Prairie Dog Empire: A Saga of the Shortgrass Prairie - Hardcover

Johnsgard, Paul A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803226047 ISBN 13: 9780803226043

Publisher: University of Nebraska Press, 2005

Synopsis

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.
  

About this title

About the Author:

Paul A. Johnsgard is Foundation Regents Professor Emeritus in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is the winner of the 2004 National Conservation Achievement Award and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, both sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, and the author of more than five dozen books on natural history, including Sandhill and Whooping Cranes: Ancient Voices over America’s Wetlands (available in a Bison Books edition).

Review:

“Lincoln author Paul Johnsgard doesn’t attempt to reignite the controversy, but he clearly wants the reader to understand the object of such passion. His book, the 49th of his writing career, is much more than a profile of the creature French fur traders named petit chien, or little dog. . . . The book deftly places the prairie dog in a broader historic context in which they shared genocidal fates with the buffalo and Native people.”—Joe Duggan, Lincoln Journal Star (Joe Duggan Lincoln Journal Star)

“Johnsgard is Foundation Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, highly respected in his field, and a formidable voice in what he hopes will be a larger discussion about land use and about the value of preserving ecosystems—including species that have long been regarded as pests. Agree or disagree with his conclusions, this informative and provocative book should be part of that discussion.”—Nebraska Life (Nebraska Life)

“Johnsgard presents a disturbing look at the serious ecological impacts from the destruction of prairie dogs and their grassland habitats.”—Wildlife Activist (Wildlife Activist)

“A seasoned preservationist as well as a writer who does his own photographic and artistic illustration work, Johnsgard provides a book that should be on the shelf of every person interested in and concerned about the past history and future of life on the great plains.”—Glenn M. Busset, Manhattan Mercury (Glenn M. Busset Manhattan Mercury)

"Given the controversy surrounding management of prairie dogs, it is surprising that such a volume has not been published previously. Leave it to that prolific guru of the great Plains, Paul Johnsgard, to pen a book directed at filling that void at such a crucial juncture. . . . Johnsgard's lucid style has the ability to bring this fascinating, important, and timely story to thousands of readers."—Richard P. Reading, Great Plains Research (Richard P. Reading Great Plains Research)

"Anyone with an interest in the ecology and history of the shortgrass prairie will become immersed in the pages of this engaging book."—Carolyn E. Grygiel, North Dakota History (North Dakota History)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0803226047
• ISBN 13: 9780803226043
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 250