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The management of the new North American prairie at Wakehurst Place is described, including the difficulties faced when some species threaten to become dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of the North American prairie gardens at Wakehurst Place is described, with details of different stages in the planting, designed to form a species-rich perennial sward which will be self-sustaining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial difficulties in germinating the PRAIRIE dropseed grass Sporobolus heterolepis (A. Gray) A. Gray and the ways in which they were it was overcome are described. The resulting seedlings are grown in deep plugs before being planted out in the developing prairie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory behind the ecology and plant associations of prairie grasslands is summarised, and compared with conventional horticultural perennial planting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eryngium yuccifolium, the RATTLESNAKE MASTER, a characteristic species of tall-grass prairies in eastern North America, is illustrated from plants growing in the North American Prairie planting at Wakehurst Place; its history, ecology, pollination and cultivation are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monarda punctata, the SPOTTED BEE-BALM or DOTTED HORSEMINT, is illustrated from plants growing in the North American Prairie planting at Wakehurst Place; its history, ecology, pollination and cultivation are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American Prairie plant Liatris aspera Michx. (Compositae: Eupatorieae: Liatrinae) is illustrated and described. The tribe Eupatorieae, subtribe Liatrinae and the genus Liatris Gaertn. ex Schreb. are discussed, along with comments on cultivated members of the tribe, and the position of Liatris aspera in the genus indicated, as well as the existence of sympatry with two other species, and the presence of natural hybrids between the three. Notes on cultivation, propagation, pests and diseases and availability of L. aspera are given, along with indications of the distribution of the species, its habitat and ecology, etymology, phenology, conservation status and known vernacular names. The lack of type material of Liatris aspera Michx. and Liatris spheroidea [sic!] Michx. in Paris, the acceptance of infraspecific taxa in Liatris aspera, and the controversy over the ability to age plants via 'growth rings', are discussed, along with concerns how early research might have been covered by 'guilt-free collection'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symphyotrichum laeve (L.) Á. Löve & D. Löve (Compositae: Astereae: Symphyotrichinae) is described and illustrated, and the species is provided with an expanded synonymy that includes type citations, known types, and supplementary comments for the presently accepted varieties. A commentary on the tribal position of Symphyotrichum, its recognition, infrageneric classification, and the placement of S. laeve within that classification, is provided. Most recently, Symphyotrichum laeve has been divided into four varieties, although it might be more appropriate to recognise just two subspecies; the appropriate synonymy is suggested by amalgamating the two pairs' synonymies. The material grown in the North American Prairie plantings at Wakehurst Place is more aptly called S. laeve var. laeve (or subsp. laeve) largely by the conspicuous diamond-shaped apical green patch on the phyllaries, and the phyllaries markedly gradate nature. Notes are provided on cultivation and propagation, pests and diseases, and availability. Although illustrated previously, in 1830, the plate of Aster laevigatus was somewhat stylized, and the name, possibly applicable to Lamarck's, Willdenow's or Purch's concept, at best sensu auctt. A short commentary on Oliver Atkins Farwell, author of a few infraspecific names of, is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American Prairie landscape at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew at Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex, is discussed. The abundance of the Compositae in the North American Prairies is outlined, by tribe, and comments provided on a range of 105 interesting Compositae that could be considered in prairie plantings, for dry, moist and wet situations. The exclusion of a number of plants that are most unsuitable for prairie plantings is also covered, with whole tribes, such as the Cardueae and Anthemideae, excluded from potential planting schemes, and a limited selection made from the Lactuceae and Senecioneae. The Astereae, other than providing a large selection of potential prairie plants, is discussed more fully, especially with the break-up of the core genus Aster. Both inside and outside of the prairie environment there have been many taxonomic changes, with name changes of concern to taxonomists and horticulturists alike. Shaw's list is revised, relevant to those he left in Aster, and some observations made on how the splitting of Aster is still an active area of research. The differing propagation methods, in general and for the Compositae in particular, are outlined, covering vegetative propagation methods, and seed harvesting, cleaning, and sowing preparation techniques outlined. A number of previously published plates from Curtis's Botanical Magazine are used to illustrate some of the tribes, and are supplemented by photographs of several species, mostly from the Heliantheae, in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The supportive appendices cover: Appendix 1 - 105 suitable Compositae that can be considered for prairie plantings, each with an indication of tribe, common name/s, publication details of those previously illustrated in Curtis's Botanical Magazine (or in this issue), the plate number under which it was published, together with those republished in this issue, and photographs of a handful of others, together with an indication of the base colour/s of the flowering capitula of each, and Appendix 2 an updated list of the species left in Aster in Shaw's 2014 list following several subsequent transfers into other genera, and a different view of the taxonomy of some of the genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American Prairie plant Eurybia spectabilis (Aiton) G.L. Nesom (Compositae: Astereae: Machaerantherinae), the SHOWY ASTER is illustrated and described, along with indications of distribution, habitat and ecology, flowering time, etymology, conservation status and vernacular names. The genus Eurybia (Cass.) Gray is endemic to North America and contains 22 species; it was first proposed as a subgenus of Aster L.; here the correct authority for the genus, and the disposition of Cassini's taxa is discussed--all his taxa now belong in Olearia Moench. Continuing issues with the infrageneric classification of Eurybia are highlighted, the molecular analyses not evidently supporting morphological studies. Eurybia spectabilis belongs to Eurybia subgen. Eurybia sect. Calliastrum (Torr. & A. Gray) G.L. Nesom, of which it is the lectotype; it is an octoploid species. The authority of the generic name is discussed. A full synonymy of the species is provided, together with a full type citation and location of known types together with relevant commentary. Cultivation, including suggestions for contrasting planting, or sympathetic border plantings, propagation, pests and diseases and availability of the species are discussed and commented on, and selected illustrations are cited. Only one natural hybrid, Eurybia x herveyi A. Gray, purportedly between Eyrybia spectabilis and E. macrophylla (L.) Cass., is known. Spot characters to separate Eurybia spectabilis from Symphyotrichum laeve (L.)