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The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) has become a model organism for studying monogamy. A precise account of the phylogeography of this species should increase our understanding of the proximate mechanisms and ultimate factors underlying the observed geographic variation in monogamy. The prairie vole is widespread throughout the North American grasslands, and seven subspecies have been identified based on morphological variation, which suggests the development of genetic structure. However, a prior analysis of allelic diversity at nuclear microsatellite loci showed little geographic differentiation throughout the species’ range. To further address this inconsistency, we sequenced a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b locus in 34 individuals from separate geographic locations throughout the species’ range. The mitochondrial analysis revealed three widespread genetic clusters without clear geographic patterns. Thus, the results were consistent with the nuclear analysis by demonstrating low geographic differentiation, indicating likely incomplete lineage sorting in the species. Additionally, the observed patterns of mitochondrial and nuclear variation were not consistent with subspecies designations. Based on our analysis and prior genetic and morphological analyses, we suggest that a reevaluation of the subspecies designations in prairie voles is warranted, with the six contiguous subspecies of prairie voles being synonymized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in climate and land management over the last half‐century have favoured woody plants native to grasslands and led to the rapid expansion of woody species. Despite this being a global phenomenon, it is unclear why some woody species have rapidly expanded while others have not. We assessed whether the most abundant woody encroaching species in tallgrass prairie have common growth forms and physiology or unique traits that differentiate their resource‐use strategies. We characterized the abundance, above‐ground carbon allocation, and leaf‐level physiological and structural traits of seven woody encroaching species in tallgrass prairie that span an order of magnitude in abundance. To identify species‐specific increases in abundance, we used a 34‐year species composition dataset at Konza Prairie Biological Station (Central Great Plains, USA). We then compared biomass allocation and leaf‐level traits to determine differences in carbon and water use strategies among species. While all focal species increased in abundance over time, encroachment in this system is primarily driven by three species: Cornus drummondii, Prunus americana and Rhus glabra. The most dominant species, Cornus drummondii, had the most extreme values for several traits, including the lowest leaf:stem mass ratios, lowest photosynthetic capacity and highest turgor loss point. Two of the most abundant species, Cornus drummondii and Rhus glabra, had opposing growth forms and resource‐use strategies. These species had significantly different above‐ground carbon allocation, leaf‐level drought tolerance and photosynthetic capacity. There were surprisingly few interspecific differences in specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content, suggesting these traits were poor predictors of species‐level encroachment. Synthesis. Woody encroaching species in tallgrass prairie encompass a spectrum of growth forms and leaf physiology. Two of the most abundant woody species fell at opposite ends of this spectrum. Our results suggest niche differences among a community of woody species facilitate the rapid encroachment by a few species. This study shows that woody encroaching species do not conform to a ‘one‐size‐fits‐all’ strategy, and a diversity of growth forms and physiological strategies may make it more challenging to reach management goals that aim to conserve or restore grassland communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puccinia coronata var avenae f. sp. avenae (Pca), the causal fungus of crown rust of oats, is a significant threat to oat production in the eastern prairie region (Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan; EPR), Ontario and Quebec (eastern Canada; EC), in Canada. Development of oat lines with effective resistance to Pca has been a priority for oat breeding programmes in Canada, and helped mitigate reductions in oat yield and quality. This requires knowledge of the virulence characteristics of the Pca population in Canada. Our objectives were to determine the incidence and severity of Pca in Canada, the presence and frequency of virulence and races in Pca populations and compare the traditional extensive sampling method (few isolates per field from many fields) to an intensive sampling method (many isolates per field from a few fields) for obtaining genetically diverse collections. The incidence and severity of crown rust of oat in Canada was lower in 2016 to 2020 than has been reported in previous years. Virulence to all the 24 Pc genes studied was observed over the 5 years in EC and the EPR. The most effective genes were Pc94, Pc98 and Pc101 in EC and Pc50, Pc96, Pc97 and Pc98 in the EPR. Approximately 81% of 424 races identified were of unique virulence phenotypes over the 5 years, indicating a highly variable Pca population in Canada. Races JTQG-91 and GTQG-91 were the most common races identified. Collections of Pca obtained using the extensive sampling method were observed to be more genetically diverse than collections obtained using the intensive sampling method in 2018 and 2020, but not in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed rain is an influential process related to plant community diversity, composition and regeneration. However, knowledge of seed rain patterns is limited to those observed in forests and late‐assembling grasslands, which might not reflect early assembling communities such as newly restored grasslands. Resolving this gap in our understanding provides further insight into the role of seed dispersal.Here, we measured seed rain in a remnant tallgrass prairie, which was the site of the foundational grassland seed rain study in 1978, and a nearby chronosequence of tallgrass prairie restorations. We sought to determine how the quantity, seed mass traits, timing, diversity and composition of seed rain changed (1) long‐term and (2) during community assembly. To do so, we deployed artificial turf grass seed traps into 2‐year‐old, 5–6‐year‐old and 15‐year‐old restored prairies and the remnant prairie, replacing traps every 2 weeks from May to December 2019.We captured over twice the density and richness of seed rain in the remnant prairie in 2019 compared to 1978. We also found that seed rain patterns changed as prairies aged, with each prairie possessing a distinct community of dispersing species. Significantly more seeds, seed biomass, and species were captured in the youngest restored prairie. However, seed mass traits were similar in all prairies. Except for composition, all other seed rain metrics in the oldest restoration were eventually comparable to the remnant prairie.Synthesis and applications: Our results revealed that grasslands, notably young prairies, produce larger quantities of seed rain than previously known (124,806 seeds m−2 year−1, 97.24 g m−2 year−1), and seed input in all sampled prairies far exceeded restoration broadcast seeding densities. We further found that decreases in seed rain quantity across the chronosequence did not correspond with increases in seed mass, suggesting a lack of trade‐offs between these metrics. Furthermore, tallgrass prairie restorations have not replicated the composition of seed rain seen in remnant systems. Increasing restoration seeding rates of desirable species may be needed to meet composition goals since current rates may not compete with the propagule pressure of undesirable species found in newly restored prairies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peromyscus sonoriensis is a widespread species ranging from southern Texas to the Yukon, from the Mississippi to the Pacific. Because of this extensive range, there are substantial differences in morphology due to variation in temperature, precipitation, and habitat. We used 2 data sets (n = 4,840 and n = 20,175) to study morphological differences of their crania and appendages. Consistent with Allen's rule (shorter appendages with colder temperature), both data sets show a strong, positive, correlation between tail length and the average January temperature. However, there was an equally strong, but negative, correlation between tail length and average July temperature. We observed similar results for feet and crania. Ear length had a significant negative correlation with July average temperature but no correlation with January average temperature. When we controlled for temperature, cranial and appendage length increased with latitude, which was opposite of what we expected. Furthermore, longitude had a strong impact as mice trapped further west had longer appendages. When divided into habitats, forest deer mice are more likely than prairie or desert deer mice to demonstrate morphological responses to differences in climate, location, and year trapped. Our results show that P. sonoriensis exhibit notable morphological variation linked to location, habitat, and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plains Bison once had the largest population and range of any terrestrial herbivore in North