What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ecological Buffalo: On the Trail of a Keystone Species
An expert on the buffalo tells the history of this keystone species through extensive research and beautiful photographs.
The mere mention of the buffalo instantly brings to mind the vast herds that once roamed the North American continent, and few wild animals captivate our imaginations as much as the buffalo do. Once numbering in the tens of millions, these magnificent creatures played a significant role in structuring the varied ecosystems they occupied. For at least 24,000 years, North American Indigenous Peoples depended upon them, and it was the abundance of buffalo that initially facilitated the dispersal of humankind across the continent.
With the arrival of Europeans and their rapacious capacity for wildlife destruction, the buffalo was all but exterminated. In a span of just thirty years during the mid-1800s, buffalo populations plummeted from more than 30 million to just twenty-three. And with them went all of the intricate food webs, the trophic cascades, and the inter-species relationships that had evolved over thousands of years.
Despite this brush with extinction, the buffalo survived, and isolated populations are slowly recovering. As this recovery proceeds, the relationships the animals once had with thousands of species are being re-established in a remarkable process of ecological healing. The intricacy of those restored relationships is the subject of this book.
Based on author Wes Olson’s thirty-five years of working intimately with bison―and featuring Johane Janelle’s stunning photography― The Ecological Buffalo is a story that takes the reader on a journey to understand the myriad connections this keystone species has with the Great Plains.
The mere mention of the buffalo instantly brings to mind the vast herds that once roamed the North American continent, and few wild animals captivate our imaginations as much as the buffalo do. Once numbering in the tens of millions, these magnificent creatures played a significant role in structuring the varied ecosystems they occupied. For at least 24,000 years, North American Indigenous Peoples depended upon them, and it was the abundance of buffalo that initially facilitated the dispersal of humankind across the continent.
With the arrival of Europeans and their rapacious capacity for wildlife destruction, the buffalo was all but exterminated. In a span of just thirty years during the mid-1800s, buffalo populations plummeted from more than 30 million to just twenty-three. And with them went all of the intricate food webs, the trophic cascades, and the inter-species relationships that had evolved over thousands of years.
Despite this brush with extinction, the buffalo survived, and isolated populations are slowly recovering. As this recovery proceeds, the relationships the animals once had with thousands of species are being re-established in a remarkable process of ecological healing. The intricacy of those restored relationships is the subject of this book.
Based on author Wes Olson’s thirty-five years of working intimately with bison―and featuring Johane Janelle’s stunning photography― The Ecological Buffalo is a story that takes the reader on a journey to understand the myriad connections this keystone species has with the Great Plains.
- GenresEnvironment
278 pages, Paperback
Published July 9, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 24, 2023
Highly recommended. Superb images and informative, engaging copy. Get the physical book, not ebook, to see the amazing photos, drawings and graphics. It's a large-format book, and most of it consists of images. I borrowed it via inter-library loan, from the Boston Public Library.
April 21, 2022
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 their 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 their 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.
August 1, 2026
Olson looks at the various interactions that the buffalo have with their ecosystem. He sees the buffalo as a keystone species due to the large number of nimals and plants that benefited from the buffalo herds. The prairies of yesterday, when large herds of buffalo were present, were different ecosystems from today.
One chapter, Bison and Bugs, delves into the processing of forage. The author illustrates the huge volumes with such facts as each buffalo produces 100 litres of saliva a day; 25 percent of the animal's protein comes from bugs eaten with the forage; and a herd of 100 animals would completely cover twelve hectares (30 acres) of land in a year. All that dung forms the basis for a diverse ecosystem of insects, such as flies, dung beetles, wasps, and springtails, plus animals such as mites and earthworms. The patties of one buffalo can be responsible for 2.1 million fly larvae per year.
Another surprising chapter describes the ecology of buffalo carcasses and the scavengers that benefit. When 30 million buffalo lived on the continent, a mortality rate of 5 percent would have resulted in 1.5 million carcasses spread across the ecosystem each year. Scavengers included mammals and birds, but also a host of insect species. The insects would have provided a significant food source for migrating birds.
An excellent book with excellent photos.
