Between the 1880s and the Great Depression agriculture emerged and matured as the mainstay of the prairie economy. Farm workers were essential to the developing economy and society, but their place in the rural west was ambiguous. / During the pioneering period, labour shortages and accessible land gave farm workers bargaining strength in the labour market and a niche in prairie society. A cooperative working relationship and a shared ideology resulted in a lack of overt conflict between labour and capital. / But as lands were taken, farm workers faced more and more the necessity of remaining as wage labourers. Their position became institutionalized. / The First World War highlighted the conflict that was fundamental to labour-capital relations, as farm workers and farmers alike bolstered their economic positions. Labour and capital entered the post-war decade recognizing the increasing divergence of their aims. Their relationship became more overtly conflictual. / Throughout this transformation, farm workers used strategies to influence the shape and rate of change in the industry and to maintain significant control over their own working lives. They responded as members of the working class, as active agents in relationships with their employers and with capitalism.

Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Zoology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-38).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on July 23, 2009). "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Baylor University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-71).

No description available.

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) has experienced dramatic declines over much of its historical range due to habitat loss, plague, poisonings, and shootings. Many populations now occur as isolated genetic relicts. A multiple locus genetic profile was obtained using microsatellite analyses of six polymorphic nucleotide repeats from 319 black-tailed prairie dogs collected from 16 colonies throughout the state of Texas. This assessment revealed that existing populations have sufficient variation at all six loci to verify the usefulness of this approach as a primary genetic tool in conservation and preservation. The data reveals regional-dependent frequency patterns as well as support for founder/bottleneck effects for several of the 16 sites. Although the prairie dog population in Texas as a whole may appear genetically diverse, considerable genetic divergence has already occurred among the subpopulations (FST = 0.164). Isolation by distance is supported by genic differentiation analysis (P < 0.001) and pairwise correlation analysis between genetic distance and geographic distance (P < 0.001). Prairie dogs from six (COC, LUBA, LUBC, LUBD, LUBE, and TAR) of the original 16 sites have been relocated or exterminated, or were in the process of being relocated. Results indicated the following colonies (COT, DAL, HOW, and HUD) are of sufficient size and possess ample genetic diversity to be characterized as candidate foundation populations for future preservation efforts. The proximity of small colonies (< 20 hectares) such as HEMB, LUBB, and PEC, to other colonies should be examined to determine if they are isolated or part of a metapopulation. Colonies (HAR, HEMA, and SCH) with low genetic diversity would be ideal candidates for supplementation. Alternatively, these colonies could be relocated or blended with other similar but genetically distinct colonies. Baselines for healthy, pet prairie dog hematology and blood chemistries were also established. Results signify that data gathered from pet prairie dog blood analyses should be referenced against hematology and blood chemistry baselines established using pet prairie dog subjects.

The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens) was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an endangered species in 1973 because of range-wide population declines. The species was reclassified as threatened in 1984 because of population increases on private lands. Habitat fragmentation coupled with a lack of suitable habitat has impeded species recovery. Desired species habitat conditions include 0-8% shrub cover, 12-40% cool-season grass cover, and 1-10% perennial forb cover. Cool-season grasses are critical for Utah prairie dogs because of high spring energy requirements. Past research suggested that reducing shrub cover may increase cover of desired grasses and forbs. From 2008-2010, I evaluated the effects of high intensity fall sheep grazing and low application of herbicide (tebuthiuron) as tools to reduce shrub cover and enhance grass and forb cover on the Awapa Plateau Utah prairie dog recovery area in south-central Utah. I placed 1700 ewes in 4 ha stratified and randomly selected plots until >70% vegetation utilization was achieved. Five additional randomly-selected plots were treated with tebuthiuron at a rate of ~1.68 kg/ha. Percent cover of grass, forbs, and shrubs was recorded on treatments and paired control plots in June 2009 and 2010 to determine treatment vegetation responses. I also affixed 22 juvenile Utah prairie dogs with radio transmitters to determine if over-winter survival differed relative to treatment. Live shrub cover was lower on grazed plots in year 1 (P<0.001) and in year 2 (P=0.015). Dead shrub cover in grazed plots was higher in year 1 (P<0.001). Grazed plots exhibited increased forb cover from year 1 (P=0.104) to year 2 (P=0.008). Live shrub cover was lower in herbicide plots in year 2 (P=0.002). Dead shrub cover in herbicide plots was higher in year 2 (P=0.006). Tebuthiuron and grazed plots exhibited a reduction in shrub height (P=0.010, P=0.026, respectively). Tebuthiron plots exhibited less grass cover (P=0.034). Intensive sheep grazing and a low application of tebuthiuron reduced both shrub cover and vertical structure, but failed to increase the percent of grass cover when compared to the control plots. All plots exhibited reduced grass cover in 2010 in response to below normal precipitation. However, percent grass cover was higher on the grazed plots. It is possible that low inherent site productivity in combination with below normal average precipitation compromised treatment effects. Because of radio transmitter failure, I was not able to obtain survival data after hibernation. Prairie dog counts and weights did not differ by treatment type. If climate change reduces overall precipitation on the Awapa Plateau, recovery of the Utah prairie dog on this site will be problematic.