America. Bison now occupy less than 2% of their historic range, mostly behind fences of state-run and private organizations. In 2014, Indigenous groups across North America signed The Buffalo Treaty, calling for bison rewilding. This paper examines barriers to rewilding on Canada's prairies in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Through interviews we asked government and NGO representatives what prevents bison reintroduction and rewilding. Our results suggest that the main barriers are social acceptance and material resources. These findings support previous research in the United States and Europe and provides a foundation for future research that could include other actors, such as landowners, Indigenous organizations, and industry representatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of wheat in North America represents a relatively recent endeavour, spanning a mere 150 years. This relatively brief period of its recent cultivation has allowed the opportunity to document the threats and diseases farmers had to face from the start. In this minireview, our primary objective is to provide a detailed exploration of the historical context on how we end up effectively managing what was once among the most destructive and hard to manage diseases affecting wheat, namely, common bunt (covered smut). This review delves into the early research efforts dedicated to understanding the biology of the causal pathogens and developing effective management approaches. These efforts encompass a wide spectrum of potential methods, ranging from seed treatments to cropping practices, and the development of genetic resistance. Throughout this exploration, we will also spotlight the remarkable scientific success story that has unfolded within the Canadian context. In essence, this review aims to provide a scientific examination of the history, challenges and innovative approaches associated with mitigating the impact of bunt pathogens on wheat cultivation in North America, and future challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Prairies are one of the major agricultural regions of the world in terms of cereal, oilseed and pulse crop production. With few exceptions, major insect pests like grasshoppers, flea beetles, Lygus bugs, wireworms and pea leaf weevils are controlled with insecticides. Wheat stem sawfly is managed through host plant resistance and endemic natural enemies, whereas cereal leaf beetle is managed through classical biological control. Large farms and short growing seasons in the region present logistical challenges to adopt time intensive pest management systems such as trap crops. Therefore, there is no adoption of trap crops even though some research has demonstrated their potential. In this article we present a brief overview of the pest status and management, and we summarize research on trap crops in the Prairies Ecozone and adjacent ecoregions. We conclude the review with some innovative research ideas to make trap cropping a more appealing pest management system in our quest to reduce dependency on chemical insecticides and increase the environmental resilience of Canadian agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disturbances are drivers of ecosystem function and play important roles in shaping ecological communities. Prescribed fire and grazing disturbances are common management tools in restored and remnant grasslands. The effects of these management actions on plant communities and on vegetation-dwelling invertebrates are generally well studied. However, less is known about their effects on ground-dwelling invertebrates, which can contribute to important ecosystem processes like herbivory, predation, and decomposition. We examined bison grazing and prescribed fire effects on abundance, diversity, and community composition of ground-dwelling invertebrate groups in restored tallgrass prairies using pitfall trap samples. Surprisingly, invertebrate Shannon diversity decreased when bison were present and was unaffected by fire or the fire–bison interaction. Bison, and to a lesser extent fire, also shifted community composition, increasing abundance of ground, rove, and dung beetles, as well as orthopterans and spiders. Prescribed fire generally increased beetles but caused declines in several ecologically diverse invertebrate groups, including harvestmen and true bugs, although these reduced abundances did not lead to differences in overall diversity. Bison presence may amplify the abundances of dominant groups, such as ground and dung beetles and orthopterans, that outcompete other invertebrates and reduce diversity. Implications for insect conservation: Prescribed fire and grazing by bison change ground-dwelling invertebrate community composition, but bison presence did not reduce the abundance of most taxonomic groups. Fire may have short-term negative impacts on some invertebrate groups that promote desirable invertebrate-driven ecosystem processes, but these effects are likely short-lived, and the resulting environmental mosaic under bison and fire management could support biodiversity over the long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AAC Lariat is a hulled, two-row, spring, general purpose barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar widely adapted to western Canada. It was developed from the cross AAC Synergy/TR09398 made in 2010 and it was evaluated in the Western Cooperative Two-row Barley Registration Test (2019–2020) before being registered in 2022. With its high yield, good standability, and disease resistance, AAC Lariat will offer a good production choice for feed growers across the Prairies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing from megaherbivores such as bison (Bison bison) and periodic fire are 2 important disturbance regimes in grassland ecosystems. In restored tallgrass prairies where these processes were previously removed, prescribed fire application and bison reintroduction are tools used by managers to recreate habitat heterogeneity formed by these disturbances. Tallgrass prairie bird communities may be indirectly affected by these disturbances, as bison and prescribed fire alter the structure of critical breeding habitat for grassland birds. The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of bison and prescribed fire on grassland breeding birds in 2 tallgrass prairie preserves in the Midwest region of the United States. We surveyed bird communities, vegetation structure, and bison activity at an Illinois preserve (n = 20 sites) and an Indiana preserve (n = 27 sites) in 2020 and 2021 and compiled a history of restoration activities (e.g., prescribed fire, planting year) at these sites. Grazing and fire disturbances affected grassland bird diversity and abundances, whereas we found little to no evidence that restoration planting age and spatiotemporal factors affected grassland bird populations. Disturbance effects often corresponded to species‐specific responses to changes in vegetation structure. Grassland‐obligate bird diversity was lower in recently burned and ungrazed management units, in comparison to unburned‐ungrazed and unburned‐grazed sites. Henslow's sparrow (Centronyx henslowii), a species known to be sensitive to recent prescribed fire, exhibited increased abundance with time since fire, an increase that was further amplified with bison presence. These results highlight the importance of applying varying levels of grazing and fire disturbance to provide variable vegetation structure to accommodate the habitat preferences of a diversity of grassland bird species. Moreover, our results indicate that bison may play a role in mediating the differing effects of variable prescribed fire frequencies on grassland bird species of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously known as Allophaiomys cf pliocaenicus, a new species of Pedomys is described from the early Pleistocene Java local fauna of South Dakota. Biostratigraphic correlations place the fauna between 2.0 and 1.29 Ma. Pedomys javaensis n. sp. is characterised by a first lower molar (m1) with three closed triangles (T) and a simple anteroconid (ACD) with a rare development of buccal re-entrant angle 5 defining an incipient T7. Connections between T5 and the ACD and T4–5 are broad, and the enamel is, on average, slightly positively differentiated. The M3 is simple, with distinct T5 and a relatively deep, posteriorly directed third lingual re-entrant angle. Twenty-two per cent of the Java m1s share morphological characters with Pedomys, prairie voles, suggesting that Pedomys originated from an early Pleistocene North American Allophaiomys-like ancestor. In the calculated ratios of m1 measurements, the new species lies morphologically between the Old World Allophaiomys deucalion and A. pliocaenicus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands converted to agricultural land use can be reestablished by sowing seeds of native species and temporal dynamics of diversity under altered climate can inform community assembly in the context of global change. We quantified three aspects of diversity (species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and functional diversity) in restored prairie plots sown with different ecotypes of two dominant grass species and manipulated rainfall to understand the relative importance of abiotic filtering and population source of dominant species on community assembly. We also evaluated the contributions of intra‐ and interspecific variations in functional traits across plots sown with different