Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What Makes Green Parties Successful: A Comparative Analysis Of Germany, Austria, And France, Macy Miller

Honors Theses

Starting in the 1980s, green parties began to make their debut. Their establishment was considered to be largely in response to environmental and anti-nuclear movements. Although their history has been quite brief, these parties have been making waves throughout the world. Throughout this research, a pattern arises between economic stability and quality of life, mainstream party competition, policy positions, and green voters themselves when examining the success of the green parties. In particular, they have demonstrated great success in the European Union. In an attempt to explain this success, this research explores three specific green parties: the German, the Austrian, …

Backlash To The European Court Of Human Rights: The Case Of Russia, Cole Kovarik, Courtney Hillebrecht

UCARE Research Products

Since the end of World War II, the international community has forged human rights accountability systems that have since become increasingly important. The good work done by these international tribunals has come under threat more and more by a process of backlash called tribunal capture, or “the politics of states and individual political leaders seeking to undermine the tribunals by working within the judicialized and legalized landscape of international human rights law” (Hillebrecht). The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is no exception; since its foundation, it has been largely utilized. However, lack of compliance with its rulings remains to …

Science At Engineer Cantonment, Hugh H. Genoways, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Carl R. Falk, Thomas E. Labedz, Paul R. Picha, John R. Bozell

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Conclusions

It is our contention that Thomas Say, Titian Peale, Edwin James, and their colleagues of the Stephen Long Expedition of 1819–1820 were heavily engaged in scientific research, which took the form of the first biodiversity inventory undertaken in the United States. This accomplishment has been overlooked both by biologists and historians, but it should rank among the most significant accomplishments of the expedition. The results of this inventory continue to inform us today about environmental, faunal, and floral changes along the Missouri River in an area that is known to be an ecotone between the deciduous forests of the …

The Use Of Zingari/Nomadi/Rom In Italian Crime Discourse, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study examines the use of the metonymies zingari/nomadi/rom [Gypsies/Nomads/Roma] in Italian media discourse, in order to critically reflect on their relation to the perception of Roma. The author analyses the frequency of these terms in general discourse and crime discourse, as well as the way they are used in context. The findings reveal that nomadi and rom are used to directly and indirectly index Roma, and have a sig­nificant impact on their ethnicization and criminalization. In addition, the episodic framing of crime events, combined with the use of these metony­mies, erases the Italian government’s responsibility for the conditions of …

Nest Defense- Grassland Bird Responses To Snakes, Kevin Ellison, Christine Ribic

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Predation is the primary source of nest mortality for most passerines; thus, behaviors to reduce the impacts of predation are frequently quantified to study learning, adaptation, and coevolution among predator and prey species. Video surveillance of nests has made it possible to examine real-time parental nest defense. During 1999-2009, we used video camera systems to monitor 518 nests of grassland birds. We reviewed video of 48 visits by snakes to 34 nests; 37 of these visits resulted in predation of active nests. When adult birds encountered snakes at the nest (n = 33 visits), 76% of the encounters resulted …

Identification Of Sprague's Pipit Nest Predators, Stephen K. Davis, Stephanie L. Jones, Kimberly Dohms, Teslin Holmes

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Nest predation is the primary factor influencing grassland songbird reproductive success. Understanding factors driving spatial and temporal variation in nest survival requires that we identify the primary nest predators and factors influencing predator abundance and behavior. Predation events are rarely witnessed, and the identification of nest predators is inferred, often incorrectly, from nest remains or observations of potential predators. We used video photography to identify predators of Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii) nests in Saskatchewan and Montana. We monitored 60 nests in Saskatchewan and 11 nests in Montana and documented at least ten different species preying upon eggs and …

Hatching And Fledging Times From Grassland Passerine Nests, Pamela J. Pietz, D.A. Granfors, Todd Grant

