Contents -- Contributors -- 1 The Shortgrass Steppe: The Region and Research Sites -- 2 Climate of the Shortgrass Steppe -- 3 Soil Development and Distribution in the Shortgrass Steppe Ecosystem -- 4 Land-Use History on the Shortgrass Steppe -- 5 Vegetation of the Shortgrass Steppe -- 6 The Role of Disturbances in Shortgrass Steppe Community and Ecosystem Dynamics -- 7 Simulation of Disturbances and Recovery in Shortgrass Steppe Plant Communities -- 8 Ecology of Mammals of the Shortgrass Steppe -- 9 Birds of the Shortgrass Steppe -- 10 Insect Populations, Community Interactions, and Ecosystem Processes in the Shortgrass Steppe -- 11 Trophic Structure and Nutrient Dynamics of the Belowground Food Web within the Rhizosphere of the Shortgrass Steppe -- 12 Net Primary Production in the Shortgrass Steppe -- 13 Soil Organic Matter and Nutrient Dynamics of Shortgrass Steppe Ecosystems -- 14 Soil-Atmosphere Exchange of Trace Gases in the Colorado Shortgrass Steppe -- 15 The Shortgrass Steppe and Ecosystem Modeling -- 16 Effects of Grazing on Vegetation -- 17 Cattle Grazing on the Shortgrass Steppe -- 18 Effects of Grazing on Abundance and Distribution of Shortgrass Steppe Consumers -- 19 The Future of the Shortgrass Steppe -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y.