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  Zika and Other Neglected and Emerging Flaviviruses: The Continuing Threat to Human Health

  Lisa A. Beltz

  Offering up-to-date coverage of familiar flaviviruses that are spreading into new regions or are causing increasingly severe disease, as well as viruses that are almost unknown in most developed nations, Zika and Other Neglected and Emerging Flaviviruses brings together information that allows for easy comparison of similarities and differences of this viral group in a single, convenient volume. Each chapter includes a brief Introduction, history, the diseases, the virus, the immune response, prevention or treatment, an extensive list of references, and a summary overview. The book concludes with a chapter tying together information about flaviviruses and other potential new microbial threats. -- Provided by the publisher

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  Life in the Natural World: Investigating Life’s Diversity

  Steve O'Kane and Kimberly Cline-Brown

  In this collection of laboratory investigations we have chosen to follow Darwin’s lead by highlighting some of the many forms of life’s biological diversity and complexity – and there are many! Biological evolution, after all, is an extremely creative process. You’ll be examining diversity and complexity from the level of DNA, to that of species, and finally to how species are assembled into communities and how these communities are studied. You’ll also be looking at some of the important mechanisms and natural systems that underlie, maintain, and change biological diversity. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that life as we know it, in all its myriad and beautiful forms, is about variation and interaction. These labs are designed to be stand-alone activities that are primarily self-directed. You will find that your instructor will “teach” much less than you may be used to. Think of your instructor as a facilitator or as a resource for learning – the real learning is up to you. Said differently, the degree of learning you accomplish while conducting these investigations is almost entirely dependent on the effort you put into them, inside and outside the laboratory.

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  Taming the Wild Grape: Botany and Horticulture in the Vitaceae

  Jean Gerrath, Usher Posluszny, and Lewis Melville

  This book places grapes in the context of their family, the Vitaceae. It begins by focusing on the relationship of the family to other angiosperms and the interrelationships and characteristics of its genera. Two chapters emphasize the structure and development of its major vegetative and reproductive characteristics. Keys and illustrated descriptions for 19 North American species including 10 Vitis are provided. The three chapters on Vitis begin with a brief history of grape growing, with emphasis on North America. There is an illustrated life history of grape, following the two-year cycle from bud initiation to fruit maturity. The final chapter discusses the history of grapevine identification in North America, concluding with descriptions and illustrations of 30 important North American cold climate cultivars. The book is a general resource for understanding the growth, development, life history, and identification of grapes and the Vitaceae.

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  Life in the Natural World: Investigating Life’s Diversity

  Steve O'Kane and Kimberly Cline-Brown

  In this collection of laboratory investigations we have chosen to follow Darwin’s lead by highlighting some of the many forms of life’s biological diversity and complexity – and there are many! Biological evolution, after all, is an extremely creative process. You’ll be examining diversity and complexity from the level of DNA, to that of species, and finally to how species are assembled into communities and how these communities are studied. You’ll also be looking at some of the important mechanisms and natural systems that underlie, maintain, and change biological diversity. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that life as we know it, in all its myriad and beautiful forms, is about variation and interaction. These labs are designed to be stand-alone activities that are primarily self-directed. You will find that your instructor will “teach” much less than you may be used to. Think of your instructor as a facilitator or as a resource for learning – the real learning is up to you. Said differently, the degree of learning you accomplish while conducting these investigations is almost entirely dependent on the effort you put into them, inside and outside the laboratory.

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  The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Prairie Restoration in the Upper Midwest

  Daryl Smith, David W. Williams, Gregory A. Houseal, and Kirk Henderson

  Although less than 3 percent of the original vast landscape survives, the tallgrass prairie remains a national treasure, glowing with a vast array of colorful wildflowers in spring and summer, enriched by the warm reds and browns of grasses in fall and winter. This comprehensive manual, crafted by the staff of the Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa, will be an essential companion for everyone dedicated to planning, developing, and maintaining all types of prairie restorations and reconstructions in the tallgrass prairie region of Iowa, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, southwestern Wisconsin, southwestern Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, northwestern Missouri, and northeastern Kansas.

  Focusing on conservation plantings, prairie recovery, native landscaping in yards and at schools, roadside plantings, and pasture renovations, the authors—who collectively have more than a hundred years of experience with prairie restoration—have created a manual that will be particularly useful to landowners, conservation agency personnel, ecosystem managers, native-seeding contractors, prairie enthusiasts, teachers, and roadside managers. A wealth of color and black-and-white photographs taken in the field as well as checklists and tables support the detailed text, which also includes useful online and print sources and references, a glossary, and lists of common and scientific names of all plant species discussed.