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Accurate estimates of fledging age are needed in field studies to avoid inducing premature fledging or missing the fledging event. Both may lead to misinterpretation of nest fate. Correctly assessing nest fate and length of the nestling period can be critical for accurate calculation of nest survival rates. For researchers who mark nestlings, knowing the age at which their activities may cause young to leave nests prematurely could prevent introducing bias to their studies. We estimated fledging ages from grassland passerine nests monitored from hatching through fledging with miniature video cameras in North Dakota and Minnesota during 1996-2001. We compared …

Nocturnal Activity Of Nesting Shrubland And Grassland Passerines, Christy Slay, Kevin Ellison, C.A. Ribic, Kimberly Smith, Carolyn Schmitz

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Nocturnal behaviors and sleep patterns of nesting passerines remain largely undocumented in the field and are important to understanding responses to environmental pressures such as predation. We used nocturnal video recordings to describe activity and quantify behaviors of females with nestlings of four shrub land bird species and three grassland bird species (n = 19 nests). Among the shrubland birds, Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora pinus), Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor), and Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) returned to the nest for the night at the same time, around sunset. Among the grassland birds, Eastern Meadowlark ( …

Conservation Implications When The Nest Predators Are Known, Frank Thompson, C.A. Ribic

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Conservation and management of passerines has largely focused on habitat manipulation or restoration because the natural communities on which these birds depend have been destroyed and fragmented. However, productivity is another important aspect of avian conservation, and nest predation can be a large source of nesting mortality for passerines. Recent studies using video surveillance to identify nest predators allow researchers to start evaluating what methods could be used to mitigate nest predation to help passerines of conservation concern. From recent studies, we identified latitudinal and habitat-related patterns in the importance of predator groups that depredate passerine nests. We then reviewed …

Development Of Camera Technology For Monitoring Nests, W. Andrew Cox, M. Shane Pruett, Thomas J. Benson, Scott J. Chiavacci, Frank R. Thompson Iii

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Photo and video technology has become increasingly useful in the study of avian nesting ecology. However, researchers interested in using camera systems are often faced with insufficient information on the types and relative advantages of available technologies. We reviewed the literature for studies of nests that used cameras and summarized them based on study objective and the type of technology used. We also designed and tested two video systems that we used for three nest predator and behavioral studies. We found 327 studies that recorded 255 bird species spanning 19 orders. Cameras were most commonly used to study nest predators …

Knowledge Gained From Video-Monitoring Grassland Passerine Nests, P. J. Pietz, D.A. Granfors, C.A. Ribic, F. R. Thompson

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

In the mid-1990s, researchers began to adapt miniature cameras to video-record activities :rt cryptic passerine nests in grasslands. In the subsequent decade, use of these video surveillance systems spread dramatically, leading to major strides in our knowledge of nest predation and nesting ecology of many species. Studies using video nest surveillance have helped overturn or substantiate many long-standing assumptions and provided insights on a wide range of topics. For example, researchers using video data have (1) identified an extensive and highly dynamic predator community in grasslands that varies both temporally (e.g., by time of day, nest age, season, year) and …

Predatory Identity Can Explain Nest Predation Patterns, Jennifer L. Reidy, Frank Thompson

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Knowledge of dominant predators is necessary to identify predation patterns and mitigate losses to nest predation, especially for endangered songbirds. We monitored songbird nests with time lapse infrared video cameras at Fort Hood Military Reservation, Texas, from 1997 to 2002 and 2005, and in Austin, Texas, during 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. Predation was the most common source of nest failure. We identified 13 species of predators during 126 predation events. Snakes were the most frequent nest predator group (n = 48), followed by birds (n = 25), fire ants (n = 22), cowbirds (n = 15), …

Bird Productivity And Nest Predation In Agricultural Grasslands, C.A. Ribic, Michael Guzy, Travis Anderson, David Sample, Jamie Nack

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Effective conservation strategies for grassland birds in agricultural landscapes require understanding how nesting success varies among different grassland habitats. A key component to this is identifying nest predators and how these predators vary by habitat. We quantified nesting activity of obligate grassland birds in three habitats [remnant prairie, cool-season grass Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields, and pastures) in southwest Wisconsin, 2002-2004. We determined nest predators using video cameras and examined predator activity using track stations. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) nested primarily in CRP fields, and Grasshopper Sparrow (A. savannarum) in …

