Other International and Area Studies Commons^™

Book Review Of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?": Aboriginal Communities, Restorative Justice, And The Challenges Of Conflict And Change By Jane Dickson-Gilmore And Carol La Prairie, Tim Quigley

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Over the past decade or two, restorative justice has become a popular approach for the criminal justice system to take in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. In part, this is due in all three countries to an appalling disproportionality in the incarceration rates for racialized minorities. As the authors of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" point out, however, governments have been attracted to restorative justice for cost-cutting reasons as well. A burning question, therefore, is whether restorative justice works.

Book Review Of Venereal Disease And The Lewis And Clark Expedition By Thomas P. Lowry, Ronald V. Loge

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Although Lewis and Clark literature has proliferated in the last decade, few works have added scholarly discourse to this field of study. The highly focused Venereal Disease and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, however, will likely stand out on the Lewis and Clark bookshelf as an important contribution.

Book Review Of Oceans Of Kansas: A Natural History Of The Western Interior Sea By Michael J. Everhart, Jonathan Hendricks

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Just as there are seashells on Mt. Everest, there is an exceptional wealth of fossil remains of marine organisms preserved in the chalk of western Kansas. This Cretaceous-aged rock, and the fossils therein, were deposited at a time when a great sea cut northward across the interior of the continent around 85 million years ago, inspiring the provocative title of Everhart's book. The title is true to its subject: documentation of the Cretaceous fossils of western Kansas, their geographic and stratigraphic occurrences, and the inferences that paleontologists can make about how the organisms represented by these fossils may have once …

Book Review Of Portraits Of The Bison: An Illustrated Guide To Bison Society By Wes Olson, Greg Wilson

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Thundering herds of bison have become synonymous with the pre-European colonization of the Great Plains. As such, they have captured the imagination of countless people, including Wes Olson, a 20-year warden for Parks Canada. Throughout Portraits of the Bison, based on both existing literature and the author's extensive experience observing and managing these animals, Olson's bison fascination is not only obvious but infectious. A remarkably talented artist as well, Olson's line drawings appear throughout the book, accompanied by Johane Janelle's photographs.

Factors Influencing Soil Invertebrate Communities In Riparian Grasslands Of The Central Platte River Floodplain, Craig A. Davis, Jane E. Austin, Deborah A. Buhl

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

In the Platte River Valley of central Nebraska, USA, riparian grasslands (also known as wet meadows) have been severely impacted by a reduction in river flows, causing lower ground-water levels and altered seasonal hydroperiods. The potential impacts of these hydrologic changes, as well as the environmental factors that influence wet meadow soil invertebrate communities, are not well understood. An understanding of the ecological processes that influence these invertebrate communities is crucial for maintaining and restoring wet meadows along the Platte River. Our objectives were to describe the soil invertebrate community of wet meadows throughout the growing season and to examine …

Factors Influencing Soil Invertebrate Communities In Riparian Grasslands Of The Central Platte River Floodplain, Craig A. Davis, Jane E. Austin, Deborah A. Buhl

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

In the Platte River Valley of central Nebraska, USA, riparian grasslands (also known as wet meadows) have been severely impacted by a reduction in river flows, causing lower ground-water levels and altered seasonal hydroperiods. The potential impacts of these hydrologic changes, as well as the environmental factors that influence wet meadow soil invertebrate communities, are not well understood. An understanding of the ecological processes that influence these invertebrate communities is crucial for maintaining and restoring wet meadows along the Platte River. Our objectives were to describe the soil invertebrate community of wet meadows throughout the growing season and to examine …

Managed Democracy, Market Economy Or The Dichotomy Of Russia’S Political Economy, Evgenia A. Ustinova

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This thesis examines the present day nature of Russian political and economic developments. The argument put forward is that President Putin has deliberately chosen a course of market economy, managed democracy – whereby an through an increasingly potent state and executive branch, Putin ensures sustainable growth for the Russian economy. Good economic performance ensures that the President is popular with the voters, no matter that his policies are designed to curtail democracy. The author concludes that current political and economic dichotomy will result in further development of the economy and eventual movement towards democratic ideals.

