As one of North America's most unique ecologies, the Great Plains have fostered symbiotic relationships between humans and animals for millennia. Among these, Indigenous bonds to beavers, bison, and horses have been the subject of numerous anthropological and scientific surveys. Beaver, Bison, Horse is an interdisciplinary account that centers on Indigenous knowledge and tradition. R. Grace Morgan's research, considered essential reading in the field, shows an ecological understanding that sustained Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years prior to colonial contact, with critical information on how the beaver manages water systems and protects communities from drought on the Plains. Morgan's work is a game-changer. For the first time in print, her important research now appears with a foreword by James Daschuk, bestselling and award-winning author of Clearing the Plains , and an afterword by Cristina Eisenberg, author of The Carnivore Way and The Wolf's Tooth . "Morgan's work takes archaeological interpretations beyond basic descriptions of past technologies and foodways to considerations of how Indigenous Plains Peoples interacted with and maintained their lands-and why they occupied their lands as they did. Further, Eisenberg's final chapter brings Morgan's work into a contemporary context."- David Meyer , Professor Emeritus, Department of Archeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan "An important book. The detail on beaver habitat manipulation...is rich and nuanced and cannot be found elsewhere."- Norman Henderson , author of Rediscovering the Great Plains

First published in 1979, Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare has established itself as a seminal work in ecology. Now with a new foreword by ecologist and writer Cristina Eisenberg, this penetrating study of ecosystems and animal populations is more relevant than ever. What accounts for the many different species of insect? Why does the robin population stay relatively steady year after year, despite the fact that their nests contain several chicks at once? Paul Colinvaux traces the ecologist's quest to answer these questions and more in this accessibly written book. He brings to the subject both profound knowledge and an enthusiasm that will encourage a greater understanding of the environment and of the efforts of those who seek to preserve it.

Scientist and author Cristina Eisenberg presents a fascinating and wide-ranging look at the dramatic ecological consequences of predator removal (and return) as she explores the concept of 'trophic cascades' and the role of top predators in regulating ecosystems. She shows how and why animals such as wolves, sea otters, and sharks exert such a disproportionate influence on their environment, and considers how this notion can help provide practical solutions for restoring ecosystem health and functioning. Eisenberg examines both general concepts and specific issues, sharing accounts from her own fieldwork to illustrate and bring to life the ideas she presents. She considers how resource managers can use knowledge about trophic cascades to guide recovery efforts, including how this science can be applied to move forward the bold vision of rewilding the North American continent. In the end, the author provides her own recommendations for local and landscape-scale applications of what has been learned about interactive food webs. At their most fundamental level, trophic cascades are powerful stories about ecosystem processes - of predators and their prey, of what it takes to survive in a landscape, of the flow of nutrients. "The Wolf's Tooth" is the first book to focus on the vital connection between trophic cascades and restoring biodiversity and habitats, and to do so in a way that is accessible to a diverse readership.

As one of North America's most unique ecologies, the Great Plains have fostered symbiotic relationships between humans and animals for millennia. Among these, Indigenous bonds to beavers, bison, and horses have been the subject of numerous anthropological and scientific surveys. Beaver, Bison, Horse is an interdisciplinary account that centers on Indigenous knowledge and tradition. R. Grace Morgan's research, considered essential reading in the field, shows an ecological understanding that sustained Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years prior to colonial contact, with critical information on how the beaver manages water systems and protects communities from drought on the Plains. Morgan's work is a game-changer. For the first time in print, her important research now appears with a foreword by James Daschuk, bestselling and award-winning author of Clearing the Plains , and an afterword by Cristina Eisenberg, author of The Carnivore Way and The Wolf's Tooth . "Morgan's work takes archaeological interpretations beyond basic descriptions of past technologies and foodways to considerations of how Indigenous Plains Peoples interacted with and maintained their lands-and why they occupied their lands as they did. Further, Eisenberg's final chapter brings Morgan's work into a contemporary context."- David Meyer , Professor Emeritus, Department of Archeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan "An important book. The detail on beaver habitat manipulation...is rich and nuanced and cannot be found elsewhere."- Norman Henderson , author of Rediscovering the Great Plains

What would it be like to live in a world with no predators roaming our landscapes? Would their elimination, which humans have sought with ever greater urgency in recent times, bring about a pastoral, peaceful human civilization? Or in fact is their existence critical to our own, and do we need to be doing more to assure their health and the health of the landscapes they need to thrive? In The Carnivore Way, Cristina Eisenberg argues compellingly for the necessity of top predators in. large, undisturbed landscapes, and how a continental-Iong corridor - a "carnivore way" - provides the room they need to roam and connected landscapes that allow them to disperse. Eisenberg follows the footsteps of six large carnivores - wolves, grizzly bears, lynx, jaguars, wolverines, and cougars - on a 7,500-mile wildlife corridor from Alaska to Mexico along the Rocky Mountains. Backed by robust science, she shows how their well-being is a critical factor in sustaining healthy landscapes and how it is possible for humans and large carnivores to coexist peacefully and even to thrive. University students in natural resource science programs, resource managers, conservation organisations, and anyone curious about carnivore ecology and management in a changing world will find a thoughtful guide to large carnivore conservation that dispels long-held myths about their ecology and contributions to healthy, resilient landscapes.