What Does It Mean To Be Prosocial? A Cross-Ethnic Study Of Parental Beliefs, Maria Rosario T. De Guzman, Jill Brown, Gustavo Carlo, George P. Knight

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study explored parental beliefs surrounding prosocial behaviors and the parenting practices that promote them. A total of 47 mothers of young adolescents participated in one of the seven focus groups, three of which were conducted in Spanish with first-generation Mexican-American immigrants, two were conducted in English among second generation (US-born) Mexican Americans, and two were conducted with European Americans. Responses were coded using elements of the grounded theory approach, and results indicate patterns of shared and unique beliefs about prosocial behaviors in ways that reflect the sociocultural context and acculturative experiences of the respondents. Findings suggest that beliefs about …

Ecological Revival And Sustainable Living In The Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest Of Tamil Nadu: A Measurement Of Residential Perception In Sadhana Forest, Elizabeth Collette Mcguire

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Since 1970, the role and function of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been to promote environmental quality and to form strategies for carrying out environmental policy¹. The EPA has committed to sustainability as the next level of environmental protection. The agency states that sustainability calls for policies and strategies that meet society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs². Presently, society’s requirements have resulted in natural resource exploitation and population distention- projected to reach 10 billion people within two human generations³. These paired occurrences are …

Portraits Of Empowerment Exhibited By One Million Signatures Campaign Activists, Manijeh Badiee

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Iranian women have shown themselves to be anything but victims (Afkhami, 2009; Price, 1996; Shiranipour, 2002). Although they live in an oppressive regime (Nafisi, 1999; ―Symbolic annihilation,‖ 1999), grassroots efforts of their One Million Signatures Campaign transformed gender politics in Iran (Khorasani, 2009). The Campaign has become international, and Iranian Americans have played a prominent role in furthering its message (Tohidi, 2010).

Iranian women‘s struggles reflect the global phenomenon of women‘s movements (Ferree, 2006). Empowerment is used to conceptualize such movements, but few studies have explored individuals from the Middle East (e.g. Dufour & Giraud, 2007).

The present study addressed …

Spring-Migration Ecology Of Northern Pintails In South-Central Nebraska, Aaron T. Pearse, Gary L. Krapu, Robert R. Cox Jr., Bruce E. Davis

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Spring-migration ecology of staging Northern Pintails, Anas acuta, was investigated in south-central Nebraska, USA. Habitat associations, local movements, settling patterns, arrival dates, residency times and survival were estimated from 71 radiomarked pintails during spring 2001, 2003 and 2004, and diet determined from 130 females collected during spring 1998 and 1999. Seventy-two percent of pintail diurnal locations were in palustrine wetlands, 7% in riverine wetlands, 3% in lacustrine wetlands, 6% in municipal sewage lagoons and irrigation reuse pits and 10.5% in croplands. Emergent wetlands with hemi-marsh conditions were used diurnally more often than wetlands with either open or closed vegetation …

Great Plains Region From Encyclopedia Of Religion In America, Volume 2, Robert H. Stoddard

Department of Geography: Faculty Publications

To understand the religions of a region, it is helpful to examine its environmental characteristics and the history of human occupation of that land because interpretations and forms of worship often reflect the environment with which believers cope. Although characteristics of the natural environment are intricately incorporated into most ancient religions, this relationship may be less obvious in religions with creeds and set of beliefs enunciated by historic figures. Here focus is on how the religious history of the Great Plains distinguishes it from other parts of America.