One chapter, Bison and Bugs, delves into the processing of forage. The author illustrates the huge volumes with such facts as each buffalo produces 100 litres of saliva a day; 25 percent of the animal's protein comes from bugs eaten with the forage; and a herd of 100 animals would completely cover twelve hectares (30 acres) of land in a year. All that dung forms the basis for a diverse ecosystem of insects, such as flies, dung beetles, wasps, and springtails, plus animals such as mites and earthworms. The patties of one buffalo can be responsible for 2.1 million fly larvae per year.
Another surprising chapter describes the ecology of buffalo carcasses and the scavengers that benefit. When 30 million buffalo lived on the continent, a mortality rate of 5 percent would have resulted in 1.5 million carcasses spread across the ecosystem each year. Scavengers included mammals and birds, but also a host of insect species. The insects would have provided a significant food source for migrating birds.
An excellent book with excellent photos.
July 30, 2022
This beautiful book concentrates on the North American buffalo (bison) and explores it's relationship to several ecosystems.
Buffalo used to roam freely over 146 million square km of North America (48 US states and 4 Canadian provinces). Today they live on only about 130,000 square km. Through photos, text, tables, sidebars, drawings, and maps, the author and photographer demonstrate how the buffalo is a key species in many ecosystems: grasslands, insects, birds, small mammals reptiles, predators & prey, and humans.
The book can be approached via several gates, from a conservation, ecology stance to coffee table book. However you pick this up, you'll seen stunning photos and will learn much about ecology in general as well as about the buffalo and the many species it interacts with.
This book would appeal to the casually curious, to home schoolers, and to those passionate about our planet.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Buffalo used to roam freely over 146 million square km of North America (48 US states and 4 Canadian provinces). Today they live on only about 130,000 square km. Through photos, text, tables, sidebars, drawings, and maps, the author and photographer demonstrate how the buffalo is a key species in many ecosystems: grasslands, insects, birds, small mammals reptiles, predators & prey, and humans.
The book can be approached via several gates, from a conservation, ecology stance to coffee table book. However you pick this up, you'll seen stunning photos and will learn much about ecology in general as well as about the buffalo and the many species it interacts with.
This book would appeal to the casually curious, to home schoolers, and to those passionate about our planet.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
November 7, 2022
I received a digital ARC of this book and was not able to read it. So, I purchased the Kindle version. I downloaded that on three devices: a Kindle, an Android tablet, and a laptop computer. On all devices and all versions, the text of this book is completely illegible. The words are run together on all pages except for the cover. I cannot read it in any digital format in which it is offered. (It is not offered as an ePUB).. There is also no option to change the font on any of the devices, so I cannot see the text. I had high hopes for this book because it looked like it was going to be good. Unfortunately, I cannot read it unless the publisher fixes the issue with the text not displaying correctly. The words overlap each other, so I can't decipher it. If the issue ever gets fixed, I will update my review. I really, really want to read this book. I hope the text display issues can be resolved.
July 11, 2023
This book is a gem - from the illustrations, the photos, and the prose. Wes Olson presents a holistic view of the North American bison. He weaves the ecology from the smallest beetle to the largest carnivores. The impact bison have on the ecosystem comes through from his decades of experience researching them. This book is not only extremely informative but a visual feast.
I highly recommend this tome to anyone and everyone with an interest in grassland species.
I highly recommend this tome to anyone and everyone with an interest in grassland species.
January 3, 2023
A wonderful book of photography and prose placing the buffalo in a complex and interrelated ecosystem (and the impacts of its absence) on the great plains. The authors have been engaged for many years in efforts to preserve the buffalo in its natural environment - a notion currently being explored by the Buffalo Treaty among First Nations.
July 23, 2022
Lots of gorgeous photos and great information on the bison 🦬 , their environment and the ecosystem and the inter connectivity of the varies species of animals and insects
January 2, 2023
The Ecological Buffalo provides a good overview of the impacts of the removal of a key species from an environment. As with the wolves of Yellowstone, the buffalo has a wide impact on the habitats in which it historically ranged. As man attempts to undo the ill-advised removal of key species, the book highlights the vast good that reintroduction will bring to their native rangelands. Owen has done an impeccable job in imparting the balancing act between man and nature occurs with reintroduction of large key species.
Thank you to NetGalley and the University of Regina Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the University of Regina Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews