Tag archives for Montana
Construction Ahead: Prairie Dogs Build Diversity Across the Plains
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on April 1, 2013 
An Interview with Dr. David J. Augustine, USDA - Black-tailed prairie dogs are helpful homebuilders, gardeners and gourmet meals according to recently published research in Conservation Biology. In “Associations of Grassland Bird Communities with Black-tailed Prairie Dogs in the North American Great Plains,” authors David J. Augustine and Bruce W. Baker reveal that the areas…
Brazil, Australia, India and Beyond: Grasslands News from November 2012
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on December 17, 2012 
In an effort to increase awareness of grasslands issues and encourage you to fall in love with our world’s prairies, American Prairie Reserve compiles a news roundup each month. These stories will introduce you to the organizations working to restore this endangered ecosystem, demonstrate the diversity of the plains and showcase the many different approaches…
Quantum Correlations: Chasing Ice Review: Prepare for “Glacier-Less National Park”
Posted by alevine on December 15, 2012 By Alaina G. Levine Like Ice? Recognize its importance to the health of the planet and the very existence of humankind? Then prepare to be horrified and generally freaked-out by a new documentary that shows in shocking detail how fast our glaciers are retreating, melting and disappearing. It’s history in the making, says James Balog,…
Restoring More than Animals – Returning Fire to American Prairie Reserve
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on November 21, 2012 
This fall, American Prairie Reserve conducted our first controlled burn of nearly 900 acres in an effort to expand prairie dog habitat and restore an important ecological process to the landscape. The fire was a result of collaboration between the Reserve, US Fish & Wildlife Service, which provided expertise, personnel and equipment to conduct…
GIS – Storytelling with Data?
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on November 14, 2012 You could say that we were so excited about GIS Day that we celebrated a week early. In truth, because the entire American Prairie Reserve staff (normally spread over 3 locations) was together last week for a meeting, we took the opportunity to get everyone involved in some GIS fun. As an organization, American Prairie…
Birds, Bison and Lions: Grasslands News from October 2012
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on November 12, 2012 
In an effort to increase awareness of grasslands issues and encourage you to fall in love with our world’s prairies, American Prairie Reserve compiles a news roundup each month. These stories will introduce you to the organizations working to restore this endangered ecosystem, demonstrate the diversity of the plains and showcase the many different approaches to…
Montana’s Glaciated Plains: Thinking Big Across Time and Space
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on November 2, 2012 
American Prairie Reserve’s mission to create a reserve of more than three million acres represents one of the largest conservation projects in the United States today. The size of the project is hard to grasp – even a small piece of the 274,000 acres that currently comprise the Reserve seems like an endless “sea…
Why Don’t You Call it Scat, Meriwether?
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on October 16, 2012 
I have read numerous journals from 19th century explorers, fur trappers, and government officials for my research project with American Prairie Reserve this summer (previous posts here and here). The hope was that these sources would provide anecdotal insights into historic wildlife populations from Montana’s prairie ecosystem. In fact, these sources have been indispensable…
Plain Wonderful: Grasslands News from September
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on October 12, 2012 
[Fall light show on American Prairie Reserve. Photo: Dennis Lingohr] Are prairie landscapes loved the least? Grasslands are the least protected ecosystem in the world despite the fact that they cover a quarter of the Earth’s surface. Some might say they are the least sexy, too. After all, can grasses really compete with dramatic…
Top Predator on the Plains: Wolf, Bear or Human?
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on September 24, 2012 
Looking back in time, who was the top predator of the American prairie ecosystem? Wolves, grizzly bears… humans? As I continue my research of historic wildlife populations in northeastern Montana (read my first post here), it is important to consider how changes in human populations were affecting the ecology of this area. There was a…
Should Conservation Look Back? Examining Historic Wildlife Populations of America’s Serengeti
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on August 15, 2012 
“Immense” was the word Meriwether Lewis used repeatedly to describe the abundance of wildlife on the prairie during his transcontinental expedition with William Clark from 1804 to 1806; “We saw immence quantities of game in every direction around us as we passed up the river: consisting of herds of Buffaloe, Elk and antelopes with…
Predator Dinner Party? Badgers and Coyotes Work Together on the Prairie
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on July 20, 2012 Over the last century, biologists have worked hard to document a rather odd pair of hunting buddies: the coyote and the badger. While the nature of their relationship has been debated – is it truly symbotic or merely more efficient? – it is a fascinating natural phenomenon to observe. Of course, the interaction between the…
American Prairie Reserve, a Vast Grassland to Fill Your Soul
Posted by American Prairie Reserve on July 3, 2012 Despite our different approaches, conservationists in the West can all generally agree on one thing: nature inspires people. The diversity, richness and complexities of ecosystems encourage scientists to dig deeper, farmers to innovate, artists to paint, and, perhaps most importantly, the broader public to get out and explore. As we assemble American Prairie Reserve…
Carcass Disposal–A Conservation Tool for Predators: Interview with Dr. Seth Wilson
Posted by Jordan Carlton Schaul of University of Alaska on July 12, 2011 To your average Westerner, the words “management of predators” typically conjure up reactive, and terminal measures following a negative experience with dangerous, nuisance animals. Preventive measures to mitigate human-predator conflict are now commonly employed by ranchers. Why? Reactive management is very time consuming, for one thing. Secondly, the need to ‘put down’ an animal is often perceived as…