Notes And News- Summer 2009

Great Plains Quarterly

DISSERTATION AWARD IN WOMEN'S HISTORY

CALL FOR PAPERS

CALL FOR PAPERS

CALL FOR PAPERS

VISITING SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Title And Contents- Summer 2009

Great Plains Quarterly

GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY

Volume 29/ Number 3 / Summer 2009

CONTENTS

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF HOMESTEADING AS A POLICY OF PUBLIC DOMAIN DISPOSAL

A PRAIRIE PARABLE: THE 1933 BATES TRAGEDY

CULTURAL SURVIVAL AND THE OMAHA WAY: SUMMER 2009 EUNICE WOODHULL STABLER'S LEGACY OF PRESERVATION ON THE TWENTIETH-CENTURY PLAINS

REVIEW ESSAY: THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF A MOVING OBJECT: EMERGING UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN METIS

BOOK REVIEWS

NOTES AND NEWS

Title And Contents- Spring 2009

Great Plains Quarterly

GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY

Volume 29/Number 2/ Spring 2009

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: DEATH, MURDER, AND MAYHEM: STORIES OF VIOLENCE AND HEALING ON THE PLAINS

DEATHSCAPES, TOPOCIDE, DOMICIDE: THE PLAINS IN CONTEMPORARY PRINT MEDIA

OPEN TO HORROR: THE GREAT PLAINS SITUATION IN CONTEMPORARY THRILLERS BY E. E. KNIGHT AND BY DOUGLAS PRESTON AND LINCOLN CHILD

CORONADO AND AESOP: FABLE AND VIOLENCE ON THE SIXTEENTH,CENTURY PLAINS

REVIEW ESSAY: NEW VIEWS ON CUSTER AND THE INDIAN WARS

BOOK REVIEWS

BOOK NOTES

NOTES AND NEWS

Book Notes- Spring 2009

Great Plains Quarterly

Prairies and Plains: The Reference Literature of a Region.

A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove

Fort Worth: A Personal View.

Traces of Forgotten Places: An Artist's ThirtyYear Exploration and Celebration of Texas, As It Was.

Bronze Inside and Out: A Biographical Memoir of Bob Scriver.

Wind Through the Buffalo Grass: A Lakota Story Cycle.

Outrider of Empire: The Life & Adventures of Roger Pocock, 1865-1941.

Powder River Odyssey: Nelson Cole's Western Campaign of 1865: The Journals of Lyman G. Bennett and Other Eyewitness Accounts.

Life of a Soldier on the Western Frontier

A Remarkable Curiosity: Dispatches from a New …

Review Of "Postwestern Cultures: Literature, Theory, Space." Edited By Susan Kollin, Donna Campbell

Great Plains Quarterly

Postwestern Cultures addresses "the highly charged and continually shifting meanings" of a space that occupies an outsized, even mythic place in the national imaginary: the American West. The essays in this collection do not focus on this myth or its deconstruction in recent history, criticism, and media; rather, they set out to question, through approaches ranging from ecocriticism and critical regionalism through theories of space and gender, the viability, potency, and destructive power of its iconography. By calling into question the fixed positioning of the West in the national imagination-its history, its material culture, and its status as a "pre-lapsarian, …

Review Of "Choctaw Nation: A Story Of American Indian Resurgence." By Valerie Lambert, James Taylor Carson

Great Plains Quarterly

Choctaw Nation fits nicely into two recent trends in the development of Native American history. First, Valerie Lambert draws interpretive threads into the twenty-first century explored for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Circe Sturm's Blood Politics (2002), Donna L. Akers's Living in the Land of Death (2004), and Fay A. Yarbrough's Race and the Cherokee Nation (2008). For Lambert the past thirty years or so have comprised a renewal of the Choctaw Nation that is at the same time part of a larger "cycle of rupture and rebirth" that reaches back at least to the 1500s. Second, Lambert is …

Review Of "Interior Places." By Lisa Knopp, Becky Faber

Great Plains Quarterly

"I collect geodes," Lisa Knopp states at the beginning of her first essay, making for an engaging introduction to the entire collection that also encapsulates her vision of the world. She loves the natural world and the complexities of each situation that make it unique.

Later in her text she asks, "How does something firmly lodged in the periphery move to the center of one's awareness?" The question is cogent. Her essays consistently consider some peripheral topic-such as the moon or corn or one's childhood neighborhood-and then shift it forward, urging readers to remember, to think, to consider, to appreciate. …