Ecology and Conservation of Great Plains Vertebrates

The Great Plains prairie, historically the largest single terrestrial ecosystem in North America, is now also its most threatened. Ecology a nd Conservation of Great Plains Vertebrates relates changes in grassla nd ecosystems to the ecology of vertebrate animals inhabiting the prai rie. Changes in the ecological drivers of drought, fire and grazing si gnificantly affect Great Plains vertebrates, and can provide early war nings of ecosystem degradation. The first section of the book addresse s the ecology of vertebrate habitats, including grasslands, wetlands, and streamside woodlands, and compares the ecology of native and intro duced ungulates, the second section provides original data and topical syntheses of the ecology of various fish, bird and mammal populations . The book concludes with a contemporary, holistic approach to the con servation of prairie vertebrates.