by
Wes Olson,author/researcher
Johane Janelle (Photographs),
Harvey Locke (Foreword),
Leeroy Littlebear (Afterword)
I honestly wasn't sure
what to expect from this book other than, hopefully, lots of lovely
photos. I lucked out. I not only got the lovely photos but a very
readable, intriguing look at the role of the buffalo in the ecological
system. While I won't pretend to be an expert, I found it not only
understandable but a relatively easy read, even when statistics were
tossed at us. I won't even try to detail all the information within.
This book is the culmination of decades of observation and study of the
buffalo. Instead, I will settle for explaining the use of the term
"keystone".
For me, having had a killer good humanities teacher, it took me back to the classroom when we were discussing Roman architecture. Think about the giant stone arches of which you've surely seen pictures. The central stone, the one atop the arch at the top center is called the keystone. Take that stone away and the rest of the arch will collapse. Without the keystone, the strongest of arches can't stand. In the ecological world, the buffalo served much the same role in its environment.
As someone who grew up watching countless westerns, I've of course heard stories and read about the buffalo and its importance to the Native Americans. Every part was somehow utilized, right down to the tongue. What I hadn't thought about was how non-human species, or even the, say, grass growing on the plains was impacted by the near complete destruction of the once enormous buffalo herds in the late-1800s. Did you know how even gophers and woodpeckers and other birds were impacted by the loss of the herds? For instance, the buffalo grazed in the areas the gophers dug their holes. Since the buffalo grazing kept the grasses and brush down around the gopher colonies, there was less chance of a predator sneaking up on them. As for the woodpecker, I was startled to discover how much they seemed to have enjoyed feasting on the ant colonies that were built in, hmm, let's say bison dung, and the disappearance of the buffalo of course lead to there being fewer ant colonies and, thus, fewer birds. An ornithologist, a US Army surgeon, kept records of birds seen and noted the loss of the Sprague's lark but didn't make the connection at the time to the relatively sudden disappearance of the vast buffalo herds.
That sort of fascinating information is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. All illustrated by lovely photos of both the buffalo and other ecological neighbors. Author Harvey Locke does a great job of connecting the dots, pulling all the facts together and showing how they are related and had an impact on a wide variety of species as well as the land. The photos by Johane Janelle are a bonus. I'm certainly not a student of the buffalo but have enjoyed observing them at one of the wildlife centers as well as following the release of the bison to the Alaskan wilds. This book make me understand not just the animal itself but the importance of heir continued survival to humans and the world we share with a wide variety of species. if you have any interest in ecological systems and how the work in unison, history, wildlife, or simply like looking at pretty pictures, this book should be on your bookshelf. Well written, clearly written, and informative without talking down to us, it's a winner.
Thank you #NetGalley and the #UniversityOfReginaPress for allowing me to spend such an enjoyable time getting to know the amazing creature better. We ARE all interconnected.
For me, having had a killer good humanities teacher, it took me back to the classroom when we were discussing Roman architecture. Think about the giant stone arches of which you've surely seen pictures. The central stone, the one atop the arch at the top center is called the keystone. Take that stone away and the rest of the arch will collapse. Without the keystone, the strongest of arches can't stand. In the ecological world, the buffalo served much the same role in its environment.
As someone who grew up watching countless westerns, I've of course heard stories and read about the buffalo and its importance to the Native Americans. Every part was somehow utilized, right down to the tongue. What I hadn't thought about was how non-human species, or even the, say, grass growing on the plains was impacted by the near complete destruction of the once enormous buffalo herds in the late-1800s. Did you know how even gophers and woodpeckers and other birds were impacted by the loss of the herds? For instance, the buffalo grazed in the areas the gophers dug their holes. Since the buffalo grazing kept the grasses and brush down around the gopher colonies, there was less chance of a predator sneaking up on them. As for the woodpecker, I was startled to discover how much they seemed to have enjoyed feasting on the ant colonies that were built in, hmm, let's say bison dung, and the disappearance of the buffalo of course lead to there being fewer ant colonies and, thus, fewer birds. An ornithologist, a US Army surgeon, kept records of birds seen and noted the loss of the Sprague's lark but didn't make the connection at the time to the relatively sudden disappearance of the vast buffalo herds.
That sort of fascinating information is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. All illustrated by lovely photos of both the buffalo and other ecological neighbors. Author Harvey Locke does a great job of connecting the dots, pulling all the facts together and showing how they are related and had an impact on a wide variety of species as well as the land. The photos by Johane Janelle are a bonus. I'm certainly not a student of the buffalo but have enjoyed observing them at one of the wildlife centers as well as following the release of the bison to the Alaskan wilds. This book make me understand not just the animal itself but the importance of heir continued survival to humans and the world we share with a wide variety of species. if you have any interest in ecological systems and how the work in unison, history, wildlife, or simply like looking at pretty pictures, this book should be on your bookshelf. Well written, clearly written, and informative without talking down to us, it's a winner.
Thank you #NetGalley and the #UniversityOfReginaPress for allowing me to spend such an enjoyable time getting to know the amazing creature better. We ARE all interconnected.
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