BACKGROUND Rhoicissus tridentata lignotubers are widely used in southern African traditional pregnancy-related remedies. OBJECTIVES To determine the seasonal variation in contractile activity of extracts from different parts of the plant. METHODS Isolated rat uterus tissue was used to compare the contractile activity of crude aqueous extracts of R. tridentata made from plant material harves...

One function of the gut microbiota gaining recent attention, especially in herbivorous mammals and insects, is the metabolism of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). We investigated whether this function exists within the gut communities of a specialist avian herbivore. We sequenced the cecal metagenome of the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), which specializes on chemically defen...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been declining both spatially and numerically throughout their range because of anthropogenic disturbance and loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. Understanding how sage-grouse respond to these habitat alterations and disturbances, particularly the types of disturbances and extent at which they respond, is critical t...

Building models is an important way of integrating knowledge. Testing and updating models of social-ecological systems can inform management decisions and, ultimately, improve resilience. We report on the outcomes of a six-year, multidisciplinary model development process in the sagebrush steppe, USA. We focused on creating state-and-transition models (STMs), conceptual models of ecosystem chan...

WILLIAM A. REINERS Department of Botany University of Wyoming PO Box 3165 Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3165, USA ABSTRACT / Carbon sequestration was estimated a northern mixed-grass prairie site and a sagebrush–steppe site in southeastern Wyoming using an approach that integrates remote sensing, CO2 flux measurements, and meteorological data. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 was measured using air...