Kidnapping Terrorists: Extraterritorial Forcible Abductions In The Global War On Terrorism, Matthew R. Mcnabb

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

For those who have an interest in targeting, neutralizing, detaining, and adjudicating terrorists amidst the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), few tools are more poorly understood than the acquisition and subsequent movement of the alleged terrorists. Rendition is that process by which the body of an individual is taken from State A to State B. It may occur in either a “regular” or an “irregular” form. Regular rendition occurs when the individual is moved pursuant to the express terms and procedures of a given extradition treaty. Irregular rendition, on the other hand, is principally comprised of the rare instances in …

The Food Fight Between The United States And Europe: Why Gmos Divide The West, Sarah A. Delude

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have quickly become an abundant source of food, especially in the United States. But as GMOs have grown, Europeans have raised major concerns over health and environment issues posed by GMOs. In 1998 the European Union imposed a moratorium restricting the approval of any new GMOs in Europe. But the United States saw this as a block to free and fair trade and has taken a case up with the World Trade Organization to resolve the matter. The final decision is past due, but the EU has already lifted the moratorium. Instead, it has imposed rules …

Understanding Al-Qaeda: History, Ideology And Infrastructure, Sarah Dickens

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Understanding al-Qaeda: History, Ideology, and Infrastructure is a critical analysis of the formation and evolution of the global terrorist organization commonly referred to as al-Qaeda. The work provides a foundation for understanding al-Qaeda’s operations and organizational strategies by detailing its historical origins, ideological framework, and infrastructural installations.

The thesis is divided into three segments, each containing two chapters. The first segment is devoted to a discussion of al-Qaeda’s historical formation. The initial chapter relies on the investigation of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the hunt for terrorist Ramzi Yousef as a point of departure in understanding al-Qaeda. This …

Representation Of Middle Eastern Culture Through Belly Dance In The Us, Elisabeth Johnson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In light of the myriad misunderstandings about the Middle East and its people, this paper will seek to analyze how Middle Eastern culture has been represented in the US through the art of belly dance. This project examines what is currently known about the roots of belly dance, especially in relation to how such origins may be presented within the dance, and the first exposures that the American public may have had to belly dance through literary accounts, theatre, and design in the late 19^th century and the early 20^th century. The representative accuracy and impact of these …

Hydrological Effects And Groundwater Fluctuations In Interdunal Environments In The Nebraska Sandhills, David Gosselin, Venkataramana Sridhar, F. Edwin Harvey, James Goeke

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Nine years of groundwater monitoring data has documented the important influence that topographic relief and location in the groundwater flow system have on the hydrologic function of interdunal valleys. The western "wet" valley at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory in central Nebraska, which is a net discharge area, is more strongly buffered from the effects of annual-scale climatic variability than the eastern "dry" valley. The east valley is generally an area of net recharge and as such is more responsive to climatic variability. This study employed a simple water balance approach to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) from water level measurements in the …

Ecophysiolgoical Responses Of Schizachyrium Scoparium To Water And Nitrogen Manipulations, Amy Kochsiek, Veronica Ciganda, Neal Bryan, Lena Hite, Tala Awada

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Nitrogen is increasing in terrestrial ecosystems as a result of agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels. This increase is expected to be accompanied by changes in water availability due to global warming. We examined the effects of nitrogen and water manipulations on Schizachyrium scoparium, one of the dominant grasses in the Great Plains. Schizachyrium scoparium responded positively to watering, with an increase in photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, water and nitrogen use efficiencies, and water potential. Under watered conditions, fertilization had no significant effect on measured parameters, except for nitrogen-use efficiency. Significant differences appeared between fertilized and nonfertilized plants …

Grazing And Military Vehicle Effects On Grassland Soils And Vegetation, John A. Guretzky, Alan Anderson, Jeffrey Fehmi

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Vehicle training, a common disturbance of military lands, is part of a suite of land uses that also includes cattle grazing. Yet, no studies have examined their interaction. Our objective was to review the effects of vehicle training and grazing on grassland soils and vegetation and develop a state-and-transition model that incorporates grazing and training for Fort Hood, TX. Both grazing and training can cause soil compaction and vegetation disturbance, altering hydrology and increasing erosion. While the effects of grazing largely depend on stocking rate, vehicle training causes greater disturbance when wet soils are driven on, when vehicles are turned …

Review Of The Courts And The Colonies: The Litigation Of Hutterite Church Disputes By Alvin 1. Esau, Rod Janzen