Á. Löve & D. Löve in the North American Prairie plantings are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 2.5 million hectares have been impacted by coal mining in the Appalachian region of the United States. Revegetation to forested cover is a desirable post-mining land use but is often impractical given the challenges of reforestation on abandoned coal mines. Considering a prospective pollination crisis and the potential value of habitat restoration for pollinators, prairie restoration on mine lands offers a practical restoration option. We tested the effect of native prairie restoration in comparison to traditional reclamation with non-native cool-season grassland on pollinator richness, diversity, and community structure at three mined sites in southeastern Ohio. Rather than treatment level effects, we found correlations between overall floral and pollinator richness and beta diversity, as well as varied pollinator diversity and distinct community composition by month. Therefore, judicious design of prairie restoration seed mixes could increase floral diversity and provide across-season forage for pollinators in post-mining landscapes. Our findings also suggest, by the presence of several specialist/uncommon pollinators, that prairie restorations on coal mines can provide habitat for at-risk pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local decisionmakers managing forests for sequestering carbon and mitigating disturbance face increasing pressures from climate change, while needing to derive revenue from forests resources and balance diverse stakeholder concerns. Decision support systems (DSS) that use freely available satellite data are effective tools for forest management decision-making, due to the broad spatial coverage and temporal consistency of this data. However, the literature demonstrates that many DSS developed by researchers incorporating satellite data are often not utilized by decision makers. This is in part due to a lack of stakeholder engagement in DSS development. Here, we employ an intentional stakeholder engagement process to develop an accessible DSS incorporating satellite data. This process is applied with the Yurok Tribe – an Indigenous community in California – towards the goal of managing forests for carbon sequestration. We use system architecture framework (SAF) to translate stakeholder objectives into targeted analyses and the environment-vulnerability-decision-technology (EVDT) integrated modeling framework to incorporate contextual local infrastructure and land ownership information alongside satellite data analyses. Satellite data analyses classify tree cover and track Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) over time. We compare and show that trends in our analysis agree with independent global tree cover and biomass datasets. These analyses meet the Tribe's objective for tracking forest trends in Yurok carbon sequestration projects, while also detecting undesirable conifer encroachment on culturally-important prairies traditionally managed as open landscapes. Additionally, integration of community infrastructure data alongside satellite-derived drought, forest fire, and smoke density information via EVDT meets another Yurok Tribe objective of identifying negatively impacted Tribal areas for aid allocation. User feedback sessions with participating Yurok Tribe employees assess the prototype DSS and show 80% of users providing high ratings (≥75%) for information accuracy, relevancy, and sufficiency, demonstrating that our DSS development process overcomes previous gaps to DSS use and satellite data accessibility to augment Yurok Tribe forest management decision making. • System architecture translates stakeholder objectives into targeted datasets and analyses. • Satellite data elucidates contrasting canopy and biomass trends based on forest management. • Integrated satellite and local data augments carbon project management and aid allocation. • Feedback sessions show information relevancy, sufficiency, and accessibility for local users. • Design process produces a software system that augments the Yurok Tribe's forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change (CC) poses a threat to agricultural sustainability, which is important in the Canadian Prairies, as agriculture is a major occupation and driver of the economy. Agriculture involves both the creation and mitigation of emissions related to CC. To implement adaptation and mitigation practices, producers should accept CC as fact. This study is based in Saskatchewan, Canada, where CC denial is prevalent in public comments. To assess the validity of this anecdotal impression, this study provided a snapshot of Saskatchewan agricultural producers' perceptions and observations of CC and assessed whether views on CC are associated with characteristics of political orientation and affiliation, mental flexibility, systems thinking, time orientation, climate knowledge, climate observations, and demographic variables. A survey was developed with the following four sections: (1) individual characteristics; (2) observed changes in climate-related variables; (3) knowledge and perceptions about CC; and (4) demographic variables. The survey included multiple-choice questions and items scored on a Likert scale. The survey was completed by 330 Saskatchewan agricultural producers (i.e., farmers and ranchers). The results indicated more CC denial in Saskatchewan producers than in other Canadian samples. Individual and socioeconomic characteristics of lower levels of formal education, identifying as male, conservative political affiliation and ideation, low trust in science, and low mental flexibility were associated with less acceptance and concern of CC. It is therefore necessary to consider socioeconomic and individual characteristics of producers in measures aiming to increase the acceptance of the reality of CC. Future intervention research should target male producers with lower levels of formal education, low trust in science, low mental flexibility, and right-leaning political ideation for the improvement of CC perceptions and examine different teaching methods (e.g., lectures, workshops, webinars) and dissemination methods (e.g., online versus in-person sessions) to see how various techniques may influence learning, as well as the way the information is used by particular groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutrophication can impact bacteria by altering fluxes and processing of nutrients and organic matter. However, relatively little is known of how bacterial communities, diversity, and interactions with phytoplankton might respond to nutrient management. We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to compare bacterial assemblages in the water column upstream (control) and downstream (impact) of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located on a eutrophic prairie stream. Sampling occurred before (2012) and after (2018) the 2016 biological nutrient removal (BNR) upgrade that removed >90% of nitrogen (N, mainly NH4+). Multivariate ordination suggested that effluent-impacted bacterial communities were associated mainly with elevated NH4+ concentrations before the upgrade, whereas those after BNR were characteristic of reference systems (low NO3−, diverse regulation). Genera such as Betaproteobacteria and Rhodocyclacea were abundant at impacted sites in 2012, whereas Flavobacterium and a potential pathogen (Legionella) were common at impacted sites in 2018. Nitrifier bacteria (Nitrospira and Nitrosomonas) were present but rare at all sites in 2012, but recorded only downstream of the WWTP in 2018. Generalized additive models showed that BNR reduced bacterial diversity, with ∼70% of the deviance in diversity explained by hydrology, pH, nutrients, and phytoplankton abundance. Overall, NH4+ removal reduced symptoms of cultural eutrophication in microbe assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is of increasing conservation concern across its range, with managers requiring information on the species' spatial ecology to design conservation actions. The Florida spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius ambarvalis) is the smallest and least-studied subspecies, with little known about its home range size and movement ecology. We fitted Florida spotted skunks with VHF radio-transmitters and tracked them to diurnal den sites in 2016 and 2017 to estimate home range sizes. We were able to calculate 95% kernel density estimates of home range size for 12 skunks (7 males, 5 females) and found that males had significantly larger (mean ± SE) home range sizes (1.60 km2 ± 0.38) than females (0.36 km2 ± 0.06). Additionally, to gather information on the nightly activity patterns and fine-scale movements of Florida spotted skunks, we fitted skunks with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars in 2017 and successfully retrieved location data from 24 individuals (12 males, 12 females). We tracked GPS-collared skunks over an average of 5.7 days (range = 1–9 days) and a mean of 115.75 locations per skunk (range = 4–223). The mean distance traveled per night for a skunk in our study area was 1874 m (range = 437–3451 m). Mean distance traveled per night was positively influenced by mean nightly temperature, but did not differ significantly by sex, moon illumination, or rainfall. Florida spotted skunks were most active ~ 2 h after sunset and nightly activity declined from that period on. Home range estimates (100% minimum convex polygons) derived exclusively from daytime den locations were significantly smaller than those derived from nighttime locations. Our research advances our understanding of Florida spotted skunk spatial ecology, including the first use of GPS collars on the subspecies, and provides novel information for future ecological comparisons with other populations. Our results suggest that the frequent practice of relying solely on daytime locations when tracking spotted skunks may under-represent their areas of habitat use and might fail to capture important nocturnal foraging areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Death of a loved one is recognized as one of life's greatest stresses, and 10%–20% of bereaved individuals will experience a complicated or prolonged grieving period that is characterized by intense yearning for the deceased. The monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) is a rodent species that forms pair bonds between breeding partners and has been used to study the neurobiology of social behaviors and isolation. Male prairie voles do not display distress after isolation from a familiar, same‐sex conspecific; however, separation from a bonded female partner increases emotional, stress‐related, and proximity‐seeking behaviors. Here, we tested the investigatory response of male voles to partner odor during a period of social loss. We found that males who lost their partner spent significantly more time investigating partner odor but not non‐partner social odor or food odor. Bachelor males and males in intact pairings did not respond uniquely to any odor. Furthermore, we examined dopamine (DA) receptor mRNA expression in the anterior insula cortex (aIC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and anterior cingulate (ACC), regions with higher activation in grieving humans. While we found some effects of relationship type on DRD1 and DRD2 expression in some of these regions, loss of a high‐quality opposite‐sex relationship had a significant effect on DA receptor expression, with pair‐bonded/loss males having higher expression in the aIC and ACC compared with pair‐bonded/intact and nonbonded/loss males. Together, these data suggest that both relationship type and relationship quality affect reunion‐seeking behavior and motivational neurocircuits following social loss of a bonded partner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-associated microbes, specifically fungal endophytes, augment the ability of many grasses to adapt to extreme environmental conditions. Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern gamagrass) is a perennial, drought-tolerant grass native to the tallgrass prairies of the central USA. The extent to which the microbiome of T. dactyloides contributes to its drought tolerance is unknown. Ninety-seven genotypes of T. dactyloides were collected from native populations across an east–west precipitation gradient in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and then grown together in a common garden for over 20 years. Root and leaf samples were visually examined for fungal density. Because fungal endophytes confer drought-tolerant capabilities to their host plants, we expected to find higher densities of fungal endophytes in plants from western, drier regions, compared to plants from eastern, wetter regions. Results confirmed a negative correlation between endophyte densities in roots and precipitation at the genotype's original location (r  = −0.21 P  = 0.04). Our analyses reveal that the host genotype's origin along the precipitation gradient predicts the absolute abundance of symbionts in the root, but not the relative abundances of particular organisms or the overall community composition. Overall, these results demonstrate that genetic variation for plant–microbe interactions can reflect historical environment, and reinforce the importance of considering plant genotype in conservation and restoration work in tallgrass prairie ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of temperature and relative humidity (RH) on female reproductive output, egg development and larval survival were determined for Rocky Mountain wood ticks (Dermacentor andersoni) from a prairie population (Chin Lakes, Alberta, Canada) near the northern distribution limit of this species. The responses of D. andersoni eggs and unfed larvae to different temperature (25 or 32 °C) and RH (35, 55, 75, 85 or 95%) regimes were compared to our previously published data (Diyes et al. 2021) for a northern prairie population of American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis). Oviposition by D. andersoni females took 21–30 days at 25 °C and 95% RH compared to 10–21 days for D. variabilis. The number of eggs laid by female ticks was strongly dependent on their engorgement weight, and D. andersoni females produced more eggs than D. variabilis females of an equivalent body weight. Eggs of D. andersoni took less time to develop at 32 °C than 25 °C with ≥ 85% RH, and hatched faster than those of D. variabilis. Larval survival times declined as temperature increased and RH decreased, but D. andersoni survived longer at 32 °C and ≤ 75% RH than D. variabilis. The interspecific differences in responses to the same temperature and humidity regimes indicate that D. andersoni is xerophilic, whereas D. variabilis is hydrophilic. Hence, 'prairie' populations of the Rocky Mountain wood tick occur in the drier grassland ecoregions but are absent in Aspen Parklands Ecoregion which is located to the north and east of the distributional range of D. andersoni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Fire modulates herbivore dynamics in open ecosystems. While extensive work demonstrates the interaction between fire and vertebrate grazers, less research describes how grasshopper herbivory dynamics respond to fire. Aim. We examined how fire increased grass crude protein content and increased the density of and offtake by grasshoppers relative