  The text is divided into five parts. Part I, Reconstruction Planning, provides an overall summary of the entire process, information about securing good-quality seed, and the design of seed mixes. In Part II, Implementing Reconstruction, the authors consider ways to prepare and seed the site, manage the site in its first growing season, identify seedlings, and evaluate success. Part III, Prairie Restoration and Management, deals with identifying and assessing prairie remnants, working toward a predetermined restoration goal, and managing restored prairie remnants and completed reconstructions, including prescribed burning. Chapters in Part IV, Special Cases, discuss the uses of prairie in public spaces, roadside vegetation management, and landscaping on a smaller scale in yards and outdoor classrooms. Part V, Native Seed Production, describes the processes of harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing native seed as well as propagating and transplanting native seedlings.

  Although we cannot recreate the original black soil prairie, tallgrass prairie restoration offers the opportunity to reverse environmental damage and provide for the recovery of vital aspects of this lost ecosystem. Anyone in the Upper Midwest who wishes to improve water quality, reduce flood damage, support species diversity, preserve animal habitats, and enjoy the changing panorama of grasses and wildflowers will benefit from the clear, careful text and copious illustrations in this authoritative guide. -- Provided by publisher

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  The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Seed and Seedling Identification in the Upper Midwest

  Dave W. Williams

  Settlers crossing the tallgrass prairie in the early 1800s were greeted by a seemingly endless landscape of wildflowers and grasses, one of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet. Today, although the tallgrass prairie has been reduced to a tiny percentage of its former expanse, people are working to restore and reconstruct prairie communities. This lavishly illustrated guide to seeds and seedlings, crafted by Tallgrass Prairie Center botanist Dave Williams and illustrator Brent Butler, will insure that everyone from urban gardeners to grassland managers can properly identify and germinate seventy-two species of tallgrass wildflowers and grasses in eastern North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, Iowa, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, northwestern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma.

  Williams has created a brilliant, nearly foolproof system of identification and verification. Two primary keys lead to eleven secondary keys that link to characteristic groups of tallgrass plants: seven groups for wildflowers and four groups for grasses. To identify a seedling, use the primary key to discover its place in the secondary key, then turn to that characteristic group to find your seedling. Circles on each full seedling photograph correspond to close-up photographs; triangles on these close-ups illustrate information in the text to further pinpoint identification. Drawings of leaves illuminate exact identification, and enlarged photographs of each seed provide yet another way to confirm identification.

  Thousands of seeds were sprouted in the Tallgrass Prairie Center’s greenhouse to provide seedlings close in size and development to those grown in the field near the end of their first season; research and photography took place over four years. Williams’s text for each species includes a thorough description, a comparison of similar species, and guidance for germination and growth. A complete glossary supports the text, which is concise but detailed enough to be accessible to beginning prairie enthusiasts.

  Anyone in the Upper Midwest who wishes to preserve the native vegetation of prairie remnants or reconstruct a tallgrass prairie of whatever size—from home gardens to schoolyards to roadsides to large acreages—will benefit from the hundreds of photographs and drawings and the precise text in this meticulously prepared guide. -- Provided by publisher

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  Life in the Natural World: Investigating Life’s Diversity

  Steve O'Kane and Kimberly Cline-Brown

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  The Butterflies of Iowa

  John Downey, Dennis Schlicht, and Jeff Nekola

  This beautiful and comprehensive guide, many years in the making, is a manual for identifying the butterflies of Iowa as well as 90 percent of the butterflies in the Plains states. It begins by providing information on the natural communities of Iowa, paying special attention to butterfly habitat and distribution. Next come chapters on the history of lepidopteran research in Iowa and on creating butterfly gardens, followed by an intriguing series of questions and issues relevant to the study of butterflies in the state. The second part contains accounts, organized by family, for the 118 species known to occur in Iowa. Each account includes the common and scientific names for each species, its Opler and Warren number, its status in Iowa, adult flight times and number of broods per season, distinguishing features, distribution and habitat, and natural history information such as behavior and food plant preferences. As a special feature of each account, the authors have included questions that illuminate the research and conservation challenges for each species. In the third section, the illustrations, grouped for easier comparison among species, include color photographs of all the adult forms that occur in Iowa. Male and female as well as top and bottom views are shown for most species. The distribution maps indicate in which of Iowa’s ninety-nine counties specimens have been collected; flight times for each species are shown by marking the date of collection for each verified specimen on a yearly calendar. The book ends with a checklist, collection information specific to the photographs, a glossary, references, and an index. The authors’ meticulous attention to detail, stimulating questions for students and researchers, concern for habitat preservation, and joyful appreciation of the natural world make it a valuable and inspiring volume.

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  Tallgrass Prairie Center's Native Seed Production Manual

  Gregory A. Houseal

  The intent of this manual is to provide basic information for native seed production of nearly 50 species of the tallgrass prairie flora of the upper Mid-west. The information presented is compiled from published accounts coupled with native seed production experience at the Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa. Critical to this effort were publications from the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Program, published research articles and technical notes, and Internet resources. Botanical nomenclature follows USDA PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov).

