Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
- Keyword
-
- South dakota (3)
- Swift fox (3)
- Ecology (2)
- Fish (2)
- Habitat (2)
-
- Nest survival (2)
- Population (2)
- Raptor (2)
- Age (1)
- Aging (1)
- Badlands (1)
- Badlands national park (1)
- Baselines;Ecopath;food webs;Lake Erie;stable isotopes (1)
- Biological Sciences (1)
- Biological control (1)
- Birds Effect of temperature on (1)
- Birds Geographical distribution (1)
- Birds of prey (1)
- Bivalves (1)
- Buccal teeth (1)
- Climate (1)
- Climatic changes (1)
- College of Natural Science and Mathematics (1)
- Computer simulation (1)
- Coyotes (1)
- Detection probability (1)
- Ecological restoration (1)
- Ecosystem (1)
- Falconry (1)
- Falcons (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 36
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
The Influence Of Spatiotemporal Variation In Food Web Models, Cecilia E. Heuvel
The Influence Of Spatiotemporal Variation In Food Web Models, Cecilia E. Heuvel
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Aquatic ecosystems are constantly adapting to fluxes in season, temperature, nutrient cycling, and prey availability. Consequently, aquatic food webs are dynamic, and relationships between species are perpetually changing as organisms and primary producer communities adapt to current environmental conditions both in time and space. Despite this knowledge however, many food web studies continue to use temporally static and spatially homogenous representations of food webs. This thesis proposes that a detailed investigation of temporal and spatial trends in a large lake ecosystem can improve our understanding of the mechanisms and drivers of spatial and temporal variation in food web structure and …
Influence Of Lake Volume On Trophic Position, Carbon Use, And Resource Partitioning In Fish Across A Narrow Range Of Ecosystem Size, Alyssa Andersen
Influence Of Lake Volume On Trophic Position, Carbon Use, And Resource Partitioning In Fish Across A Narrow Range Of Ecosystem Size, Alyssa Andersen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Lake size is an important factor governing seasonal variation in limnological phenomena, origin of nutrient sources, species interactions, cross-habitat linkages, and trophic pathways, all having complex influences on food web structure and function. Lake size effects are most clearly demonstrated across very wide gradients in surface area or volume. This approach incorporates several complicating and collinear elements such as changing fish assemblages and species richness, and therefore, incorporates additional but unaccounted shifts in food web structure and function. A comparison across a finer lake size gradient where fish assemblages and species richness change little or not at all is needed …
Effects Of Agricultural Chemicals On Native Plants Of The Northern Great Plains, Gabrielle Bolwerk
Effects Of Agricultural Chemicals On Native Plants Of The Northern Great Plains, Gabrielle Bolwerk
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Agricultural chemicals are ubiquitous on the Northern Great Plains landscape and have negative impacts on non-target plant communities, even at small doses. Northern Great Plains grassland plant communities may experience herbicide drift from agricultural fields or be subject to livestock pharmaceuticals in grazing lands. My research objective was to evaluate if and how native plants are affected by agricultural chemical presence at different concentrations. In Chapter 2, I studied the effect of different concentrations of three common agricultural herbicides (2,4-D, atrazine, and trifluralin) on the germination, emergence, and growth of native plant species of the Northern Great Plains. I performed …
Using Machine Learning Classification And Esa Sentinel 2 Multispectral Imager Data To Delineate Marsh Vegetation And Measure Ecotone Movement In Coastal Georgia, Thomas A. Pudil
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Tidal marshes are unique communities that are subjected to environmental stressors including sea level rise, salinity change, and drought, resulting in constant change. It is important to monitor these changing areas because of the ecosystem services they provide to us, such as protection from storms and carbon sequestration. The proposed work for this thesis project is focused on the study of tidal marshes and the dynamics between the vegetation species within them. The aim of this project is to use geospatial technology and analyses, along with machine learning classification methods, to monitor change in these valuable ecosystems. The Georgia coast …
3d Computer Modeling Offers New Insights Into Diatom Ecology, Joseph Mohan
3d Computer Modeling Offers New Insights Into Diatom Ecology, Joseph Mohan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Algae supply over half of the Earth’s global primary production and form the base of almost all aquatic food networks. Thus, changes in algal productivity or composition will induce profound shifts in many ecosystems. This research is guided by two questions. Herein I ask if 3D models of algae can be created accurately enough to use for research applications? If they can be accurately created, then how can these models be used to advance our understanding of functional trait evolution and paleoecology? Herein, I develop 3D computer models for estimating the volume of individual algae and their parts. I also …
Loggerhead Shrike Detectability And Occurrence In Coastal South Carolina Urban Areas, Michelle Krauser
Loggerhead Shrike Detectability And Occurrence In Coastal South Carolina Urban Areas, Michelle Krauser
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Grassland birds, such as the loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), are threatened by extensive land-use change, including urbanization. Loggerhead shrikes have been declining since the early 1900s and are rare or extirpated in portions of their former range. Obtaining reliable population estimates of loggerhead shrikes is important to identify demographic trends and ensure conservation decisions are based on an accurate assessment of their current status. Imperfect detection, or the inability to detect every shrike during a survey, can result in biased population estimates. Estimating detection probability is labor-intensive and requires assumptions that are difficult to satisfy in most field studies. Understanding …
Seasonal Habitat Use Of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys Terrapin) In North Inlet, Winyah Bay, Georgetown, South Carolina, Danielle Elizabeth Capella
Seasonal Habitat Use Of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys Terrapin) In North Inlet, Winyah Bay, Georgetown, South Carolina, Danielle Elizabeth Capella
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
No abstract provided.