to unburned mixed-grass prairie. Methods. We deployed grasshopper exclusion cages to determine grasshopper offtake of aboveground plant biomass, counted grasshopper abundance throughout the study period, and measured crude protein content of aboveground grass biomass. Key results. Offtake and density were higher in burned versus unburned plots. Burned plot grasshopper density increased over time, with greater rates of increase in recently burned plots, while density remained constant in unburned locations. Conclusions. We present a potential mechanism by which fire interacts with grasshoppers in open ecosystems. It is likely that greater grasshopper offtake and density in recently-burned plots is at least partially attributable to higher crude protein content, as grass in these plots has a much higher proportion of recent growth after fire removed senesced material. Implications. Grasshopper herbivory likely acts as a multiplier of livestock herbivory in burned rangeland. Restoring fire regimes can balance direct negative effects of heating against nutritional benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is likely to imperil native biodiversity through the increased frequency of extreme events. Here we address the short-term effects of an extreme flooding event on an unplowed prairie reserve, the Faville Prairie Wisconsin State Natural Area. This 25-ha property is a remnant of the formerly extensive Crawfish Prairie that lay on the east bank of the Crawfish River, Jefferson County, Wisconsin USA. The Faville remnant has historically been subject to late winter to spring flooding in its lower portions. In June of 2008, however, an extreme rainfall event caused flooding unprecedented in the 87-year history of streamflow, inundating the entire site. Data were available from 180 permanently marked plots sampled in 1978–79. We assessed the change by resampling these plots in 2010–2015. At the m2 scale, we found significant losses of species richness, a result of most species having fewer occurrences than in the earlier data. There was near extinction of several important prairie species and a relative increase in wetland tolerant species. Lower elevation plots, subject to the encroachment of woody plants and the invasion of Phalaris arundinacea for decades prior to the flood, had the lowest levels of species richness. However, some prairie species survived the flooding with little change, and recent anecdotal observations show that others are rebuilding their populations. Thus, if extreme floods are infrequent, the prairie should be able to recover to its former state. If, however, the hydrological regime shifts toward more frequent, growing-season floods, we predict further decline in those plant species that were the object of the preservation of this remnant. It is critical that fire management continue along with monitoring to track species' recovery or replacement, so that corrective measures can be identified and tested to sustain the native prairie species diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of effort, there remains an inability to measure snow water equivalent (SWE) at high spatial resolutions using remote sensing. Passive gamma ray spectrometry is one of the only well-established methods to reliably remotely sense SWE , but airborne applications to date have been limited to observing km-scale areal averages over shallow snowcovers. Noting the increasing capabilities of unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) and miniaturization of passive gamma ray spectrometers, this study tested the ability of a UAV-borne gamma spectrometer and concomitant UAV-borne lidar to quantify the spatial variability of SWE at high spatial resolutions. Gamma and lidar observations from a UAV were collected over two seasons from shallow, wind-blown, prairie snowpacks in Saskatchewan, Canada with validation data collected from manual snow depth and density observations. The ability of UAV-gamma to resolve the areal average and spatial variability of SWE was promising with appropriate flight characteristics. Survey flights flown at a velocity of 5 m s-1, altitude of 15 m, and line spacing of 15 m were unable to capture the average or spatial variability of SWE within the uncertainty of the reference dataset. Slower, lower, and denser flight lines at a velocity of 4 m s-1, altitude of 8 m, and line spacing of 8 m were able to successfully observe areal average SWE and its variability at spatial resolutions greater than 22.5 m. Using a combination of UAV-based gamma SWE and UAV-based lidar snow depth improved the results substantially and permitted estimation of SWE at a spatial resolution of greater than 0.25 m with a ±14.3 mm SWE error relative to manual snow survey density and UAV-lidar based depths to estimate SWE. UAV-borne gamma spectrometry to estimate SWE is a promising and novel technique that has the potential to improve the measurement of shallow prairie snowpacks, and when combined with UAV-borne lidar snow depths, can provide high resolution, high accuracy estimates of prairie SWE. Research on optimal hardware, data processing, and interpolation techniques is called for to further improve this remote sensing product and explore its application in other environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations into plant–herbivore interactions are of importance for understanding grassland ecosystem dynamics. Our research quantified the effects of vegetation heterogeneity at a patch scale of 30 m on bison space use in a tallgrass prairie through the analyses of the resource utilization function. In addition, we assessed the vegetation heterogeneity associated with bison locations by comparing the patch-scale vegetation characteristics between areas with high and low bison space use through Mann–Whitney U tests. Furthermore, we simulated the interactions between bison and vegetation patches (2 × 2 m) during the early growing season for the lowland topographic positions using agent-based modeling (ABM) as a preliminary study of linking bison foraging site selection with vegetation responses to bison grazing dynamically. The bison grazing strategy in the ABM of the grassland system was adjusted to ensure consistency in the vegetation pattern variations related to bison space use between the simulation and the empirical on-the-ground observations. The results indicated the following: (1) The effects of the patch-scale vegetation heterogeneity on the bison foraging site selection varied across the seasons, which were most evident in the middle of the growing season. (2) A relatively high level of bison space use generally resulted in diverse grassland canopies with high variability and interspersion. (3) From the ABM of the grassland system, it can be implied that bison select patches with high quality and quantity at the beginning of the growing season; as the vegetation quality and quantity improve overall, the bison graze randomly. This pattern was confirmed by observations of the bison foraging site selection in our study site. The ABM proved to be valuable in exploring and elucidating the underlying mechanisms of the grassland dynamics with a native North American grazer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand fitness consequences of performance, one must determine how underlying physiological traits result in and constrain performance. Biochemical and mechanistic investment in a performance trait may cause decreased performance elsewhere: a performance tradeoff, indicating performance specialization in a population. (Co)variation exists within individuals, and among individuals, populations, and species. Conflicting patterns of among‐individual and within‐individual covariation may eliminate, or mask, the relationship