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The western prairie fringed-orchid is a rare North American orchid restricted to a few remnants of wet to mesic tallgrass prairie. It is federally listed in both Canada and the United States and both countries have developed a recovery plan for the species. Two key management objectives are to monitor population trends and identify beneficial management practices. We used 21 y of data from the Manitoba metapopulation to assess effects of weather and land management on this species. Our results suggest the metapopulation in Manitoba is relatively stable. Western prairie fringed-orchids appear to benefit most from a combination of warm temperatures in the previous growing season followed by cool snowy but short winters and wet springs. Periodic burning (e.g., every 2-3 y) may benefit fringed-orchids, whereas grazing may be detrimental. This was not a controlled experiment, however, and gaps in the data may have influenced our results. Prescribed burning is a viable management tool for curtailing woody invasion and both burning and grazing reduce litter and grass cover, but careful consideration of timing, frequency, and intensity of application is required so management does not hinder fringed-orchid reproduction or reduce survival, while also recognizing management requirements may vary among years depending on weather. Long-term studies are particularly valuable for the western prairie fringed-orchid due to its erratic life cycle and fluctuating populations, which complicate studies of environmental and management effects on this species., INTRODUCTION The western prairie fringed-orchid (Platanthera praeclara Sheviak and Bowles) is a rare North American orchid restricted to a few remnants of wet to mesic tallgrass prairie in the American [...]

INTRODUCTION Conner Prairie is an interactive history park or a 'living museum.' Located 6 km north of Indianapolis in Fishers, Indiana, the 850 acres that presently comprise Conner Prairie have [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009.01605.x Byline: Mathew E. Dornbush (1), Brian J. Wilsey (2) Keywords: below-ground processes; community assembly; niche partitioning; plant diversity; roots; soil depth; tallgrass prairie Abstract: Summary 1. In relatively fertile ecosystems, such as the tallgrass prairie, local species diversity is largely controlled by the competitive effects of community dominants. Despite the relative importance of soil resources in shaping competitive outcomes, we have a limited understanding of the ways by which plants partition below-ground space and resources while competing, and thus, how these interactions feedback to affect local diversity. 2. We experimentally tested whether potential rooting depth affected plant species diversity and composition by seeding 36 tallgrass prairie species into replicated, bare-ground plots in which soil depth was manipulated to produce shallow- (20 cm), medium- (42 cm) and deep-soil treatments all within one soil type. Because root architecture and foraging strategies differ among species, we hypothesized that soil depth alone could affect plant richness, diversity and community composition. 3. After 3 years, richness (S) significantly increased with soil depth (P 0.1) or composition (multi-response permutation procedure, P > 0.2). The lack of a depth effect upon diversity resulted from the opposing effect of increasing soil depth enhancing S, but decreasing evenness. 4. Species presence among depth treatments was strongly nested, with species found in shallow soils reflecting a subset of the species found in the medium-depth treatment, and the species found within the medium-depth treatment reflecting a subset of those found in the deepest soils. 5. All depth treatments contained the same dominant grasses, thus differences in S resulted from the nested loss of forbs. Conversely, increasing soil depth added sets of new species, but the specific identity of the species present appeared interchangeable among replicates of a given depth. 6. Synthesis. Our results provide the first field-based experimental evidence that altering soil depth alters species occurrence and diversity in predictable ways in seeded tallgrass prairie. Our results have important theoretical implications for understanding the processes promoting plant co-occurrence in grasslands, and generate testable hypotheses concerning the conditions under which root-niche partitioning is probably important for maintaining local richness in grasslands. Future work is needed to elucidate the generality and mechanistic basis of our results. Author Affiliation: (1)Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, 2420 Nicolet Drive, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 54311, USA (2)Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, 253 Bessey Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA Article History: Received 21 July 2009; accepted 14 October 2009 Handling Editor: Marina Semchenko Article note: (*) Correspondence author. E-mail: dornbusm@uwgb.edu

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9795.2009.00409.x Byline: Duane K. Friesen (1), Bradley D. Guhr (2) Keywords: covenant; community; Great Plains; land ethic; metanoia; restorative justice; sacrament; subsidiarity; Theo-centric Abstract: ABSTRACT A Great Plains land ethic is shaped by an intimate knowledge of and appreciation for the evolution, ecology, and aesthetics of the plains landscape. The landscape evokes a sense of wonder and mystery suggested by the word 'sacrament.' The biblical concept of 'covenant' points to God as a community-forming power, a creative process that has evolved into the earth community to which we humans belong. In contrast to an anthropocentric ethic which emphasizes human dominion over nature, a Theo-centric land ethic seeks a balance, reflected in Genesis 1-3, between humans who are members of the earth community and moral agents accountable to God for the earth. A land ethic identifies concrete practices of metanoia and healing: agricultural practices to address the loss and degradation of soil; conservation and protection of water sources; utilization of wind and solar energy; and prescribed burning to restore processes vital to the prairie ecosystem. The concept of subsidiarity suggests that practices of metanoia and healing are a combination of wise public policy balanced by personal, family, church, business, and community responsibility. Author Affiliation: (1)Box 31N. Newton, KS 67117316.283.7811dfriesen@bethelks.edu (2)Dyck Arboretum of the Plains177 W. HickoryHesston, KS 67062620.327.8127bradg@hesston.edu