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

The Courts and the Colonies is an informative discussion of the impact of legal issues on communal Hutterites during the past half-century. It is a valuable addition to Hutterite studies specifically, providing significant social analysis alongside a detailed discussion of legal matters. More generally the book has important things to say about the legal status of all communal religious societies in North America and the unanticipated problems that can emerge when these groups call upon the power of the state to support internal policies and procedures. The book is especially relevant to studies of the Great Plains, since there are …

Review Of The Settlement Of The American Continents: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Human Biogeography Edited By C. Michael Barton, Geoffrey A. Clark, David R. Yesner, And Georges A. Pearson, Steven Holen

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Organized into three sections-"The First Settlers," "The Trail to the Americas," and "The Land and People Transformed"- The Settlement of the American Continents: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Human Biogeography is one of the latest edited volumes on the subject of the peopling of the Americas. Between the editors' introduction and closing, chapters by a number of authors offer diverse views of the early peopling event from the disciplines of physical anthropology, linguistics, genetics, ecological anthropology/archaeology, and paleontology. The volume is well edited, containing copious notes and a good bibliography.

Review Of Fishes Of Oklahoma By Rudolph J. Miller And Henry W. Robison, Keith Gido

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

The second edition of Fishes of Oklahoma provides an important update and valuable reference for anyone interested in fishes in the Great Plains. Miller and Robison have extensive experience working on fishes in this region and have done an excellent job conveying their knowledge. There is a wealth of information in this book that can be used by students, anglers, and anyone else interested in learning how to identify fishes or who wants to understand the ecology of the diverse ichthyofauna in Oklahoma.

Review Of Troubled Fields: Men, Emotions, And The Crisis In American Farming By Eric Ramirez-Ferrero, Charles Nuckolls

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Is the family farm an anachronism, to be replaced, sooner or later, by larger and more efficient industrial modes of agriculture? This question achieved special prominence during the "farm crisis" in the 1980s, when thousands of farmers lost their land to foreclosure. Since then the issue has largely been forgotten, except in northwestern Oklahoma, the site of Troubled Fields, where the decline of family farming can be measured in continuing population loss, the breakdown of families, and increased risk of suicide.

Review Of Wildflowers And Grasses Of Kansas: A Field Guide By Michael J. Haddock, Douglas Ladd

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Field guides serve multiple purposes. They are windows into the identities and attributes of a subset of biota. At their best they are also primers of patterns of biodiversity, ecological relationships, and conservation issues and serve as entry points for kindling interest in natural sciences and conservation.

Review Of Biological Control Of Invasive Plants In The United States Edited By Eric M. Coombs, Janet K. Clark, Gary L. Piper, And Alfred F. Cofrancesco, Jr., Andrew Norton

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

As pointed out in the volume's introduction, biological weed control is an increasingly important tool for managing invasive plants on public and private lands at a time when this strategy is under increasing scrutiny over real (and perceived) threats to native pants and ecosystems. The volume updates and expands upon Biological Control of Weeds in the West (1996) and should be considered an essential reference for policy makers, land managers, students, and researchers involved with biological weed control throughout North America.

Review Of Managing Changing Prairie Landscapes Edited By Todd A. Radenbaugh And Glenn C. Sutter, Fred Samson

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Four primary phases to an ecosystem cycle involve the release of carbon, energy, and nutrients by insects, fire, grazing or other agents; reorganization of the primary resources by pioneer species; exploitation of resources (succession) and redevelopment of more complex ecological relationships; and storage (climax) of resources until an ecological driver initiates a new phase.

Review Of Grasslands: Toward A North American Conservation Strategy By David A. Gauthier, Alberto Lafon, Theodore P. Toombs, Jugen Hoth, And Ed Wiken, David Gibson

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

In this short book the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America (CEC) outlines its vision for conserving the central grasslands. The CEC is a trinational organization created under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to address regional environmental concerns.

Review Of One House: The Unicameral's Progressive Vision For Nebraska By Charlyne Berens, James Johnson

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

This is a book that needed to be written-a valuable, though flawed, addition to the literature on Nebraska's unique legislative body. It is the first addition to research on the Nebraska Legislature in some time and presents a new approach to the subject: has the Unicameral lived up to the promises of its founders? The answer is, by and large, yes.