at the phenotypic level. Multivariate mixed‐effects models (MMMs) model within‐individual and among‐individual variation separately. We used MMMs to test for relationships between physiological and performance traits associated with locomotion in the prairie lizard Sceloporus consobrinus, and tested for tradeoffs at multiple hierarchical levels. We then compared these results to the conventional Pearson correlations. We found a significant among‐individual tradeoff between endurance and climbing speed. Positive covariation within individuals masked the tradeoff at the phenotypic level. Sprint speed positively covaried with climbing speed. Excluding anaerobic scope, which was associated with endurance, no measured physiological traits were predictive of locomotor performance. These data indicate that performance specialization exists among prairie lizards and contribute to a growing body of literature that have successfully used MMMs to uncover performance tradeoffs which may have been masked using conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Butterfly abundances are declining globally, with meta‐analysis showing a rate of −2% per year. Agriculture contributes to butterfly decline through habitat loss and degradation. Prairie strips—strips of farmland actively restored to native perennial vegetation—are a conservation practice with the potential to mitigate biodiversity loss, but their impact on butterfly biodiversity is not known.Working within a 30‐year‐old experiment that varied land use intensity, from natural areas to croplands (maize–soy–wheat rotation), we introduced prairie strips to less intensely managed crop treatments. Treatments included conservation land, biologically based (organic) row crops with prairie strips, reduced input row crops with prairie strips, no‐till row crops and conventional row crops. We measured butterfly abundance and richness: (1) within prairie strips and (2) across the gradient of land use intensity at the plot level.Butterfly abundance was higher within prairie strips than in all other treatments. Across the land use intensity gradient at the plot level, the conservation land treatment had the highest abundance, treatments with prairie strips had intermediate levels and no‐till and conventional treatments had the lowest abundances. Also across entire plots, butterfly richness increased as land use intensity decreased. Treatments with prairie strips, which also had reduced land use intensity, had distinct butterfly communities as they harboured several butterfly species that were not found in other row crop treatments.In addition to the known effects of prairie strips on ecosystem services including erosion control and increased water quality, prairie strips can increase biodiversity in multifunctional landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the advantages of integrating native prairie strips into farming practices in the US Midwest. These strips, composed of perennial plants, have been shown to enhance water quality, soil health, and biodiversity, while also benefiting crop yields. The article emphasizes the success of prairie strips in reducing soil and nutrient loss, as well as their potential to contribute to climate goals and sustainability. Federal programs have supported the adoption of prairie strips, which has gained significant popularity among farmers in multiple states. The article also underscores the significance of policy changes and government support in encouraging farmers to embrace these sustainable methods. [Extracted from the article]

Recurrent disaster experiences can motivate communities to initiate risk management as part of their resilience mechanism if there is appropriate support to assist their shared commitment and goals. This scenario was evident in the City of Brandon's (Manitoba, Canada) response to the 1-in-300-year high-water event during the spring of 2011. This study examined how this small prairie city/community achieved the creation and preservation of locally driven flood risk management practice, and the critical role of the Brandon Emergency Support Team (BEST), a community-based disaster risk management organization, in facilitating enhanced risk awareness towards protecting the city from flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and explainable AI (XAI) have created opportunities to better predict and understand drought processes. This study uses a machine learning approach for understanding the drivers of drought severity and extent in the Canadian Prairies from 2005 to 2019 using climate and satellite data. The model is trained on the Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM), an extensive dataset produced by expert analysis of drought impacts across various sectors that enables a more comprehensive understanding of drought. Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) is used to understand model predictions during emerging or worsening drought conditions, providing insight into the key determinants of drought. The results demonstrate the importance of capturing spatiotemporal autocorrelation structures for accurate drought characterization and elucidates the drought time scales and thresholds that optimally separate each CDM severity category. In general, there is a positive relationship between the severity of drought and the time scale of the anomalies. However, high-severity droughts are also more complex and driven by a multitude of factors. It was found that satellite-based evaporative stress index (ESI), soil moisture, and groundwater were effective predictors of drought onset and intensification. Similarly, anomalous phases of large-scale atmosphere-ocean dynamics exhibit teleconnections with Prairie drought. Overall, this investigation provides a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for drought in the Prairies, provides data-driven thresholds for estimating drought severity that could improve future drought assessments, and offers a set of early warning indicators that may be useful for drought adaptation and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the challenges in ecological restorations is that some native plant species are difficult to reestablish in disturbed or invaded landscapes. Some invasive plant species negatively impact soil biota, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which can lead to feedbacks that facilitate their dominance in a landscape. The winter annual grass, Ventenata dubia, is rapidly invading North American grasslands, however, the effect of its invasion on AM fungi, plant communities, and soil properties is not well known. In a greenhouse and field experiment, we tested (1) whether the abundance of viable AM fungal propagules is altered in soil invaded by V. dubia; (2) how plant community composition, species richness, and/or diversity may be impacted by V. dubia; and (3) whether soil properties, such as pH and organic matter (OM) vary across invasion levels. We found that the effect of V. dubia on the abundance of mycorrhizal propagules varied among sites and did not reduce the species richness or diversity of resident plant communities. Higher canopy cover of V. dubia was associated with higher soil pH and OM, which suggests either V. dubia invasions change these soil properties, or that V. dubia preferentially invades these areas. Our findings suggest V. dubia does not consistently alter above‐ or belowground communities; however, the potential link between V. dubia invasions and soil pH and OM deserves additional investigation. A better understanding of how invasive annual grasses impact plant and soil communities will be useful in informing restoration efforts in landscapes impacted by invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of grassland