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.2008.00142.x Byline: Kevin G. Wipf (1) Abstract: This paper investigates the degree of provincialism, autonomous policy formulation and program implementation, in farm income support in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta after 1995. It finds that of the three prairie provinces only Alberta undertook autonomous program creation. Correspondingly, Alberta bargained for provincial discretion in federal-provincial negotiations, while Manitoba and Saskatchewan insisted that the federal government is to assume primary responsibility for farm income support. The direction that each province took in regards to program implementation and in federal-provincial negotiations stemmed to a considerable extent from the policy-making structures the provinces created in order to engage their farm communities in policy development. In Alberta additional factors were the strong influence of rural representatives in its government and its rich public purse. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan the comparatively small government budgets and the governments' desire not to run large budget deficits were other relevant factors. Le present article examine le degre de provincialisme, l'elaboration de politiques et la mise en place de programmes autonomes ainsi que le soutien du revenu agricole au Manitoba, en Saskatchewan et en Alberta depuis 1995. Nos resultats ont indique que, des trois provinces des Prairies, seule l'Alberta a procedea la creation de programmes autonomes. L'Alberta a demande un pouvoir discretionnaire dans les negociations federales-provinciales, tandis que le Manitoba et la Saskatchewan ont insiste pour que le gouvernement federal assume la responsabilite principale du soutien du revenu agricole. L'orientation des provinces concernant la mise en place de programmes et les negociations federales-provinciales provenait, en tres grande partie, des structures d'elaboration des politiques qu'elles ont mises en place en vue de favoriser la participation de leurs collectivites agricoles au processus d'elaboration des politiques. En Alberta, la forte influence des representants des collectivites rurales au sein du gouvernement et l'importance des fonds publics ont constitue d'autres facteurs. Au Manitoba et en Saskatchewan, des budgets gouvernementaux restreints et le souhait de ne pas enregistrer de deficits budgetaires importants ont constitue d'autres facteurs pertinents. Author Affiliation: (1)University of Alberta, Department of Political Science, 12-5 HM Tory Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2H4 (phone: 780-710-9833; fax: 780-492-2586; e-mail:kwipf@ualberta.ca).

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01022.x Keywords: conservation planning; habitat loss; land conversion; land use; native grassland; Prairie Pothole Region Abstract: Abstract: Native grasslands that support diverse populations of birds are being converted to cropland at an increasing rate in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. Although limited funding is currently available to mitigate losses, accurate predictions of probability of conversion would increase the efficiency of conservation measures. We studied conversion of native grassland to cropland in the Missouri Coteau region of North and South Dakota (U.S.A.) during 1989-2003. We estimated the probability of conversion of native grassland to cropland with satellite imagery and logistic regression models that predicted risk of conversion and by comparing the overlap between areas of high biological value and areas most vulnerable to conversion. Annualized probability of conversion was 0.004, and 36,540 ha of native grassland were converted to cropland during the period of our study. Our predictive models fit the data and correctly predicted 70% of observed conversions of grassland. Probability of conversion varied spatially and was correlated with landscape features like amount of surrounding grassland, slope, and soil productivity. Tracts of high biological value were not always at high risk of conversion. We concluded the most biologically valuable areas that are most vulnerable to conversion should be prioritized for conservation. This approach can be applied broadly to other systems and offers great utility for implementing conservation in areas with spatially variable biological value and probability of conversion. Abstract (Spanish): Prediccion del Riesgo de Conversion de Habitat en Pastizales Templados Nativos Resumen: Los pastizales nativos que soportan diversas poblaciones de aves estan siendo convertidos a tierras agricolas a un ritmo cada vez mayor en la Region Pothole Prairie de Norte America. Aunque el financiamiento actual es limitado como para mitigar las perdidas, predicciones precisas de la probabilidad de conversion incrementarian la eficiencia de las medidas de conservacion. Estudiamos la conversion de pastizal nativo a tierra agricola en la region Missouri Coteau de Dakota del Norte y del Sur (E.U.A.) entre 1989 y 2003. Estimamos la probabilidad de conversion de pastizal nativo a tierra agricola mediante imagenes de satelite y modelos de regresion logistica que predijeron el riesgo de conversion y mediante la comparacion de traslape de areas de alto valor biologico y las areas mas vulnerables a la conversion. La probabilidad anualizada de conversion fue 0.004, y 36,540 ha de pastizal fueron convertidos a terrenos agricolas durante el periodo de nuestro estudio. Nuestros modelos predictivos se ajustan a los datos y predijeron correctamente el 70% de las conversiones de pastizales observadas. La probabilidad de conversion vario espacialmente y se correlaciono con los atributos del paisaje como la cantidad de pastizal circundante, la pendiente t la productividad del suelo. Trechos de alto valor biologico no siempre estuvieron en gran riesgo de conversion. Concluimos que las areas biologicamente mas valiosas que son mas vulnerables a la conversion debieran ser priorizadas para su conservacion. Este metodo puede ser aplicado ampliamente a otros sistemas y ofrece gran utilidad para la implementacion de la conservacion en areas con valores biologicos y probabilidades de conversion variables espacialmente. Author Affiliation: (*)Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Great Plains Regional Office, 2525 River Road, Bismarck, ND 55803-9011, U.S.A. ([dagger])Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812-0576, U.S.A. Article History: Paper submitted August 31, 2007; revised manuscript accepted February 25, 2008.