ecotypes of dominant species. Since the fourth year of community establishment, species richness decreased over time as dominant species gradually established. Phylogenetic and functional diversity was unaffected by the ecotypic sources of dominant species during restoration. Experimental drought did not affect species richness, phylogenetic, or functional diversity. Community structure in the grasslands was mainly shaped by intraspecific, within‐population variation in the dominant species rather than by differences in traits among species. Our results showed that intraspecific biotic interactions contribute more than environmental filtering to community assembly in a tallgrass‐dominated prairie ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems are frequently considered to be controlled by predation (top‐down). Experiments examined this in four bird/spider/grasshopper/prairie habitats over 34 years, employing in each habitat three 100 m2 bird exclosures and controls (121 habitat/year cases) where plant, grasshopper, and spider abundances were measured. Top‐down control (plants decrease and grasshoppers increase with bird exclusion) was observed in only 13.2% of cases, while plants increased and grasshoppers decreased in 33.1% of cases, plants decreased and grasshoppers decreased in 25.6% of cases, and plants increased and grasshoppers increased in 28.1% of cases. Therefore, top‐down control was not common and system responses were not constant, but varied among sites, years, and directionally over time with climate change. This diversity of responses is expected given the variety of underlying processes in complex ecosystems. For example, decision tree/discriminant analysis found that plant decreases and increases with bird exclusion were correctly identified in 78.3% of cases by grasshopper hatchling abundance, plant cover, and annual net primary production (ANPP), while grasshopper decreases and increases with bird exclusion were correctly identified in 76.7% of cases by edible plant biomass per grasshopper hatchling, grasshopper hatchling abundance, and large grasshopper abundance. Analysis of other system‐wide terrestrial trophic experiments indicates that the variety of responses observed by us over time and space may be common so that system‐wide trophic responses may, in general, be more variable than either top‐down or bottom‐up as often considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Robert A. Fensome, a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada - Atlantic, has been awarded the AASP-TPS Medal for Scientific Excellence for his exceptional work in dinoflagellate cyst taxonomy. His career began in England, where he developed a passion for geology and palaeontology, leading him to study palynology under the mentorship of William A. S. Sarjeant. Throughout his 40-year tenure, Dr. Fensome has made significant contributions to the field of palynology, particularly in the study of Mesozoic and Cenozoic dinoflagellate cysts, and has been actively involved in various scientific committees and outreach activities. His dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and nurturing the next generation of researchers has established him as a prominent figure in the field of palynology. [Extracted from the article]

The prairies of Canada support a diversity of insect pollinators that contribute pollination services to flowering crops and wild plants. Habitat loss and use of managed pollinators has increased conservation concerns for wild pollinators, as mounting evidence suggests that honey bees (Apis mellifera) may reduce their diversity and abundance. Plant-pollinator community analyses often omit non-bee pollinators, which can be valuable contributors to pollination services. Here, we experimentally introduced honey bees to examine how their abundance affects the species richness, diversity, abundance, species composition, interaction richness, and interaction diversity of all wild pollinators, and of four higher taxa separately. We identified all insect pollinators and analyzed how honey bee abundance affected the above biodiversity metrics, controlling for flower abundance and flower species richness. Even with high honey bee densities, there was no change to any of these variables, except that beetle species diversity increased. All other taxa had no significant relationship to honey bee abundance. Considering the widespread use of managed honey bees, the effect they have on wild pollinators should be firmly established. Our results suggest that honey bees have little to no short-term impact on the wild pollinator community or its interactions with plants in this native grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camelina (Camelina sativa) elite germplasm C17-833 was developed at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Saskatoon Research and Development Centre. It was developed through hybridization of camelina cultivar AAC 10CS0048 and F4 line 11CS0231-24-10 and subsequent pedigree selection. C17-833 yields significantly higher (114%) than the check cultivar AAC 10CS0048. It also has significantly higher seed oil content (42.6% vs. 41.9%) and significantly larger seeds (126%). C17-833 has very good resistance to downy mildew disease caused by Hyalonospora camelinae and is adapted to all soil zones of the Canadian Prairies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular plant defense against pathogens is mediated by a class of disease resistance genes known as NB‐LRRs or NLRs (R genes). Many of the diseases these genes protect against are more prevalent in regions of higher rainfall, which provide better growth conditions for the pathogens. As such, we expect a higher selective pressure for the maintenance and proliferation of R genes in plants adapted to wetter conditions. In this study, we enriched libraries for R genes using RenSeq from baits primarily developed from the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) reference genome. We sequenced the R gene libraries of Silphium integrifolium Michx, a perennial relative of sunflower, from 12 prairie remnants across a rainfall gradient in the Central Plains of the United States, with both Illumina short‐read (n = 99) and PacBio long‐read (n = 10) approaches. We found a positive relationship between the mean effective annual precipitation of a plant's source prairie remnant and the number of R genes in its genome, consistent with intensity of plant pathogen coevolution increasing with precipitation. We show that RenSeq can be applied to the study of ecological hypotheses in non‐model relatives of model organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Skin cancer rates in Canada are rising quickly, with about one-third of Canadians likely to be affected in their lifetime. Despite this alarming trend, government actions to reduce skin cancer are limited. Our study, conducted in Manitoba, found that many residents have risky sun exposure habits and lack awareness about skin cancer. Over 65% reported a history of sunburns, more than half had used tanning beds, and a large majority recently tanned for pleasure. Misconceptions are common, with over 50% believing that tans are healthy or a sign of beauty. Moreover, sun protection practices are inadequate, with less than 60% using protective clothing and under 50% using sunscreen. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health campaigns to improve awareness and promote better sun protection behaviors to prevent future skin cancers in Manitoba. The rapidly increasing skin cancer rates in Canada are alarming, with current data estimating that 1/3 of Canadians will be affected in their lifetime. Thus, deeper understanding of high-risk sun exposure behaviors is needed to help counter this trend. Only limited action has been taken by federal/provincial governments to reduce skin cancer incidence. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Manitoba, with frequency counts, means, and percentages used to encapsulate responses. Age- and gender-adjusted odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression analyses. Our study identified worrying inadequacies in sun protective behaviors and attitudes, with the threat of such high-risk behaviors amplified by a lack of skin cancer awareness. Alarming elements were noted in participants' sun exposure history (>65% reported a history of sunburns, >50% previously used a tanning bed, and >75% recently tanned for pleasure), beliefs and attitudes (>50% believe that they look better/healthier with a tan, and >40% believe that having a base tan is protective against further sun damage), and sun protection efforts (sun protective clothing was used <60% of the time, sunscreen was used by <50%, and there was a lack of knowledge about sunscreen characteristics in ~30% of respondents), in addition to significant differences being established between demographic subgroups (based on gender, age, skin phototype, income, and education attained). This study provides worrisome insight onto the grim landscape of sun protective behaviors and attitudes in Manitoba, which will inevitably translate into higher skin cancer rates and should serve as a call to action to promote targeted public health messaging in this jurisdiction and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles within the issue on topics including the prairie as a kind of Deleuzian espace lisse, Western representations of nature and the romantic notion of the desert, and the transmission of the Algerian immigration's memory in France.

Agricultural habitats are frequently disturbed, and disturbances could have major effects on species in upper trophic levels such as hymenopteran parasitoids that are important for biological control. A strategy for conservation biological control is to provide a diversified agricultural landscape which increases the availability of resources such as sugar required by parasitoid biological control agents. Here, we ask whether parasitoids occurring in agriculture benefit from sugar resources more or less than parasitoids occurring in natural habitats surrounding agricultural fields. We collected parasitoids from agricultural alfalfa fields, field margins, and natural prairies, and in the lab we randomly divided them into two treatments: half were given a constant supply of a sugar source to test their residual lifespan, and half were given neither sugar nor water to test their hardiness. Collected individuals were monitored daily and their day of death recorded. Parasitoids receiving a sugar source lived substantially longer than those without. Parasitoids collected in prairies lived longer than those from alfalfa fields in both the residual lifespan and hardiness treatments, with parasitoids from field margins being intermediate between them. Furthermore, the benefits of a sugar source to increase longevity was lower for parasitoids collected in agriculture than in natural habitats. This suggests that, even though parasitoid biological control agents benefit from sugar resources, their short lifespans make the benefit of sugar resources small compared to parasitoids that occur in natural habitats and have longer lifespans, and are adapted to consistent sugar sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing resilience in formerly degraded ecosystems is an important goal of restoration ecology. However, evidence for the recovery of resilience and its underlying mechanisms require long‐term experiments and comparison with reference ecosystems. We used data from an experimental prairie restoration that featured long‐term soil heterogeneity manipulations and data from two long‐term experiments located in a comparable remnant (reference) prairie to (1) quantify the recovery of ecosystem functioning (i.e., productivity) relative to remnant prairie, (2) compare the resilience of restored and remnant prairies to a natural drought, and (3) test whether soil heterogeneity enhances resilience of restored prairie. We compared sensitivity and legacy effects between prairie types (remnant and restored) and among four prairie sites that included two remnant prairie sites and prairie restored under homogeneous and heterogeneous soil conditions. We measured sensitivity and resilience as the proportional change in aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) during and following drought (sensitivity and legacy effects, respectively) relative to average ANPP based on 4 pre‐drought years (2014–2017). In nondrought years, total ANPP was similar between remnant and restored prairie, but remnant prairie had higher grass productivity and lower forb productivity compared with restored prairie. These ANPP patterns generally persisted during drought. The sensitivity of total ANPP to drought was similar between restored and remnant prairie, but grasses in the restored prairie were more sensitive to drought. Post‐drought legacy effects were more positive in the restored prairie, and we attributed this to the more positive and less variable legacy response of forb ANPP in the restored prairie, especially in the heterogeneous soil treatment. Our results suggest that productivity recovers in restored prairie and exhibits similar sensitivity to drought as in remnant prairie. Furthermore, creating heterogeneity promotes forb productivity and enhances restored prairie resilience to drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Prairie cropping systems face several challenges, including high input costs and climate change. Research to address these challenges has focused on above-ground agronomic parameters while completely ignoring the role roots play below ground. The objectives of this review study are to (i) synthesize past root studies carried out in the Canadian Prairies, (ii) provide a context for prairie root research, and (iii) identify gaps for future research. This review reports that root architectural traits of major crops have been assessed under field and greenhouse conditions in soil, artificial media, and a mixture of both soil and media, mostly under natural/well-watered and drought conditions. Several root traits have been compared for major crops grown with respect to moisture levels and nutrient uptake. A dearth of research exists on the complex relationship between root traits, soil microbiome, nutrient uptake, carbon sequestration, and photosynthetic efficiency. No studies were found relating root traits, fertilizer placement, and nitrogen and water use efficiencies, carbon sequestration, soil microbiome dynamics, and common root diseases. This review also reports that more research and funding are needed to exploit the benefits that root research will bring to further sustainability goals and ensure food security in the Canadian Prairies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding ryegrass for reduced inorganic phosphorus (Pi) concentrations in leaf vacuoles could lower pasture P fertiliser requirements with economic and environmental benefits. We investigated foliar Pi% accumulation characteristics of a range of ryegrass cultivars and ecotypes in glasshouse experiments, and ryegrass cultivars from two field trials. Pi in ryegrass was also compared with Pi in cocksfoot, tall fescue, prairie grass and Phalaris in a glasshouse experiment. Pi expressed as a percentage of leaf total phosphorus was higher (average 82.5%) in the older ryegrass cultivars – Ruanui, and Nui and the New Zealand hill country ecotypes (85%) than in more recently bred cultivars like Aberdart and One50 (74.7%). In the other grass species, foliar Pi% was lowest in prairie grass, intermediate in tall fescue with the highest values in cocksfoot, Phalaris and ryegrass. The results suggest that including a lower Pi concentration in future ryegrass breeding programmes might improve ryegrass P use efficiency without compromising growth rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐crop vegetation areas in agricultural landscapes are vital for maintaining biodiversity. However, they potentially host pest insects, which can cause economic loss in crop fields.Some insect species have been found to spill into crops from these areas, but this varies depending on species, landscape composition and the time of the season.To determine if five common pest insects of canola crops were spilling into fields during the late growing season, we collected samples at various distances from non‐crop areas, in a part of the Canadian Prairies (Alberta, Canada) where this crop is widely grown.Sampling occurred at 15 sites in each of 10 fields (N = 150 sites). We modelled changes in pest abundance over distance from the non‐crop areas and contrasted the abundance of each taxon in the crop and non‐crop areas.Only leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) demonstrated a declining gradient in abundance that is consistent with spillover from non‐crop vegetation areas into the canola fields. Weevils were found to have significantly higher abundance in the non‐crop areas, indicating a relationship between this taxon and the non‐crop area in the late season, but there was no decline in abundance, which might indicate spillover occurring. All taxa demonstrated spatial differences in abundance among fields.This study found limited evidence that the pests are spilling over from non‐crop vegetation into canola crops during the late season. Therefore, movement of pests from non‐crop vegetation areas at this time is unlikely to be a driver of pest pressure for this economically important crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing health inequalities among older adults is crucial to ensuring healthy aging is within reach for all. The current study provides a timely update on demographic- and geographic-related inequalities in healthy aging among older adults residing in Canadian communities. Methods: Data was extracted from the Canadian Health Survey on Seniors [2019–2020] for ~6 million adults aged 65 years and older residing in 10 provinces of Canada. Healthy aging was defined by two indices: 1] health-related quality of life and 2] functional health. Poisson regression models and spatial mapping were used to demonstrate inequalities among age, race, and sex categories, and health regions. Results: Approximately 90.3% of individuals reported less than perfect quality of life and 18.8% reported less than perfect functional health. The prevalence of less than perfect quality of life was higher for females [PR 1.14, 95% CI;1.02–1.29] and for older adults aged ≥80 years as compared to males and