ecosystems is essential for mitigating global losses of biodiversity and is typically initiated to foster persistent, long‐term increases in biodiversity. Yet, evaluating long‐term impacts of restoration on biodiversity is rare, especially across sites restored using consistent methods. Evaluation of restoration outcomes is particularly important for increasing predictive capacity in restoration ecology to determine the level of restoration effort that is required to achieve both short‐ and long‐term restoration goals. We conducted a multisite study that explicitly compared the impacts of no intervention ("passive" or "natural" recovery), low intervention (seeding native plants), and moderate intervention (seeding native plants and using fire management) at 32 restored prairies differing in the age of restoration (3–23 years). Grasslands with natural recovery have equivalent native plant species richness compared to sites with low and moderate restoration intervention, however, they have significantly lower‐quality vegetation, as measured by Floristic Quality (mean C). We found that managing restored prairies with fire maintains native plant richness over time and is correlated with higher vegetation quality and presence of seeded species. Seed mixes with a high mean C score are positively correlated with plant community quality. However, seed mixes with more species are negatively correlated with the proportion of seeded species present. We found that while the degree of restoration intervention has no effect on the number of native plant species, greater levels of assisted recovery are required to produce restored prairies that resemble high‐quality remnant vegetation and, especially, to maintain these successes over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global warming, the strength and frequency of drought events are projected to grow in the future, and the onset of drought can have dramatic effects on vegetation growth in terrestrial ecosystems. Central Asia is the largest non-territorial drought area in the world, and the response of vegetation to drought events is extremely sensitive in the area. However, few studies have quantified and compared the vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) response to the lagged and cumulative effects of drought. In this research, the solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence GPP and Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI) were used to analyze the time and space patterns of vegetation GPP and the SPEI in Central Asia and to quantify and compare the lagged and cumulative effects of drought on the GPP of various vegetation types. During the period from 2000 to 2018, the general trends of vegetation GPP showed a slight increase in Central Asia, with the ratio of variation being 1.35 g C m−2 y−1 and a spatially decreasing distribution from north to south. SPEI showed a trend of decreasing and then increasing over a period of 19 years, with a slight decreasing (drying) trend and a rate of change of −0.02 y−1, and the overall spatial pattern was drying out from north to south. In 13 months, 72.44% of regional droughts had lagged impacts on vegetation. The maximum correlation coefficients of vegetation and the lagged effectiveness of drought were concentrated in the range of 0.15–0.35, and the high correlation was distributed in southern and northwestern Kazakhstan, which are prairie regions. Of the regions in Central Asia, 75.86% showed cumulative drought effects concentrated at 9–12 months. The maximum correlation coefficients were concentrated in the range of 0.20–0.50, and the high correlation regions were primarily situated in south Kazakhstan and east Uzbekistan. Comparing the correlation coefficients of the lagged effect of vegetation GPP and SPEI with the cumulative effect shows that the cumulative rather than lagged impacts of drought on vegetation cover were found in 86.75% of the regions in Central Asia. This research enhances our comprehension of the influence of drought events on ecosystems in arid regions and has a certain reference value for helping arid region ecosystems to cope with global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread global grassland destruction motivates restoration efforts. However, little research on public preferences exists to inform restoration decisions, and reduced exposure to nature such as grasslands could diminish public willingness to pay (WTP) for it. We conducted a choice experiment to estimate preferences over tallgrass prairie grassland restorations and quantify how those preferences are correlated with childhood experiences. We find that WTP for grassland restoration can be large, especially with recreational opportunities. Further, people who participated in outdoor activities or grew up near grasslands during their childhood place a higher value on grassland restoration than people who did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Losses in freshwater fish diversity might produce a loss in important ecological services provided by fishes in particular habitats. An important gap in our understanding of ecosystem services by fishes is the influence of individuals from different size classes, which is predicted based on known ontogenetic shifts in metabolic demand and diet. I used 20 experimental stream mesocosms located at Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS), KS, USA, to assess the influence of fish size on ecosystem properties. Mesocosms included two macrohabitats: one riffle upstream from one pool filled with consistent pebble and gravel substrate. There were four experimental and one control treatment, each replicated four times (N = 20). I used two size classes of central stonerollers (Campostoma anomalum) and southern redbelly dace (Chrosomus erythrogaster). Five ecosystem properties were assessed: algal filament length (cm), benthic chlorophyll a (μg/cm2), benthic organic matter (g/m2), macroinvertebrate biomass (g/m2), and stream metabolism (g O2/m2/day−1). Size structure of fish populations affected some, but not all, ecosystem properties, and these effects were dependent upon species identity. Size structure of both species had effects on algal filament lengths where stonerollers of both size classes reduced algal filaments, but only small redbelly dace kept filaments short. A better understanding of the relationship between these prairie stream minnows and their small stream habitats could be useful to both predict changes in stream properties if species are lost (redbelly dace are a Species In Need of Conservation) or size structure shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph: English Brook, which parallels New York State Route 9 for miles, flows into Lake George, the Queen of American Lakes, ferrying a huge load of salt to the lake. A road salt primer Road salt "is a general term for chloride-based deicing products", explains Brendan Wiltse, a limnologist at Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks. Another study in Orleans, New York, 434.5 kilometers northwest of East Fishkill, revealed that the highest chloride levels were in private wells "downgradient of a road salt storage facility [a salt barn], followed by wells within 30 meters of a major roadway", writes Kelsey Pieper, of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in a 2018 paper in I Environmental Science and Technology i . [Extracted from the article]