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  The Butterflies of Iowa

  Dennis W. Schlicht, John C. Downey, and Jeff C. Nekola

  This beautiful and comprehensive guide, many years in the making, is a manual for identifying the butterflies of Iowa as well as 90 percent of the butterflies in the Plains states.

  It begins by providing information on the natural communities of Iowa, paying special attention to butterfly habitat and distribution. Next come chapters on the history of lepidopteran research in Iowa and on creating butterfly gardens, followed by an intriguing series of questions and issues relevant to the study of butterflies in the state.

  The second part contains accounts, organized by family, for the 118 species known to occur in Iowa. Each account includes the common and scientific names for each species, its Opler and Warren number, its status in Iowa, adult flight times and number of broods per season, distinguishing features, distribution and habitat, and natural history information such as behavior and food plant preferences. As a special feature of each account, the authors have included questions that illuminate the research and conservation challenges for each species.

  In the third section, the illustrations, grouped for easier comparison among species, include color photographs of all the adult forms that occur in Iowa. Male and female as well as top and bottom views are shown for most species. The distribution maps indicate in which of Iowa’s ninety-nine counties specimens have been collected; flight times for each species are shown by marking the date of collection for each verified specimen on a yearly calendar.

  The book ends with a checklist, collection information specific to the photographs, a glossary, references, and an index. The authors’ meticulous attention to detail, stimulating questions for students and researchers, concern for habitat preservation, and joyful appreciation of the natural world make it a valuable and inspiring volume.

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  The Farm as Natural Habitat: Reconnecting Food Systems With Ecosystems

  Dana L. Jackson and Laura L. Jackson

  The Farm as Natural Habitat is a vital new contribution to the debate about agriculture and its impacts on the land. Arising from the conviction that the agricultural landscape as a whole could be restored to a healthy diversity, the book challenges the notion that the dominant agricultural landscape - bereft of its original vegetation and wildlife and despoiled by chemical runoff - is inevitable if we are to feed ourselves. Contributors bring together insights and practices from the fields of conservation biology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental restoration to link agriculture and biodiversity, farming and nature, in celebrating a unique alternative to conventional agriculture. Rejecting the idea that "ecological sacrifice zones" are a necessary part of feeding a hungry world, the book offers compelling examples of an alternative agriculture that can produce not only healthful food, but fully functioning ecosystems and abundant populations of native species. Contributors include Collin Bode, George Boody, Brian DeVore, Arthur (Tex) Hawkins, Buddy Huffaker, Rhonda Janke, Richard Jefferson, Nick Jordan, Cheryl Miller, Heather Robertson, Carol Shennan, Judith Soule, Beth Waterhouse, and others. The Farm as Natural Habitat is both hopeful and visionary, grounded in real examples, and guided by a commitment to healthy land and thriving communities. It is the first book to offer a viable approach to addressing the challenges of protecting and restoring biodiversity on private agricultural land and is essential reading for anyone concerned with issues of land or biodiversity conservation, farming and agriculture, ecological restoration, or the health of rural communities and landscapes.

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  Vascular Plants of Iowa: An Annotated Checklist and Natural History

  Lawrence J. Eilers and Dean M. Roosa

  Anyone who works with the vascular plants of Iowa—researchers, conservationists, teachers, agricultural specialists, horticulturists, gardeners, and so on—and those who are simply interested in knowing more about the state's plants have long felt a need for a comprehensive flora of Iowa. This meticulously researched volume is a giant first step toward such a flora. This book consists of an extended essay on the natural history of the vascular plants of Iowa, a discussion of their origins, a description of the state's natural regions, and a painstakingly annotated checklist of Iowa vascular plants. The data, which apply to over 150 years, took more than 15 years to collect. All known vascular plants that grow and persist in Iowa without cultivation are included in the checklist. These are native plants, primarily, but a large number of introduced species have become established throughout the state. Also included are Iowa's major crop plants and some of its common garden plants. The lengthy checklist provides an accurate and up-to-date listing of species names and common names, synonyms, distribution, habitat, abundance, and origin; county names are given for very rare species, and the most complete information has been provided for all rare plants and troublesome species. The wealth of information is this well-organized, practical volume—which describes more than two thousand species from Adiantum pedatum, the northern maidenhair fern of moist woods and rocky slopes, to Zannichellia palustris, the horned pondweed of shallow marshes and coldwater streams—makes it possible to identify Iowa plants correctly. All Midwesterners will want to own a copy of The Vascular Plants of Iowa. -- Provided by publisher

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  Distribution of Iowa's Endangered and Threatened Vascular Plants

  Dean M. Roosa, Mark J. Leoschke, and Lawrence J. Eilers