@inbook {KNZ00614, title = {Landscape gradients and habitat structure in native grasslands of the central great plains}, booktitle = {Ecology and Conservation of Great Plains Vertebrates}, year = {1997}, pages = {3 -19}, publisher = {Springer-Verlag}, organization = {Springer-Verlag}, address = {New York}, abstract = {Habitat variables have a powerful influence on the distribution and abundance of organisms, and many organisms directly affect the physical structure of their local environment. These interactions produce a complex feedback system that drives community dynamics. This scenario is particularly true in grasslands where the effects of {\textquotedblleft}keystone engineers,{\textquotedblright} such as the North American bison (Bison bison), have a tremendous influence on ecosystem structure and function (Collins and Benning 1996). This interplay between organisms and habitat structure in grasslands occurs within a climatic regime that varies dramatically from one year to the next. In addition, the relative influence of different habitat variables changes at different spatial and temporal scales.}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1007/978-1-4757-2703-6_1}, author = {Vinton, M.A. and Scott. L. Collins}, editor = {Knopf, F.L. and Samson, F.B.} }