Understanding Patterns And Functional Impacts Of An Invasive Tree And Its Biological Control In A Riparian System, Annie L. Henry
Understanding Patterns And Functional Impacts Of An Invasive Tree And Its Biological Control In A Riparian System, Annie L. Henry
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Invasive species have become an inextricable part of the landscape, particularly in riparian plant communities, and removal is often a key component of restoration programs. Biological control (biocontrol) is a method of removal that is often both efficient and effective. However, the impact of biocontrol on target species and indirect effects from invasive species removal can be hard to predict. While monitoring the impact of invasive species removal usually involves some species-based assessment such as changes in diversity, historically dominant species or native species, these strategies do not typically provide insight into the mechanisms underlying plant community response to removal. …
Early Life History Of Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) In South Carolina Estuaries: Assessment Of Juvenile Recruitment And Validity Of Aging And Back-Calculation Methods, Garrett M. Elmo
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
No abstract provided.
Long-Term Carbon And Copper Impact On Nutrient Removal Via Green Sorption Media In Dynamic Linear Ditch Environments, Diana Ordonez
Long-Term Carbon And Copper Impact On Nutrient Removal Via Green Sorption Media In Dynamic Linear Ditch Environments, Diana Ordonez
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Nutrient-laden stormwater runoff causes environmental and ecological impacts on receiving water bodies. Biosorption Activated Media (BAM) composed of the sand, tire crumb, and clay have been implemented in stormwater best management practices due to its ability to efficiently remove nutrients from stormwater runoff, such as in roadside linear ditches, via unique chemophysical and microbiological processes. In this study, a set of fixed-bed columns were set up to simulate some external forces in roadside linear ditches and examine how these external forces affect the performance of BAM. In our experiment, scenario 1 simulates the impact that animals such as tortoises, moles …
An Examination Of Beta Diversity Indices And Their Predictors In Two Large-Scale Systems, Philip Schroeder
An Examination Of Beta Diversity Indices And Their Predictors In Two Large-Scale Systems, Philip Schroeder
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Biodiversity is what conservation biology was developed to conserve. It is the physical manifestation of life as a concept and, be it for practical or idealistic reasons, all conservationists seek to protect or, in some cases, enhance it. Because of its monolithic importance to the field, much effort has been expended trying to better measure and understand it. Recently, greater attention has been paid to the partition of diversity; the observation that the total diversity of a system (γ) can be broken down into within-site diversity (α) and between-site diversity (β). In particular, it has been noticed that the β …
Cranial Morphological Distinctiveness Between Ursus Arctos And U. Americanus, Benjamin James Hillesheim
Cranial Morphological Distinctiveness Between Ursus Arctos And U. Americanus, Benjamin James Hillesheim
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Despite being separated by millions of years of evolution, black bears (Ursus americanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) can be difficult to distinguish based on skeletal and dental material alone. Complicating matters, some Late Pleistocene U. americanus are significantly larger in size than their modern relatives, obscuring the identification of the two bears. In the past, fossil bears have been identified based on differences in dental morphology or size. This study used geometric morphometrics to look at overall differences in cranial shape and used step-wise discriminant analysis to identify specific characters that distinguish cranial morphology between …
Swift Foxes In Southwestern South Dakota: Assessing The Current Status Of A Reintroduced Population, Sarah Ann Nevison
Swift Foxes In Southwestern South Dakota: Assessing The Current Status Of A Reintroduced Population, Sarah Ann Nevison
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) were reintroduced into Badlands National Park between 2003 and 2006 after being nearly extirpated from South Dakota in the early 1900’s. Genetic analysis provided strong evidence that the reintroduction was successful, but viability analysis indicated the population may be in jeopardy with a high probability of extinction. Recently, the population has declined due to various biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., recent weather patterns, effects of plague [Yersinia pestis], and increased coyote [Canis latrans] numbers). No information on the status of swift foxes has been collected since 2009. Between 2014 and 2016, the objectives of this study …