older adults aged ≤79 years [PR 1.66, 95% CI;1.49–1.85]. Similarly, the prevalence of less than perfect functional health was higher for females [PR 1.58, 95% CI;1.32–1.89] and for older adults aged ≥80 years [PR 2.71, 95% CI;2.59–2.84]. Spatial mapping showed that regions of lower quality of life were concentrated in the Prairies and Western Ontario, whereas regions of higher quality of life were concentrated in Quebec. Conclusions: Amongst older individuals residing in Canadian communities, less than perfect quality of life and functional health is unequally distributed among females, older adults aged ≥80 years, and those residing in the Prairie regions specifically. Newer policy should focus on interventions targeted at these subpopulations to ensure that healthy aging in within reach for all Canadians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat management can directly impact Setophaga discolor (Prairie Warbler) abundance and distribution. Despite regional declines, Prairie Warbler populations at Camp Edwards (Bourne, MA) have increased. To investigate habitat-management effects on Prairie Warbler populations at Camp Edwards, we used a dynamic-occupancy model to analyze a long-term monitoring dataset collected across 84 point-count sites from 2013 to 2022. The model results indicated that Prairie Warbler colonization and extinction probabilities were impacted by management (measured in years since disturbance). Colonization probability was highest initially after disturbance, then subsequently decreased for ∼50 years, and extinction probability also decreased for ∼25 years. Both probabilities remained low before increasing at ∼75 years since disturbance. The increase in colonization probability >75 years since disturbance may have been an artifact of our study design and incomplete disturbance records. We also found that latitude and longitude significantly affected colonization probability, likely a result of how habitat types are distributed across the base. These results inform how Prairie Warblers respond to long-term management, suggesting that habitat management could improve colonization rates and sustain Prairie Warbler populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development and incorporation of the community of Govan, Saskatchewan, as it transitioned from a budding settlement to an officially recognized town. Topics include the establishment of civic structures and responsibilities, the impact of fire hazards on the community, and the growth of local businesses and social events that shaped the town's character.

The article focuses on the author's journey to photograph forgotten vintage cars as a way to combine his passion for cars and photography while coping with Parkinson's disease. Topics include the personal connection between cars and memories of the 1950s and '60s, the challenges faced during a photography expedition across the Canadian prairies, and the inspiration behind the "Vanishing Wheels" project to preserve automotive relics and raise awareness for Parkinson's.

Juvenile survival is critical to population persistence and evolutionary change. However, the survival of juvenile plants from emergence to reproductive maturity is rarely quantified. This is especially true for long‐lived perennials with extended pre‐reproductive periods. Furthermore, studies rarely have the replication necessary to account for variation among populations and cohorts. We estimated juvenile survival and its relationship to population size, density of conspecifics, distance to the maternal plant, age, year, and cohort for Echinacea angustifolia, a long‐lived herbaceous perennial. In 14 remnant prairie populations over seven sampling years, 2007–2013, we identified 886 seedlings. We then monitored these individuals annually until 2021 (8–15 years). Overall, juvenile mortality was very high; for almost all cohorts fewer than 10% of seedlings survived to age 8 or to year 2021. Only two of the seedlings reached reproductive maturity within the study period. Juvenile survival increased with distance from the maternal plant and varied more among the study years than it did by age or cohort. Juvenile survival did not vary with population size or local density of conspecific neighbors. Our results suggest that low juvenile survival could contribute to projected population declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline of wild bee pollinators has prompted habitat reconstruction in many regions around the world in order to increase the floral resources available to pollinators. Relatively little research has monitored the genetic differentiation and the relatedness of founding bumblebee populations during the colony recruitment process after vegetation is planted in the landscape. We surveyed nine 3‐year post‐planting reconstructed prairie sites located in the corn belt of the U.S. Midwest, where the landscape is largely dominated by industrialized row crops. Using seven microsatellite loci from 103 Bombus griseocollis, we examined the population genetics of this generalist bee's colonies established on these newly constructed prairie sites. When analyzed, B. griseocollis populations from an older reconstructed site were more genetically distinct from newly established bumblebee populations on reconstructed sites, while the new reconstructed sites exhibited no genetic structure. The floral richness or abundance at the reconstructed sites did not contribute to the allelic richness of the recolonized bumblebee populations. We did, however, find significant negative correlations between the bumblebee populations' allelic richness and the percent coverage of row‐crop farmland in the surrounding landscape and positive correlations between the allelic richness and forest and woody wetland habitat covers. This finding strongly indicates the importance of the composition of the surrounding landscape in the recruitment period of the founding pollinator populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rangelands are the dominant land use across a broad swath of central North America where they span a wide gradient, from <350 to >900 mm, in mean annual precipitation. Substantial efforts have examined temporal and spatial variation in aboveground net primary production (ANPP) to precipitation (PPT) across this gradient. In contrast, net secondary productivity (NSP, e.g., primary consumer production) has not been evaluated analogously. However, livestock production, which is a form of NSP or primary consumer production supported by primary production, is the dominant non‐cultivated land use and an integral economic driver in these regions. Here, we used long‐term (mean length = 19 years) ANPP and NSP data from six research sites across the Central Great Plains with a history of a conservative stocking to determine resource (i.e., PPT)–productivity relationships, NSP sensitivities to dry‐year precipitation, and regional trophic efficiencies (e.g., NSP:ANPP ratio). PPT–ANPP relationships were linear for both temporal (site‐based) and spatial (among site) gradients. The spatial PPT–NSP model revealed that PPT mediated a saturating relationship for NSP as sites became more mesic, a finding that contrasts with many plant‐based PPT–ANPP relationships. A saturating response to high growing‐season precipitation suggests biogeochemical rather than vegetation growth constraints may govern NSP (i.e., large herbivore production). Differential sensitivity in NSP to dry years demonstrated that the primary consumer production response heightened as sites became more xeric. Although sensitivity generally decreased with increasing precipitation as predicted from known PPT–ANPP relationships, evidence suggests that the dominant species' identity and traits influenced secondary production efficiency. Non‐native northern mixed‐grass prairie was outperformed by native Central Great Plains rangeland in sensitivity to dry years and efficiency in converting ANPP to NSP. A more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms leading to differences in producer and consumer responses will require multisite experiments to assess biotic and abiotic determinants of multi‐trophic level efficiency and sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting how biological communities assemble in restored ecosystems can assist in conservation efforts, but most research has focused on plants, with relatively little attention paid to soil microbial organisms that plants interact with. