often enriched relative to the community under conventional-tillage (CT) systems. The question posed in this research is whether consT contributes to the maintenance of regional biodiversity and to the conservation of prairie-inhabiting species in agriculturally dominated landscapes that contain prairie remnants. During 2002, we sampled the grounddwelling beetle fauna of remnant Palouse prairie and surrounding cropland (under CT and consT) in the Palouse region of northwestern Idaho and southeastern Washington. Biological diversity of the representative taxa-Curculionidae (weevils), Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles) and Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles)-is significantly higher …

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Adapting A Floral Biogeography Model To Prairie-Dependent Lepidoptera, Eric H. Metzler, John A. Shuey, Leslie A. Ferge, Richard A, Henderson, Paul Z. Goldstein Jan 2004

Adapting A Floral Biogeography Model To Prairie-Dependent Lepidoptera, Eric H. Metzler, John A. Shuey, Leslie A. Ferge, Richard A, Henderson, Paul Z. Goldstein

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Analysis of data collected for a study of prairie dependent Lepidoptera in the northern tallgrass prairies showed four distributional patterns. A logical distributional pattern links species' distribution, i.e. Catocala abbreviatella, to larval host plants. Absence of larval host plant data, which is the case for most species of moths, requires inference based on habitat data of known specimens, i.e. Tarachidia binocula, or in the case of infrequently encountered species, i.e. Crambus murellus, capture data for a limited number of specimens. A fourth distributional pattern, i. e. Atrytone arogos, can be explained by hypotheses which explain the …

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Response Of Grassland Birds To Fire On A Wisconsin Sand Prairie Over An 18-Year Period, Greg Geller, David Sample, Rich Henderson Jan 2004

Response Of Grassland Birds To Fire On A Wisconsin Sand Prairie Over An 18-Year Period, Greg Geller, David Sample, Rich Henderson

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

The relative abundance of grassland birds was estimated on an 81-ha (200-acre) dry to dry-mesic sand prairie in south, west Wisconsin over an 18-year period (1987-2004). Birds were surveyed three times during the breeding season on seven, 2-ha (5-acre) strip transects in six different burn units. We compared results to time since fire and other habitat features. The average rotation of prescribed fires in the burn units ranged from three to six years. Seven species were selected for detailed analysis. These were grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum),-18-year average of 1.33 birds per ha, field sparrows (Spizella pusilla) …

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Potential Habitat Factors Influencing Carrion Beetles Communities Of Palouse Prairie Remnants, Chris Looney, Benjamin T. Caldwell, Timothy D. Hatten, Christopher Lorion, Sanford D. Eigenbrode Jan 2004

Potential Habitat Factors Influencing Carrion Beetles Communities Of Palouse Prairie Remnants, Chris Looney, Benjamin T. Caldwell, Timothy D. Hatten, Christopher Lorion, Sanford D. Eigenbrode

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

The bunchgrass prairies of the Palouse region in eastern Washington state and adjacent Idaho were almost completely converted to agriculture in the past century. Today, prairie habitat exists only on small remnants scattered across the landscape. The invertebrate fauna of these habitat remnants is poorly known, both in terms of species diversity and community composition. Pitfall traps baited with carrion were used to sample carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) during June and July of 2003. Prairie remnants were selected based on size to test whether habitat area influenced the diversity of this important insect community. Three size classes were identified; greater …

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Establishment Of Grasses On Sewage Sludge-Amended Strip Mine Spoils, Cassandra S. Rodgers, Roger C. Anderson Jan 1989

Establishment Of Grasses On Sewage Sludge-Amended Strip Mine Spoils, Cassandra S. Rodgers, Roger C. Anderson

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Usefulness of native prairie and domesticated grasses in re-vegetating strip mine spoil and producing biomass was examined on 30-year old, recontoured spoil banks located near Canton, Illinois. Grasses were planted in the spring and fall on strip mine spoil and spoil amended with 333 MT/ha of dry sewage sludge. By the end of the second growing season, indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash] produced more biomass than the other warm-season grasses, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash], on the unamended plots, and no warm-season grasses survived on the sludge amended plots. Warm-season grasses were …