Drylands extend over large portions of the globe, including a significant share of the western United States, yet they remain understudied. We examined ecosystem structure and function at 3 semiarid dryland sites in Colorado and Wyoming, each of which was dominated by a different ecosystem type and plant community—shortgrass steppe, mixed-grass prairie, and sagebrush steppe. This initial study was conducted to fill gaps in knowledge about how sagebrush steppe compares to dryland grasslands in the western United States. Soil respiration was higher at the sagebrush steppe than at the 2 grassland sites (P = 0.001). Aboveground biomass, microbial abundance, and soil inorganic nitrogen were not significantly different among ecosystem types after the 2017 summer season. Soil carbon was largely similar across all ecosystem types down to 5 cm, with more widespread differences among all sites in the 5–10 cm depth. Plant, bacterial, and fungal communities all differ between sites (P < 0.001), though they have large numbers of shared species among the sites. Despite these differences in ecosystem structure between ecosystem types, we found only a single significant difference in ecosystem function: soil respiration was higher at the sagebrush steppe than at the other 2 sites. Given the importance of global drylands, broad and high-powered systematic sampling across dryland types would be beneficial to understanding the extent of similarities and ability to extrapolate across and within dryland ecosystem types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A central challenge in applied ecology is understanding how organisms are spatially and temporally distributed and how management might be tailored to maintain or restore species distributions. The niche concept is central to understanding species distributions, but the diversity of niche definitions requires that multiple dimensions be considered. For example, the Grinnellian niche concept focuses on environmental conditions that allow species to persist, the Eltonian niche concept stresses the influence of biotic interactions, and the fundamental niche concept considers both abiotic and biotic environmental features to define spaces that organisms could occupy. Methods: We combined abiotic (A), biotic (B), and movement (M) information (collectively, BAM model) to map the multidimensional niche of Prairie Chub Macrhybopsis australis, a regionally endemic freshwater fish currently under review for listing under the Endangered Species Act. We estimated A using remotely sensed environmental riverscape variables, B using the spatial distribution of a hybridization zone between Prairie Chub and Shoal Chub M. hyostoma, and M using data from a mark–recapture study. Result: The BAM model estimated the spatial extent of multiple niches, including the Grinnellian (A; extent = 944 km of river), Eltonian (B; 2974 km), and fundamental niche (overlap of A + B; 645 km) niches. When A, B, and M components were combined, the estimated extent of the Prairie Chub niche was 645 km. Conclusion: Our work shows that the realized, multidimensional niche of Prairie Chub includes medium to large rivers with high habitat connectivity in the upper–middle Red River basin upstream of the distribution of Shoal Chub. The current Prairie Chub distribution could be maintained by preventing further habitat fragmentation and maintaining the environmental gradient separating Prairie Chub from Shoal Chub. Expansion of the species distribution may be possible through restoration of longitudinal fluvial connectivity. Impact statementManagement of imperiled fishes might be improved by integration of biological (B) interactions, abiotic (A) gradients in habitat, and fish movement (M). We provide an example of the BAM framework using a fish that is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Prairie Chub Macrhybopsis australis is a poorly studied minnow species endemic to the upper Red River basin and is of both state and federal conservation interest due to uncertainty about its life history and potential listing status. The upper Red River basin of Oklahoma and Texas is a harsh environment where drought and extreme flow events are exacerbated by human alterations. As an assumed pelagic‐broadcast‐spawning minnow, the Prairie Chub is capable of a protracted spawning season and larval fish survival is assumed to be linked to discharge and streamflow variability. Methods: We systematically collected 2,017 age‐0 Prairie Chub from seven sites (North Fork Red River, Salt Fork Red River, Pease River, Red River, Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River, North Wichita River, and South Wichita River) with variable flow patterns during April–September 2019 and May–August 2020. We used otolith age estimates and back calculations to determine successful spawning dates. We used a hurdle model framework to examine relationships between hatch probability and hatch frequency. Result: Hatch probability had a negative relationship with calendar day and declined as calendar day increased. Hatch counts peaked in late June and early July and declined thereafter in 2019 but showed no discernible peak during the spawning season in 2020. Hatch probability during the spawning season increased with relative flow and air temperature. Increased hatch counts were also positively related to discharge variability (CV) for the 10 d prior to hatch dates. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that successful hatches had considerable spatial and temporal variability, with some sites contributing minimally to the population during some years. Spatial and temporal variability of hatch probability and hatch frequencies pose a variety of considerations for future conservation and management efforts, particularly given the pending federal listing status of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endangered in Canada and the United States, the Poweshiek skipperling's (Oarisma poweshiek (Parker) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)) recovery likely depends on understanding more about its ecology. The characteristics of locations which facilitate various adult activities, such as oviposition and resting, in Manitoba tall grass prairie are unknown. We followed adults in prairie patches to identify locations associated with various behaviours, and subsequently measure vegetative, structural and microclimatic attributes at these microhabitats. Adult skipperlings were observed 34 times resulting in 24 flight tracks and 56 point interactions being recorded. Skipperlings flew almost exclusively in the prairie plant community, with few flights into wetter communities and none in forests. Tracks tended to be tortuous, typical of occupancy in higher-quality habitats. Adult activities appeared to be distributed along a soil moisture gradient: oviposition was associated with the relatively mesic section, resting and/or basking with the drier section, and nectar feeding generally associated with sections throughout the gradient. Adults nectared from a mixture of species during the flight period, consuming nectar from Rudbeckia hirta Linnaeus (Asteraceae) most often. We report previously unknown aspects of O. poweshiek's ecology. Implications for conservation: Our findings describe how adult skipperlings might use sections of prairie with different soil moistures to lay eggs, rest, bask and consume nectar. We visualise approaches to ensure all sections are disturbed during stewardship activities and evaluate the degree to which all facilitative soil moistures are present in candidate (re)introduction sites, for the successful recovery of O. poweshiek. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild oat is a widespread threat to annual crop production on the Canadian Prairies. Infestations are difficult to manage due to a persistent seedbank, complex dormancy, a long emergence window, herbicide resistance, and seed shatter corresponding to crop harvest timings. The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy of potassium nitrate (KNO3) and pyroligneous acid for promoting germination and emergence of wild oat and volunteer wheat, barley, and oat. A total of 24 repeated experiments were conducted using freshly produced seeds to ensure adequate endodormancy. Wheat and barley demonstrated no endodormancy following seed formation and rapidly emerged with moisture. All species imbibed but did not germinate in Petri dishes within pyroligneous acid solutions of 5%-100%. Dormancy release was observed within 0.1% and 1% pyroligneous acid solutions. KNO3 did not stimulate germination or emergence for any species and was inhibitory at 125 kg N ha-1. Pyroligneous acid increased wild oat emergence with 50% and 100% solutions applied at 200 L ha-1 in the first study and with 10% solutions in the second study. Emergence inhibition was noted for oat, barley, and wheat with pyroligneous acid applications. This research further confirms that pyroligneous acid may stimulate wild oat emergence and confirms activity on freshly matured seed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Prairies are associated with high natural hydroclimatic variability including the frequent periodic occurrence of droughts and pluvials. These extremes carry various risks including significant damage to the economy, environment and society. The well-documented level of damage necessitates further risk assessment and planned reductions to vulnerability, particularly in light of a warming climate. A logical starting point involves awareness and information about the changing characteristics of such climate extremes. We focus on the compound occurrence of droughts and pluvials as the risks from this type of event are magnified compared to the hydroclimatic extremes in isolation. Compound droughts and pluvials (CDP) are drought and pluvial events that occur in close succession in time or in close proximity in area. Also, research on CDP is limited even for the worldwide literature. Therefore, the purposes of this paper are to synthesize recent literature concerning the risks of CDP, and to provide examples of past occurrences, with a focus on the Canadian Prairies. Since literature from the Prairies is limited, global work is also reviewed. That literature indicates increasing concern and interest in CDP. Relationships between drought and pluvials are also characterized using the SPEI Global Monitor for the Prairies, emphasizing the recent past. Research mostly considers drought and pluvials as separate events in the Prairies, but is integrated here to characterize the relationships of these extremes. The spatiotemporal patterns showed that several of the extreme to record pluvials were found to be closely associated with extreme droughts in the Prairies. The intensities of the extremes and their dry to wet boundaries were described. This is the first research to explore the concept of and to provide examples of CDP for the Prairies and for Canada. Examples of CDP provide insights into the regional hydroclimatic variability. Furthermore, most literature on future projections strongly suggests that this variability is likely to increase, mainly driven by anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, improved methods to characterize and to quantify CDP are required. These findings suggest means of decreasing vulnerability and associated damages. Although the study area is the Canadian Prairies, the work is relevant to other regions that are becoming more vulnerable to increasing risks of and vulnerabilities to such compound extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effects of climate perturbations on snowmelt, soil moisture, and streamflow generation in small Canadian Prairies basins using a modelling approach based on classification of basin biophysical characteristics. Seven basin classes that encompass the entirety of the Prairies Ecozone in Canada were determined by cluster analysis of these characteristics. Individual semi-distributed virtual basin (VB) models representing these classes were parameterized in the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) platform, which includes modules for snowmelt and sublimation, soil freezing and thawing, actual evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture dynamics, groundwater recharge, and depressional storage dynamics including fill and spill runoff generation and variable connected areas. Precipitation (P) and temperature (T) perturbation scenarios covering the range of climate model predictions for the 21st century were used to evaluate climate sensitivity of hydrological processes in individual land cover and basin types across the Prairies Ecozone. Results indicated that snow accumulation in wetlands had a greater sensitivity to P and T than that in croplands and grasslands in all basin types. Wetland soil moisture was also more sensitive to T than the cropland and grassland soil moisture. Jointly influenced by land cover distribution and local climate, basin-average snow accumulation was more sensitive to T in the drier and grassland-characterized basins than in the wetter basins dominated by cropland, whilst basin-average soil moisture was most sensitive to T and P perturbations in basins typified by pothole depressions and broad river valleys. Annual streamflow had the greatest sensitivities to T and P in the dry and poorly connected Interior Grasslands (See Fig. 1) basins but the smallest in the wet and well-connected Southern Manitoba basins. The ability of P to compensate for warming-induced reductions in snow accumulation and streamflow was much higher in the wetter and cropland-dominated basins than in the drier and grassland-characterized basins, whilst decreases in cropland soil moisture induced by the maximum expected warming of 6 ∘ C could be fully offset by a P increase of 11 % in all basins. These results can be used to (1) identify locations which had the largest hydrological sensitivities to changing climate and (2) diagnose underlying processes responsible for hydrological responses to expected climate change. Variations of hydrological sensitivity in land cover and basin types suggest that different water management and adaptation methods are needed to address enhanced water stress due to expected climate change in different regions of the Prairies Ecozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and its enduring presence across the Canadian prairies. Topics include the origins of the RCAF during World War I, the impact of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during World War II, and the evolution of the RCAF, from its growth during the Cold War to its modern-day operations and training facilities.

The first text is a book review of "Green, Fair, and Prosperous: Paths to Sustainable Iowa" by Charles E. Connerly. It discusses the key sectors and issues that could shape the future of Iowa in a positive way, including agriculture, manufacturing, the environment, and progress in race relations and racial equity. The book provides policy recommendations for a more prosperous and sustainable future for Iowa, considering its slow population growth, increasing diversity, and challenges such as water quality and natural disasters. It is a valuable resource for those studying Iowa and the Midwest.The second text discusses a book on smart village technology. It explores the concept of smart villages and their potential for sustainable rural development. The book covers topics such as smart village policies, agriculture and water management, renewable energy, and smart applications. It emphasizes the importance of self-sustainability, ecological-friendliness, and innovative approaches to rural development. The book is a valuable addition to the field of planning and constructing eco-friendly and sustainable rural settlements. [Extracted from the article]