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are an ecologically significant functional group of soil microbes that form mutualistic symbioses with plants and could therefore respond positively to plant community restoration. To evaluate the effects of plant community restoration on AM fungi, we compared AM fungal abundance, species richness, and community composition of five annually cultivated, conventionally managed agricultural fields with paired adjacent retired agricultural fields that had undergone prairie restoration 5–9 years prior to sampling. We hypothesized that restoration stimulates AM fungal abundance and species richness, particularly for disturbance‐sensitive taxa, and that gains of new taxa would not displace AM fungal species present prior to restoration due to legacy effects. AM fungal abundance was quantified by measuring soil spore density and root colonization. AM fungal species richness and community composition were determined in soils and plant roots using DNA high‐throughput sequencing. Soil spore density was 2.3 times higher in restored prairies compared to agricultural fields, but AM fungal root colonization did not differ between land use types. AM fungal species richness was 2.7 and 1.4 times higher in restored prairies versus agricultural fields for soil and roots, respectively. The abundance of Glomeraceae, a disturbance‐tolerant family, decreased by 25% from agricultural to restored prairie soils but did not differ in plant roots. The abundance of Claroideoglomeraceae and Diversisporaceae, both disturbance‐sensitive families, was 4.6 and 3.2 times higher in restored prairie versus agricultural soils, respectively. Species turnover was higher than expected relative to a null model, indicating that AM fungal species were gained by replacement. Our findings demonstrate that restoration can promote a relatively rapid increase in the abundance and diversity of soil microbial communities that had been degraded by decades of intensive land use, and community compositional change can be predicted by the disturbance tolerance of soil microbial taxonomic and functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution is a persistent threat to coastal ecosystems worldwide, adversely affecting soil microbiota. Soil microbial communities perform critical functions in many coastal processes, yet they are increasingly subject to oil and heavy metal pollution. Here, we assessed how small-scale contamination by oil and heavy metal impacts the diversity and functional potential of native soil bacterial communities in the gulf coast prairie dunes of a barrier island in South Texas along the northern Gulf of Mexico. We analyzed the bacterial community structure and their predicted functional profiles according to contaminant history and examined linkages between species diversity and functional potential. Overall, contaminants altered bacterial community compositions without affecting richness, leading to strongly distinct bacterial communities that were accompanied by shifts in functional potential, i.e., changes in predicted metabolic pathways across oiled, metal, and uncontaminated environments. We also observed that exposure to different contaminants can either lead to strengthened or decoupled linkages between species diversity and functional potential. Taken together, these findings indicate that bacterial communities might recover their diversity levels after contaminant exposure, but with consequent shifts in community composition and function. Furthermore, the trajectory of bacterial communities can depend on the nature or type of disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife telemetry data may be used to answer a diverse range of questions relevant to wildlife ecology and management. One challenge to modeling telemetry data is that animal movement often varies greatly in pattern over time, and current continuous‐time modeling approaches to handle such nonstationarity require bespoke and often complex models that may pose barriers to practitioner implementation. We demonstrate a novel application of treed Gaussian process (TGP) modeling, a Bayesian machine learning approach that automatically captures the nonstationarity and abrupt transitions present in animal movement. The machine learning formulation of TGPs enables modeling to be nearly automated, while their Bayesian formulation allows for the derivation of movement descriptors with associated uncertainty measures. We demonstrate the use of an existing R package to implement TGPs using the familiar Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. We then use estimated movement trajectories to derive movement descriptors that can be compared across individuals and populations. We applied the TGP model to a case study of lesser prairie‐chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) to demonstrate the benefits of TGP modeling and compared distance traveled and residence times across lesser prairie‐chicken individuals and populations. For broad usability, we outline all steps necessary for practitioners to specify relevant movement descriptors (e.g., turn angles, speed, contact points) and apply TGP modeling and trajectory comparison to their own telemetry datasets. Combining the predictive power of machine learning and the statistical inference of Bayesian methods to model movement trajectories allows for the estimation of statistically comparable movement descriptors from telemetry studies. Our use of an accessible R package allows practitioners to model trajectories and estimate movement descriptors, facilitating the use of telemetry data to answer applied management questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landsat data correction using the Land Surface Reflectance Code (LaSRC) has been proposed as the basis for the atmospheric correction of smallsats. While atmospheric correction can enhance smallsat data, the Landsat/LaSRC pathway delays output and may constrain accuracy and utility. The alternative, the Closed-form Method for Atmospheric Correction (CMAC), developed for smallsat application, provides surface reflectance derived solely from scene statistics. In a prior paper, CMAC closely agreed with LaSRC software for correction of the four VNIR bands of Landsat-8/9 images for conditions of low to moderate atmospheric effect over quasi-invariant warehouse-industrial targets. Those results were accepted as surrogate surface reflectance to support analysis of CMAC and LaSRC reliability for surface reflectance retrieval in two contrasting environments: shortgrass prairie and barren desert. Reliability was defined and tested through a null hypothesis: the same top-of-atmosphere reflectance under the same atmospheric condition will provide the same estimate of surface reflectance. Evaluated against the prior surrogate surface reflectance, the results found decreasing error with increasing wavelength for both methods. From 58 comparisons across the four bands, the LaSRC average absolute error ranged from 0.59% (NIR) to 50.30% (blue). CMAC provided reliable results: error was well constrained from 0.01% (NIR) to 0.98% (blue). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woody plant encroachment (WPE) in grassland ecosystems has been a pervasive process across the Great Plains, yet a predictive understanding of where it will occur has been elusive. As an exploration of tools of potential utility in this challenge, we mapped WPE processes over the years 2015–2021 in a set of 9 counties in central Kansas. We developed and tested two correlative models based on landscape features: one that assessed distribution of evergreen trees in 2015, and another that assessed areas of WPE in succeeding years. Both models were successful, being able to predict 2015 forest distributions and being able to predict WPE during 2015–2021, as functions of characteristics of landscapes. These simple, correlative models will certainly not be able to predict WPE processes globally, or even regionally, but provide first proof-of-concept explorations for the central Great Plains region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a short note on the lifecycle of the Yucca Giant-Skipper butterfly, which is a relatively understudied species. The researchers conducted a survey in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, to locate populations of this butterfly. They found that the adults were commonly found in two prairie habitats with an abundance of their hostplant, Yucca glauca. The caterpillars of this species bore into the plant crown and feed within the root, constructing a silken "tent" or "chimney" at the opening of the burrow. The researchers also observed signs of parasitism by dipteran pupae, indicating the presence of parasitoid species. The study raises questions about the life history of the Giant-Skippers and the potential impact of inbreeding depression. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the importance of considering public perception in ecological restoration projects. While restoration ecologists typically focus on enhancing the ecological health of an area, positive public perception can lead to increased support and funding for post-planting management. Projects that combine beauty and ecological richness can generate enthusiasm and funding for future projects. By arranging plants in visually and experientially pleasing ways, public perception can be improved without compromising the ecological value of the project. The article also explores the use of planting methodology and management practices to create coherence, legibility, complexity, and mystery in landscapes, which can further enhance public perception. [Extracted from the article]