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Breeding Bird Populations Of A Floodplain Tallgrass Prairie In Kansas, Calvin Cink, Peter Lowther Jan 1989

Breeding Bird Populations Of A Floodplain Tallgrass Prairie In Kansas, Calvin Cink, Peter Lowther

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Breeding birds were censused yearly from 1974-1988 on a 10.1 ha floodplain tallgrass prairie, a portion of the Baker Wetlands Research Area on the south edge of Lawrence, Kansas. Dickcissels (Spiza americana) were the most abundant species, with densities about six times greater than in the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie (149 territorial males/km2 VS. 25/ km2). This may be due to availability of moisture and associated density of grass stems and insect production. The bird community in the floodplain prairie however, is less diverse (5 species VS. 10 species). Grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) …

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Lloyd C. Hulbert 1918-1986 (Proceedings Dedication) Jan 1989

Lloyd C. Hulbert 1918-1986 (Proceedings Dedication)

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Because we have and will yet all benefit from his vision, leadership, and unselfish efforts, it is fitting that these Proceedings be dedicated to Lloyd C. Hulbert, Professor of Biology, Plant Ecologist for the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and Director of the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area.

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Extent Of Woody Vegetation On The Prairie In Eastern Nebraska, 1855-1857, Steven J. Rothenberger Jan 1989

Extent Of Woody Vegetation On The Prairie In Eastern Nebraska, 1855-1857, Steven J. Rothenberger

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Early surveyors' notes from five counties bordering the Platte River in eastern Nebraska were utilized to measure the extent of original woody vegetation in this region. These data were compared to field studies from the same area made from 1979-1983, were used to determine areas of prairie-forest transition, and were used to tabulate the extent of woody vegetation in the lower Platte River Valley at the time of European settlement (1855-1857). Using a modified importance value based on relative density and relative dominance of witness trees, the highest ranking pre-settlement tree species were cottonwood [Populus eltoides Marsh. spp. monilifera …

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Long-Term Grass Dynamics Within A Mixed-Grass Prairie, Brian S. Mihlbacher, Fred E. Smeins, Gerald W. Thomas, Charles A. Taylor Jan 1989

Long-Term Grass Dynamics Within A Mixed-Grass Prairie, Brian S. Mihlbacher, Fred E. Smeins, Gerald W. Thomas, Charles A. Taylor

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Western portions of the Edwards Plateau are dominated by a grass mosaic which consists of a rhizomatous midgrass, tobosagrass [Hilaria mutica (Buckl.) Benth.], and two stoloniferous short grasses, common curlymesquite [Hilaria belangeri (Steud.) Nash] and buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.]. Permanent 0.3 m x 6 m belt transects were established on three major soil series (Tobosa, Ozona. Valera) across several grazing treatments on the Texas Range Station near Barnhart, Texas, and the distribution of perennial grasses was mapped in 1951 (pre-drought), 1953 (drought), 1957 (post-drought), and 1987. Cover showed no consistent trends in relation to grazing. Total …

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The Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera Praeclara): Monitoringa And Research, Ardell J. Bjugstad, William Fortune Jan 1989

The Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera Praeclara): Monitoringa And Research, Ardell J. Bjugstad, William Fortune

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeciara Sheviak and Bowles) populations at one time extended from southwestern Missouri north to northwestern Minnesota, and from eastern Iowa to the Sandhills of north central Nebraska. It is listed as endangered in Iowa and Minnesota and candidate for threatened or endangered status in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. The questions are, "Why has it declined in numbers?" How have uses such as mowing for hay or grazing by cattle or no use (control) affected the numbers? In 1987, permanently located individual plants were counted on the Sheyenne National Grasslands …

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