The incidence of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater; hereafter 'cowbirds') within host species typically reflects the continental pattern in cowbird abundance across North America, where parasitism is heaviest in the Great Plains. However, we found considerable variation in cowbird parasitism on Dickcissel (Spiza americana) nests within a subregion of the Great Plains (the Flint Hills), where the highest levels of cowbird parasitism on grassland bird nests had been previously reported. Local parasitism frequencies on Dickcissel nests varied latitudinally across the Flint Hills, ranging from 0% to 92% of nests parasitized. Interestingly, we found no obvious patterns in habitat or host attributes that were associated with this steep geographic gradient in brood parasitism. Cowbird parasitism on Dickcissel nests was not correlated with the vertical density of local prairie vegetation, mean nest distance to edge, proportion of forest to grassland habitat surrounding study sites ([less than or equal to] 5 to 10 km), geographic variation in host abundance, or Dickcissel density or nest initiation dates. Parasitism frequencies and intensities (number of cowbird eggs per parasitized nest) on Dickissel nests were only significantly related to variation in local female cowbird density. Dickcissel clutch size and apparent fledging success were negatively correlated with local cowbird parasitism levels. Geographic patterns in cowbird abundance within and among regions should be considered when establishing conservation areas for grassland birds or other cowbird hosts of concern. Received 24 October 2003, accepted 18 November 2004. Key words: brood parasitism, Brown-headed Cowbird, Dickcissel, geographic variation, Molothrus ater, Spiza americana.

The availability of N limits productivity in tallgrass prairie. Spring burning is common because it results in greater plant productivity despite reducing net N mineralization. To better explain how burning affects inorganic N availability in tallgrass prairie, the partitioning of [sup.15]N among plant and soil pools was measured in June and August 1994. Approximately 2.5 [micro]g N [g.sup.-1] soil was injected as either N[H.sup.4] or N[O.sup.3] to a depth of 15 cm within cores in burned and unburned prairie. Cores were removed from the field 6 d alter injection, and [sup.15]N recovery in plant and soil N pools was determined. No more than 14% of the applied [sup.15]N remained in inorganic form 6 d after application. The largest portion of the applied [sup.15]N (35-80%) was recovered in the soil organic nitrogen pool ([N.sub.0]). Burning significantly increased the immobilization of both N[H.sup.4] and N[O.sup.3] within [N.sup.0], and microbial biomass accounted for [greater than or equal to] 50% of the [sup.15]N recovered in [N.sub.0]. Accumulation of [sup.15]N in plants accounted for [less than or equal to] 35% of the applied [sup.15]N with a majority recovered from roots. Burning had little effect on [sup.15]N recovery in plants; however, [sup.15]N accumulations in roots were significantly greater when N[O.sub.3] was used. Results indicate that immobilization within soil organic matter (SOM) controls the availability of both N[H.sup.4] and N[O.sub.3] to plants. Increased immobilization in soils with burning probably results largely from increased microbial N demand resulting from greater litter inputs with wider C to N ratios. Further research is needed to determine if abiotic mechanisms for N immobilization also significantly influence N availability in prairie soils.

With his small family and their belongings in tow, former U.S. Congressman James H. Lane slipped quietly into Kansas Territory in April 1855--leaving behind the shattered remnants of a once-promising [...]

The prairie identity expressed in historical writings bears little resemblance to that created by prairie writers, painters and song writers. Prairie historians, working within the conceptual framework of the Metropolitan thesis or Limited Identities, suggest that if a prairie identity exists, it is found in regional, political and economic protests against the external metropolis and the capitalist system. The emphasis on these constructs in the 'new western history' in the United States indicates the strength of this early Canadian historical scholarship, but the paradigm is not entirely useful for understanding identity. Prairie historians have not used either the Annaliste paradigm or the new literature on constructed identities in the formulation of their work. This review of writings in Canadian prairie history and western American history suggests that a new synthesis of prairie history that searches for identity within a new framework is needed. Prairie historians must begin their work with an understanding of the relationships between people and the environment on the prairies. These environmental relationships provide the continuity upon which a new understanding of prairie identity can be constructed. This identity must be understood as an autonomous layer of consciousness rather than a 'limited identity' within a national consciousness.

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The Border Between Them: Violence and Reconciliation on the Kansas-Missouri Line, by Jeremy Neely, University of Missouri Press, Columbia, 2007, 328 pages, $39.95. When Captain George S. James pulled the [...]

Prairie Public broadcasting just launched an interesting new series about the early days of agriculture on the Canadian prairies and how it influenced our history. Called 'Built on Agriculture', the [...]

The author uses Nebraska's Nine-Mile Prairie as a launch point for assessing the role of open space in informing society, community, and consciousness.