This research was conducted to provide baseline data on the population dynamics of microcrustacean zooplankton at Prairie Creek Reservoir in Delaware County, Indiana from 24 January 1996 to 30 December 1996. This lake is a shallow lake (average depth <8m) used for recreational fishing and water supply for the local community. No published studies of zooplankton have previously been conducted at this location. I intended to test the hypothesis that Prairie Creek Reservoir has the same microcrustacean populations of shallow lakes in this region. The findings were compared to other studies in several North American lakes and reservoirs. Biotic and abiotic factors were considered as related to the population dynamics of zooplankton. Zooplankton serve as a critical forage base for many fish species, including several of economic importance. Increases and changes in species composition of zooplankton organisms associated with eutrophic conditions may also be an indication of deteriorating water quality (Gannon 1972). The data from this research suggest that Prairie Creek Reservoir has the typical zooplankton populations of a shallow, eutrophic North American lake. The presence of relatively high numbers of organisms generally associated with eutrophic environments, such as Bosmina longirostris, Leptodiaptomus siciloides, Acanthocyclops vernalis, and others supports this idea. The data from this study will be helpful to fisheries and environmental managers and will provide a baseline for future studies. / Department of Biology

LD2668 .T4 1966 C42 / Master of Science

Laura Ingalls Wilder's eight-novel Little House series, published between 1932 and 1943, is among the most acclaimed and controversial examples of modern children's literature. The narrative tells the true story of Wilder's pioneer childhood in the 1870s and 80s, including her family's encounters with American Indians. Recently some scholars have argued that Wilder's depiction of American Indians is derogatory, but examining Wilder's literary devices and contextualizing the story in the eras in which it occurred and was written about reveals a more complex portrayal of Native themes. Biographical information about Wilder suggests that she deliberately crafted her story as she recorded it; such changes afforded opportunities to emphasize her political values and critique mythology associated with America's frontier era. Analyzing the narrative in the context of frontier Kansas, and more specifically as women's frontier literature, reveals the literary uniqueness of the Little House story and highlights fallacies inherent in the premise of Manifest Destiny. As Wilder recorded her memories with the help of her well-known libertarian daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, during the Depression they often emphasized their anti-New Deal politics and cautioned readers about the dangers of buying into "big government" policies. The Little House story also reflects trends of the Golden Age of children's literature which demonstrated respect for children by removing didactic lessons from the literature; thus the Little House texts present the controversial subject of America's frontier history in a manner that allows children to draw their own conclusions about it. Finally, two television versions of the Little House story present didactic, positive lessons about American Indians on the frontier, but diminish the possibility for multiple interpretations of the events inherent in Wilder's original story. In a non-fiction article in The Missouri Ruralist in 1920, Wilder reminded her neighbors that home is "the best place for teaching many things, first and most important of which is how to think for one's self." Wilder's texts offer opportunities for discussing the complex topics associated with frontier history and encourage young readers to think critically about Native issues in the texts--opportunities seldom found in mainstream American storybooks and curriculum.