The US Great Plains, Change, and Place Development

This chapter presents the changing conditions of a subregion and a specific place embedded within the larger region (space) of the Great Plains. From a general overview of the Great Plains, through a discussion of a portion of its High Plains subregion, and ending with a specific Kansas community, the focus is on general economic and environmental conditions. While some places within the larger space of the North American Great Plains/prairie region may find the wherewithal to succeed in the longer term—by capitalizing on local features and local entrepreneurial strength—these are likely to be exceptional in a large and relatively sparsely populated region

Groundwater Depletion and Agricultural Land Use Change in Wichita County, Kansas

Though researchers have documented groundwater and land use changes in the High Plains, few studies have investigated their interactions. This paper examines the relationship between groundwater depletion and agricultural land use change in greater detail than previous studies. Water well measurements and satellite imagery were used to detect changes in groundwater and land cover in Wichita County, Kansas, between 1975 and 2001. Analysis of these changes using GIS indicated that areas experiencing the greatest decline in groundwater were indeed being removed from irrigation, while areas with limited groundwater decline were experiencing fewer land use changes

Functional mechanisms underlying pleiotropic risk alleles at the 19p13.1 breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility locus

A locus at 19p13 is associated with breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) risk. Here we analyse 438 SNPs in this region in 46,451 BC and 15,438 OC cases, 15,252 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 73,444 controls and identify 13 candidate causal SNPs associated with serous OC (P=9.2 × 10-20), ER-negative BC (P=1.1 × 10-13), BRCA1-associated BC (P=7.7 × 10-16) and triple negative BC (P-diff=2 × 10-5). Genotype-gene expression associations are identified for candidate target genes ANKLE1 (P=2 × 10-3) and ABHD8 (P<2 × 10-3). Chromosome conformation capture identifies interactions between four candidate SNPs and ABHD8, and luciferase assays indicate six risk alleles increased transactivation of the ADHD8 promoter. Targeted deletion of a region containing risk SNP rs56069439 in a putative enhancer induces ANKLE1 downregulation; and mRNA stability assays indicate functional effects for an ANKLE1 3′-UTR SNP. Altogether, these data suggest that multiple SNPs at 19p13 regulate ABHD8 and perhaps ANKLE1 expression, and indicate common mechanisms underlying breast and ovarian cancer risk

A case-only study to identify genetic modifiers of breast cancer risk for BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers

Breast cancer (BC) risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers varies by genetic and familial factors. About 50 common variants have been shown to modify BC risk for mutation carriers. All but three, were identified in general population studies. Other mutation carrier-specific susceptibility variants may exist but studies of mutation carriers have so far been underpowered. We conduct a novel case-only genome-wide association study comparing genotype frequencies between 60,212 general population BC cases and 13,007 cases with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. We identify robust novel associations for 2 variants with BC for BRCA1 and 3 for BRCA2 mutation carriers, P < 10−8, at 5 loci, which are not associated with risk in the general population. They include rs60882887 at 11p11.2 where MADD, SP11 and EIF1, genes previously implicated in BC biology, are predicted as potential targets. These findings will contribute towards customising BC polygenic risk scores for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers

Beef Feedlots In Southwestern Kansas: Local Change, Perceptions, And The Global Change Context

Cattle feedlots, some of which have a capacity of tens of thousands of head, have become a major driving force in the local economy and changing landscape of southwestern Kansas. The feedlot industry also is one of the region’s most important sources of carbonequivalent greenhouse gases. Changes to the beef industry are described, and the perceptions and attitudes of feedlot operators regarding climatic change issues and industrial change are analyzed based on a 1998 survey. The results indicate that a majority of feedlot respondents believe ‘global warming’ is mostly an unproven theory, and efforts to mitigate it are unwarranted

Environmental Conditions, Irrigation Reuse Pits, And The Need For Restoration In The Rainwater Basin Wetland Complex, Nebraska

Many of the processes of social and economic change in rural areas of America in the last century have had significant negative environmental impacts (Woods, 2005). The conversion of native grasslands and woodlands to farmland is a phenomenon that has been observed the world over (Foley et al., 2005). The growing demands of agriculture have transformed land cover at a global scale (Goudie, 2006). It is estimated that, globally, grasslands have lost approximately 19.4 million sq km from their pre-agricultural extent. According to Goldewijk (2001), in the past 300 years, areas of cropland and pasture have increased by around five to six fold. The loss of wetlands on a global scale is cause for serious concern. Wetlands cover about 6 percent of the earth’s surface, even though they tend to occur in relatively small and often geographically isolated patches. However they also are responsible for about one quarter of the Earth’s net primary productivity, and provide crucial wintering, breeding, and refuge areas for wildlife (Goudie, 2006). With these facts in mind, it becomes even more alarming that the world has lost up to 50 percent of its wetlands since 1900; the United States alone has lost approximately 54 percent of its native wetland habitat, mostly through the conversion to farmland (Goudie, 2006)

Attitudes Toward Climate Change: Major Emitters in Southwestern Kansas

As part of an initiative to improve understanding of place-to-place differences in greenhouse gas emissions, local changes in radiative forcing, and mitigative potential, the attitudes of decision- makers in the major greenhouse-gas-emitting industries in a 6-county study area in southwestern Kansas were investigated. This study included both mailed questionnaire and unstructured interview techniques, with quantitative and qualitative components. The information obtained from one method tended to corroborate data obtained from the other. Results indicate that, in this area, many respondents in the best positions to take mitigative actions are unconvinced of human-induced climate change. There are some variations among industries, with those involved in natural gas or electricity provision least convinced of potential negative impacts related to greenhouse gas emissions/ climate change. In this region, it would appear that better communication of ‘proof’ of human climate impacts, as well as mitigative opportunities, would be a necessary part of encouraging industries to take action

Embedded in Nature: Challenges to Sustainability in Communities of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Solutions to sustainability transitions tend to be applicable for specific regions but not the whole of society. Limitations on what may be sustained also exist, and preferences will vary among people in different places. Because of these differences, there is a need for better understanding of the perceptions and experiences of local community members and the challenges they face in the transition toward sustainability to promote realistic and effective decision-making. As a region with significant natural resource protections, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has been known to researchers for decades as an ideal location to study human-environment interactions. The objective of this study was to determine the challenges to sustainable community development and natural resource management identified by residents of communities surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Thirty-two key informant interviews were conducted with decision-makers, with a focus on the communities of Red Lodge and West Yellowstone, Montana, and Jackson, Wyoming. Findings suggest that primary challenges include the seasonality of the tourist industry, disparities between agricultural and tourism-dependent priorities, and the implementation of stated sustainability goals. Challenges differ based on communities&rsquo; socio-economic conditions, dependence on tourism and recreation-based industries, and the influence of local and extra-local institutions