Underlying Causes And Implications Of Nebraska Retail Trade Patterns, Rex Nelson, Bruce Johnson, David Darling

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Declining retail trade in rural America is a concern for rural residents, their leaders, and rural development professionals. This cross-sectional study presents a framework for understanding relationships between changes in retail trade and rural population declines. The study uses county trade pull factors as a benchmark for retail trade in Nebraska and develops a theoretical and a statistical model to explain changes in this measure. The model suggests that retail trade in a given county is a function of the customer base, the buying power of those customers, and the quality of the retail environment.

A Delicate Balance: Rainfall And Groundwater In Nebraska During The 2000-2005 Drought, Mark Burbach, R. Matthew Joeckel

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Recent decreases in rainfall and the accompanying decreases in groundwater levels since 1999 indicate heightened vulnerability to drought in Nebraska and the surrounding Great Plains. Precipitation across Nebraska during 2000-2005 ranged from 72% to 108% of the 30-year normal value, with fully 90% of 150 stations reporting below-normal precipitation. Simultaneously, groundwater levels declined more than 9 m in the most heavily impacted areas, most of which were already experiencing declines due to extensive irrigation development and low recharge rates. Thus, recovery from the drought and long-term intensive land use will be particularly challenging in densely irrigated areas of Nebraska. In …

Review Of Prairie Dog Empire: A Saga Of The Shortgrass Prairie By Paul A. Johnsgard, Richard Reading

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Prairie Dog Empire provides a semitechnical overview on what some ecologists refer to as the Prairie Dog Ecosystem, focused on black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and their associated vertebrate species. Given the controversy surrounding management of prairie dogs, it is surprising that such a volume has not been published previously. Leave it to that prolific guru of the Great Plains, Paul Johnsgard, to pen a book directed at filling that void at such a crucial juncture.

Review Of On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes Of North America By Michael Forsberg, Dale Hjertaas

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Michael Forsberg is a gifted photographer. I opened this book for a quick look, saw the first photograph, a stunning full-page photo of a dancing Sandhill crane leaping for the sky, and did not put the book down until I had looked at everyone of its 154 photographs. Particularly beautiful is a two-page photograph silhouetting a dozen Sandhill cranes against a golden sky, their legs extended, preparing to land at a roost along the Platte. Through the photographs Forsberg shows us the places where cranes live and gives us a look into their lives, capturing copulation, hatching, chick rearing, feeding, …

Reducing Smooth Sumac Dominance In Native Tallgrass Prairie, Susan Tunnell, James L. Stubbendieck, Sal Palazzolo, Robert Masters

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra L.) is a resprouting shrub native to the tallgrass prairie region that increases in density without an active disturbance regime. Our objective was to use prescribed fire and herbicides to decrease smooth sumac density as a strategy to improve a degraded tall grass prairie remnant. In two separate experiments repeated in space and time, we used prescribed fire in combination with herbicides at various rates and two application methods to develop an effective management scheme for reducing smooth sumac. We used a randomized complete block design with 13 herbicide treatments and a control with three …

Review Of Red Pedagogy: Native American Social And Political Thought By Sandy Grande, Steven Crum

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

In this intriguing book, written by an indigenous Quechua scholar whose ancestors come from Peru, Sandy Grande introduces a new term which she labels "Red Pedagogy." The term has more than one facet.
One element of Red Pedagogy is its insistence that Native Americans in general, including indigenous scholars, and non-Natives need to critique, challenge, and even reject dominant modes of thought that have been applied to indigenous populations for years. Grande provides sol id evidence that some Native scholars are currently challenging older paradigms. For example, Taiaiake Alfred, a Mohawk political scientist, questions the modern-day usage and practice of …

Review Of Species At Risk: Using Economic Incentives To Shelter Endangered Species On Private Lands Edited By Jason F. Shogren, Mace Hack

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Consider the fact that approximately 80% of the species listed as endangered or threatened in the United States rely in part or completely on privately owned lands for their survival. For residents of the Great Plains, this statement certainly rings true. Most Great Plains states have public land ownership percentages below 10%, ranking among the lowest in the nation. And although we lack the abundance of listed species "enjoyed" by some of our neighbors, those we do have could not possibly subsist on the scattered fragments of suitable habitat found on public lands. Species-at-risk conservation, in the Great Plains especially, …