We mapped 22 soil ecogroups and 66 ecological mapping systems (EMSs), essentially current vegetation, for eight coastal counties in South Texas, from Refugio and Aransas County south to the Mexican border. We used supervised classification to extract land cover from 10-m resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. We accessed Lidar point cloud information to derive vegetation height and then use it to distinguish among herbaceous, shrubland, and woodland-forest EMS types. We derived elevation and potential ponding information from Lidar. We created image objects (uniform polygons), from Sentinel-2 data, and attributed land cover, soil ecogroup, vegetation height, elevation, and ponding potential to the objects. We used those attributes of image objects to model EMS types. We completed heads-up modification of both land cover and EMS modeling results by using aerial photograph interpretation to improve results. The agreement between EMS-mapped type and 643 field-collected plots was >75%. The most abundant EMS types included Coastal and Sandsheet: Deep Sand Grassland (10.7% of the region); Native Invasive: Mesquite-Mixed Shrubland (5.0%); Gulf Coast: Coastal Prairie (4.6%); and South Texas: Sandy Mesquite Savanna Grassland (4.4%). The EMS results are nine times better resolution than currently available maps, and use of height to identify EMS type by distinguishing among herbaceous, shrubland, and woodland types enhanced mapping beyond what has been previously accomplished. The new EMS dataset will facilitate analysis of the distribution of habitats and modeling of species of conservation concern that are tied to EMS types or vegetation landscape patterns. Finer resolution EMS type maps can be combined with improved soil ecogroup maps to facilitate better identification of appropriate vegetation management and restoration options at resolutions that are useful to land managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In Canada's largest COVID-19 serological study, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in blood donors have been monitored since 2020. No study has analysed changes in the association between anti-N seropositivity (a marker of recent infection) and geographic and sociodemographic characteristics over the pandemic. Methods Using Bayesian multi-level models with spatial effects at the census division level, we analysed changes in correlates of SARS-CoV-2 anti-N seropositivity across three periods in which different variants predominated (pre-Delta, Delta and Omicron). We analysed disparities by geographic area, individual traits (age, sex, race) and neighbourhood factors (urbanicity, material deprivation and social deprivation). Data were from 420 319 blood donations across four regions (Ontario, British Columbia [BC], the Prairies and the Atlantic region) from December 2020 to November 2022. Results Seropositivity was higher for racialized minorities, males and individuals in more materially deprived neighbourhoods in the pre-Delta and Delta waves. These subgroup differences dissipated in the Omicron wave as large swaths of the population became infected. Across all waves, seropositivity was higher in younger individuals and those with lower neighbourhood social deprivation. Rural residents had high seropositivity in the Prairies, but not other regions. Compared to generalized linear models, multi-level models with spatial effects had better fit and lower error when predicting SARS-CoV-2 anti-N seropositivity by geographic region. Conclusions Correlates of recent COVID-19 infection have evolved over the pandemic. Many disparities lessened during the Omicron wave, but public health intervention may be warranted to address persistently higher burden among young people and those with less social deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) is listed as a state threatened species in Texas. It occupies prairies and savannas of the Gulf Coastal Plain, but also the barrier islands, many of which are exposed to rapid development and other human disturbances. This is a concern as White-tailed Hawks are known to be highly sensitive to nesting disturbance. We examined the breeding ecology of White-tailed Hawks on 3 Texas barrier islands with low (Matagorda Island) and high (Mustang and North Padre Islands) human disturbance. We found nearest-neighbor distances of nesting pairs were lowest on the island with low human disturbance (1.9 ± 0.9 km) compared to those on islands with high disturbance (2.6 ± 0.8 to 5.6 ± 3.8 km). The highest and lowest daily survival rates for nests occurred on the low human disturbance island in 2006 (0.9954) and 2007 (0.9876). The number of fledglings produced per nesting attempt was significantly lower in 2007 compared to 2006 on the low human disturbance island (P = 0.024), but there was no difference in productivity between years on the high human disturbance islands (P = 0.845). The lower density but larger fledgling numbers in the high human disturbance area may be a result of fewer White-tailed Hawks having adapted to human disturbance, but that lower density allowing for increased territory sizes and wider access to prey resources which, in turn, may have yielded increased productivity. In contrast the low human disturbance areas appear to be saturated and productivity may be limited by density-dependent factors. If White-tailed Hawks are to be conserved on the barrier islands, a better understanding of the species' tolerance and adaptability to human disturbance is needed, and a balance will need to be found between continued anthropogenic development and maintenance of adequate foraging and nesting habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prairie dogs (Cynomys sp.) are recognized as keystone species because their colonies provide habitat heterogeneity and are inhabited by specialized plant and animal communities. While many studies have demonstrated the unique ecological properties of prairie dog colonies and their effects on local grassland bird communities, few have examined how their presence influences bird diversity at a landscape scale. We collected species diversity data across 192 points within 64 80-ha sampling cells. With 11 of those 64 cells containing an active prairie dog town, we tested if the presence of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies would result in higher landscape-scale avian biodiversity in a mixed-grass prairie and sagebrush steppe ecosystem in north-central Montana. Utilizing permutational multivariate analysis of variance, we observed significant dissimilarities between avian communities with and without prairie dog colonies, and colony presence explained a moderate proportion of variance in avian diversity. Indicator species analysis found 5 species significantly associated with colony cells: Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris), Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa), Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus), Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), and Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia). These findings suggest prairie dogs play an important role in maintaining high avian biodiversity at a landscape scale within grassland ecosystems. Further, our results emphasize the importance of incorporating prairie dogs into conservation efforts for grassland birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring snow cover in prairie environments is important for understanding water and energy fluxes, agricultural production, and flooding, but difficult due to shallow snowpack and considerable snow heterogeneity. Cosmic ray neutron sensors (CRNS) are sensitive to snow within a radius of 150–250 m, which allows for continuous estimation of snow water equivalent (SWE) over a large footprint and may better represent area‐averaged snow cover in prairies than conventional SWE instruments, such as snow pillows. A CRNS was installed at Montana State University's Central Agricultural Research Center (CARC; 47.06°, −109.95°) in Moccasin, MT in coordination with NASA's SnowEx 2021 field campaign. This work assesses the feasibility of a CRNS for SWE monitoring in prairies by comparing CRNS SWE estimates to spatially distributed SWE derived from uninhabited aerial vehicle lidar snow depths within the sensor's footprint and manual snow pit measurements. Lidar observations show snow cover was highly spatially variable, with the largest snow accumulation near barriers and the least in barren fields. Additionally, we evaluate our CRNS SWE estimates using Ultra Rapid Neutron Only Simulation (URANOS) Monte Carlo simulations. Comparisons of SWE estimates derived from lidar, CRNS, and URANOS for shallow snowpack at the site yielded root mean square values of about 2 mm (approximately 