Conservation

Landowner Creates Man-made Lek for Greater Prairie Chickens

March 19, 2021

Dan Leuenberger set out to do something conservation professionals say is rare: create a successful prairie chicken lek on private property from scratch. Leuenberger and Jim Neville, his bird hunting partner, knew prairie chickens were already in the area because Leuenberger spotted them occasionally. But would those birds actually use a man-made lek? It’s rare for that to happen, experts say.

Center for Grassland Studies Podcast: Stretching Prairie Remnant with Kay Kottas

March 18, 2021

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Study Challenges Ecology's 'Field of Dreams' Hypothesis

February 2, 2021

A new study challenges the 'Field of Dreams' hypothesis in restoration ecology, which predicts that restoring plant biodiversity will lead to recovery of animal biodiversity. The study of restored tallgrass prairie found the effects of management strategies (specifically controlled burns and bison reintroduction) on animal communities were six times stronger on average than the effects of plant biodiversity.

Guebert: First USDA Quick Fix - CRP Expansion and Reform

January 24, 2021

On his way out the door last month, former House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, just off a hammering reelection defeat, offered the nation one final idea: the incoming secretary of agriculture should be empowered to enroll up to 50 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) over the next five years.

Conservation Reserve Program General Signup Begins

January 8, 2021

Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) can sign up for the popular program beginning today, Jan. 4, 2021, until Feb. 12, 2021. The competitive program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.

Center for Grassland Studies Podcast: Down the RaBET Hole: The Journey to Develop the Rangeland Brush Estimation Toolbox with Chandra Holifield Collins

November 10, 2020

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CGS Podcast: Anthropocene - Should We Look to Aldo Leopold or George Jetson? with Sam Fuhlendorf

November 3, 2020

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CGS Podcast: Putting Monitoring into Practice - Strategies for Large-Scale Conservation with Dirac Twidwell

October 26, 2020

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CGS Podcast: Hidden Prairie - A Year Photographing a Single Square Meter of Prairie with Chris Helzer

September 4, 2020

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CGS Podcast: Keeping Prairie Grouse on the Prairie with Danielle Berger

August 31, 2020

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