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Full Description
This book by the renowned naturalist and writer Paul A. Johnsgard tells the complex biological and environmental story of the western Great Plains under the black-tailed prairie dog's reign—and then under a brief but devastating century of human dominion.
An introduction to the ecosystem of the shortgrass prairie, Prairie Dog Empire describes in clear and detailed terms the habitat and habits of black-tailed prairie dogs; their subsistence, seasonal behavior, and the makeup of their vast colonies; and the ways in which their "towns" transform the surrounding terrain—for better or for worse. Johnsgard recounts how this terrain has in turn been transformed over the past century by the destruction of prairie dogs and their grassland habitats. This book also offers a rare and invaluable close-up view of the rich history and threatened future of the creature once considered the "keystone" species of the western plains.
Included are maps, drawings, and listings of more than two hundred natural grassland preserves where many of the region's native plants and animals may still be seen and studied.
Contents
List of Maps List of Illustrations List of Tables Preface 1. The Western Shortgrass Prairie: A Brief History 2. A Buffalo Nation: Its Death and Rebirth 3. Prairie Dogs and the American West: Little Towns on the Prairie 4. Ferrets, Badgers, Bobcats, and Coyotes: Coping with Dangerous Neighbors 5. Free-loaders and Hangers-on: The Rewards and Dangers of City Life 6. Other High Plains Wildlife: Born on the American Steppes 7. The High Plains Raptors: Death Rides on Silent Wings 8. The Varmint and Predator Wars: It's Finally Almost Quiet on the Western Front 9. Taming the Great American Desert: Hardscrabble Times at the Fringes of Nowhere 10. The USFS, BLM, and BIA: How the West was Lost 11. The Great Plains Grassland Ecosystem: Can It Be Saved? Appendix 1: A Guide to National Grasslands, Reservations, and Nature Preserves on the High Plains Appendix 2: Scientific Names of Animals in the Text References Index