30% of the mean SWE). These results suggest that the CRNS is effective at integrating over significant spatial variability within its footprint at this site. However, the spatial distribution of snow exerts a strong influence on the CRNS signal and must be considered when interpreting CRNS observations. Plain Language Summary: Snow in prairie environments can be highly variable due to a lack of tree cover and generally low relief, combined with windy conditions. In this study, we determine how accurately a cosmic ray neutron sensor (CRNS) can estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) for an agricultural site in central Montana. We found that our CRNS was sensitive to changes in the amount of water within a radius of 100–200 m from the instrument. For winter 2020–2021, the site experienced high spatial variability in snow depth, ranging from 1.7 m deep snowdrifts along a major windbreak to shallow snow or bare conditions in the agricultural fields that covered most of our 1 km2 study site. We compared CRNS SWE estimates at the site to independent SWE estimates derived from lidar snow depth maps and model simulations, and generally found agreement within the uncertainty of each SWE estimation method. This study supports that CRNS can integrate over the significant spatial variability common in prairie snowpacks, but how the snow varies around a given sensor has a strong influence on CRNS SWE estimates and must be considered when interpreting these types of observations. Key Points: We evaluate cosmic ray neutron sensor (CRNS) snow water equivalent (SWE) estimates using spatially distributed snow observations from lidar at a prairie siteWe use neutron transport model simulations to calibrate a site‐specific weighting function to represent the spatial sensitivity of a CRNSComparison to model‐ and lidar‐derived SWE show that our CRNS effectively estimates SWE for this heterogenous snowpack [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently exposed reservoir sediments, prone to colonization by invasive species, provide novel settings to test hypotheses related to soil conditions and propagule supply as potential drivers of plant assembly in disturbed ecosystems. We used a dam removal site in southwestern Wisconsin to examine the relationship between the physiochemical properties of dewatered sediments, seeding density, and plant community assembly. The plant communities from five seed densities (1000, 500, 250, 125, and 0 seed m−2) were annually assessed over four years. We hypothesized (1) that the native aboveground biomass and the proportion of native to invasive (non-seeded species) aboveground biomass would increase with the seeding density and (2) that the diversity of seeded native species would increase with a higher seeding density. We found evidence that sowing at least 500 seeds m−2 of prairie species increased their abundance, establishment, and plot diversity compared to non-seeded plants that persisted four years after seeding (p < 0.05). The seeding density treatments led to the assembly of two distinct communities: "native" and "invasive". The "native" community, assembled in plots seeded with at least 500 seeds m−2, had a greater aboveground biomass and diversity (i.e., richness) of seeded plants compared to plots with lower seed densities, and its productivity was positively related to this richness. In the "weedy" community, the diversity of invasive species had no relationship to their aboveground biomass, likely because these species share similar traits (i.e., redundancy) and may have performed similar functions within the plant community. These findings suggest that the seeding density interacted with the disturbed soil resources to increase the diversity and productivity of seeded native species and may serve as a positive feedback mechanism for the establishment of native communities in dewatered sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Streambank erosion processes influence the amount of soil material contributed to rivers and sedimentation rates in receiving reservoirs. However, the amount of data on bank erosion rates is limited both in range and extent affecting planning for mitigation and watershed management. Dendrogeomorphology is used to determine the date of wood anatomy changes in annual growth increments of roots exposed by erosion of stream banks that when coupled with measurement of the distance of roots to the channel side can be used to calculate the bank retreat rate. Erosion rates derived from dendrogeomorphology are important because these provide erosion data over longer time scales (decades). Here, we use this method to quantify erosion for three different sized watersheds (4 to 3781 km2) located in the water‐scarce southern U.S. prairies that are heavily reliant on surface water and reservoir storage. From 49 roots from the two smaller drainages, erosion ranged from 1.5 to 25.4. For 19 roots collected from the larger subbasin erosion rates were larger ranging from 7.4 to 325.0 cm/years with the larger values and variance associated with two high‐flow events that occurred a year before sampling. We also found differences in straight and meandering portions of the streams where the distance to bank was strongly and positively correlated with the years since root exposure in straight sections. In contrast, meandering bends also showed a positive but low correlation for root exposure date and distance collected. We attribute this difference to erosional processes (i.e., scour and mass wasting) occurring at these channel locations. When compared with other erosion studies across the southern U.S. prairie, our values were similar in magnitude but with low correlation to drainage area indicating site specificity of erosion mechanisms, and watershed landcover influence for different drainages, despite being in the same ecological region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect declines have become pronounced in prairie ecosystems, particularly in areas of agricultural intensification. Non-target pesticide exposure has been raised as a key concern for prairie remnant health. Over seven years, we screened grass and soil samples for the presence and quantities of hundreds of pesticides from five prairies in Minnesota and South Dakota that are designated as Critical Habitat for two globally endangered butterflies: Poweshiek skipperling and Dakota skipper. We documented dozens of pesticides across all sites and years on their larval host grasses. Interiors of prairies were not less likely to have detectable pesticides than along prairie-agriculture edges. Broad-spectrum organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides were common in late season. Chlorpyrifos quantities were higher at sites where both endangered species have been extirpated. Neonicotinoid insecticides, which have been frequently attributed to declines in insect pollinators, did not present a significant exposure signal in these prairie habitats. Few pesticides were detected in soil or early season grass samples. The prevalence and quantities of pesticides we observed are likely underestimates, and additional research is needed on the landscape of risk at small and large scales. Implications for Conservation: Protected prairies are not immune to the risk of pesticide exposure, which may impact efforts to re-establish lost populations of imperiled prairie insects, including endangered butterflies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined opportunities and barriers for implementing evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs in Prairie Canadian Schools. Educators from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta completed an online survey on SEL feasibility and reported on five feasibility domains: (1) attitudes about SEL, (2) knowledge about SEL, (3) job stress, (4) resources for implementing SEL, and (5) SEL practices. Results indicated that positive attitudes toward SEL significantly predicted increased perceived feasibility for evidence-based SEL implementation. Additionally, both knowledge and access to resources predicted increased SEL practice by Prairie Canadian educators. Analyses for open-ended responses paralleled quantitative results. Specifically, Canadian educators had positive views about SEL programing, but like previous research conducted in other countries, indicated that they require better access to SEL training, and resources (e.g., more time to plan and teach SEL, funding and program materials). A unique Canadian context-related finding from this study was that some Prairie Canadian educators indicated a paucity of French materials for SEL programs, which impeded implementation. In order to effectively implement evidence-based SEL in Prairie Canadian schools, policy makers must address the indicated barriers for Canadian educators, such as increased SEL training and resources, and easy access to appropriate French materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]