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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Large-Scale Restoration Of The Rice Lake Plains: A Landscape Conservation Approach, Todd Farrell, John L. Riley, Lisa M. Mclaughlin Jan 2004

Large-Scale Restoration Of The Rice Lake Plains: A Landscape Conservation Approach, Todd Farrell, John L. Riley, Lisa M. Mclaughlin

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

In Ontario, it is estimated the tallgrass prairie and savanna once covered 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres), of which approximately 3% (2,100 ha, 5,189 acres) remains today. Based on historical land surveys and from early botanical accounts, the easternmost extent of these unique habitats was along the eastern flank of the Oak Ridges Moraine in an area known as the Rice Lake Plains. This area covered an estimated 15,384 to 30,300 hectares (38,000- 74,131 acres) (Carling and others 1992). The Rice Lake Plains harboured numerous savanna indicator species such as the extirpated Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). In …


Dramatic Decline Of Wild South China Tigers Panthera Tigris Amoyensis: Field Survey Of Priority Tiger Reserves, Ronald Tilson, Hu Defu, Jeff Muntifering, Philip J. Nyhus Jan 2004

Dramatic Decline Of Wild South China Tigers Panthera Tigris Amoyensis: Field Survey Of Priority Tiger Reserves, Ronald Tilson, Hu Defu, Jeff Muntifering, Philip J. Nyhus

Faculty Scholarship

This paper describes results of a Sino- American field survey seeking evidence of South China tigers Panthera tigris amoyensis in the wild. In 2001 and 2002 field surveys were conducted in eight reserves in five provinces identified by government authorities as habitat most likely to contain tigers. The surveys evaluated and documented evidence for the presence of tigers, tiger prey and habitat disturbance. Approximately 290 km of mountain trails were evaluated. Infrared remote cameras set up in two reserves captured 400 trap days of data. Thirty formal and numerous informal interviews were conducted with villagers to document wildlife knowledge, livestock …


A Floristic Quality Assessment System For The Coastal Prairie Of Louisiana, Larry Allain, Latimore Smith, Charles Allen, Malcolm F. Vidrine, James B. Grace Jan 2004

A Floristic Quality Assessment System For The Coastal Prairie Of Louisiana, Larry Allain, Latimore Smith, Charles Allen, Malcolm F. Vidrine, James B. Grace

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Evaluation systems to assess the biotic integrity of plant communities exist for some ecosystems, but not the increasingly rare coastal prairies of Louisiana. A list of plant species occurring in Louisiana's coastal prairie was created and coefficients of conservatism (C) were assigned for each species. A Floristic Quality Index (FQI), which is calculated using the C values provided by a panel of experts, can be used to evaluate prairie remnants and restorations. We assigned C values from 0-10 based on their estimated degree of association with prairies of various levels of natural quality and their tolerance of disturbance. Those species …


The Seed Bank Of A Reconstructed Prairie, Thomas R. Rosburg, Meredith Owens Jan 2004

The Seed Bank Of A Reconstructed Prairie, Thomas R. Rosburg, Meredith Owens

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Seed banks, the reserve of viable seeds dormant in the soil, function in several important roles in the population and community dynamics of plant communities. Identification of the seed bank can furnish information on the vegetation history of a habitat, predict the future composition of the plant community, and provide insight on the seed viability and biology of plant species. Although seed banks of prairie ecosystems have been well studied, very little information exists on seed banks of reconstructed prairie. Identification of seed bank populations of reconstructed prairie provides a means to evaluate the success of restorations and establishes baseline …


Ant-Mound Effects On Two Adjacent Prairies: Virgin And Plowed, Johanna Foster Jan 2004

Ant-Mound Effects On Two Adjacent Prairies: Virgin And Plowed, Johanna Foster

Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conferences

Mound-building Formica ants may be important biotic factors within prairie restorations because mounds found in virgin prairies can exist for decades, with densities up to 1,148 mounds/ha (465 mounds/acre). Research on the effects of Formica ant mounds on a virgin and an adjacent restored prairie (treatments) was established in 2003 near Olathe, Kansas; and it was expected that percent soil moisture, soil bulk density, plant species' distributions, and percent plant cover would be significantly affected. Data were collected from active mounds (28 in virgin prairie, 21 in restored prairie), and from paired off-mound sites 1 m (3 .3 ft) north …


Dramatic Decline Of Wild South China Tigers Panthera Tigris Amoyensis: Field Survey Of Priority Tiger Reserves, Ronald Tilson, Hu Defu, Jeff Muntifering, Philip J. Nyhus Jan 2004

Dramatic Decline Of Wild South China Tigers Panthera Tigris Amoyensis: Field Survey Of Priority Tiger Reserves, Ronald Tilson, Hu Defu, Jeff Muntifering, Philip J. Nyhus

Philip J. Nyhus

This paper describes results of a Sino- American field survey seeking evidence of South China tigers Panthera tigris amoyensis in the wild. In 2001 and 2002 field surveys were conducted in eight reserves in five provinces identified by government authorities as habitat most likely to contain tigers. The surveys evaluated and documented evidence for the presence of tigers, tiger prey and habitat disturbance. Approximately 290 km of mountain trails were evaluated. Infrared remote cameras set up in two reserves captured 400 trap days of data. Thirty formal and numerous informal interviews were conducted with villagers to document wildlife knowledge, livestock …