Measuring Aquatic Organism Responses To Grassland Restoration: Does The Field Of Dreams Really Exist?, David A. Schumann
Measuring Aquatic Organism Responses To Grassland Restoration: Does The Field Of Dreams Really Exist?, David A. Schumann
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Landscape homogenization and the degradation of riparian areas has greatly impaired stream ecosystems throughout North America. Conservation programs may repair riparian ecosystems to indirectly improve water quality and instream habitat heterogeneity in hopes to elicit biological responses. However, focused manipulations on isolated stream fragments have rarely achieved biological goals. Prairie streams with restored riparian areas were appraised (chemical, physical, and biological variables) to quantify the indirect effects of prevalent grassland conservation practices on aquatic resources. Riparian rehabilitation, via passive methods, promoted bank-stabilizing vegetation along all conservation stream reaches. Riparian vegetation and function quickly recovered from previous agricultural disturbances at conservation …
Current Status Of Falcon Populations In Saudi Arabia, Albara M. Binothman
Current Status Of Falcon Populations In Saudi Arabia, Albara M. Binothman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Falcons (Falco spp.) are widely used for falconry in the countries of the Middle East. During the 2015 breeding season, we surveyed historic and active nest sites of Barbary (Falco pelegrinoides pelegrinoides) and Lanner (F. biarmicus) Falcons in Saudi Arabia. Field and questionnaire surveys were conducted and personal contact with falconers was made to document the current distribution and price changes for Lanner Falcons, Barbary Falcons, Saker Falcons (F. cherrug), Peregrine Falcons (F. peregrinus), Gyrfalcons (F. rusticolus), and Hybrid Falcons in Saudi Arabia. We categorized our survey into three geographic groups; southwest (A), northwest (B), and central (C) regions of …
Changes In Wetland Conditions And Wetland Plant Communities In The Prairie Pothole Region After 50 Years, Ryann Cressey
Changes In Wetland Conditions And Wetland Plant Communities In The Prairie Pothole Region After 50 Years, Ryann Cressey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Wetlands in Stutsman County, North Dakota were revisited after 50 years to assess changes in wetland conditions and plant communities within wetland zones in the Prairie Pothole Region. In 1961-1966, Robert E. Stewart and Harold A. Kantrud conducted a study to investigate the relationship of wetland plant communities to variations of water permanence and chemistry on three study areas: Crystal Springs, Cottonwood, and Mt. Moriah. Within in this region, a severe drought occurred in 1988- 1992 followed by the longest deluge starting in 1993 with wetlands still impacted today. In 2013 and 2014, I revisited 80 of the original wetlands …
Raptors In Temperate Grasslands: Ecology Of Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, And Northern Harrier In The Northern Great Plains, Shubham Datta
Raptors In Temperate Grasslands: Ecology Of Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, And Northern Harrier In The Northern Great Plains, Shubham Datta
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Ferruginous hawks (Buteo regalis) are a grassland and shrubland obligate nesting raptor and prefer lightly grazed pasture or idle areas for nesting. Their population reportedly declines in number if more than 30% of an area is cultivated and they rarely nest in areas dominated by croplands. Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are long-lived raptors with high nest-site fidelity and relatively low reproductive success. Population trends of golden eagles in western United States are unclear although long-term monitoring of populations shows declines in occupancy and breeding performance. Northern harriers (Circus cyaneus) prefer relatively open grasslands and …
Ecology Of Glacial Relict Fishes In South Dakota's Sandhills Region, Eli Felts
Ecology Of Glacial Relict Fishes In South Dakota's Sandhills Region, Eli Felts
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Native stream fish zoogeography has changed substantially across North America during the last century as habitat degradation, stream fragmentation and introductions of nonnative species have led to numerous extinctions, extirpations and altered distributions. Insufficient information regarding imperiled species often results in reactive, rather than proactive, management, and knowledge of species status and ecology is critical in identifying conservation priorities. South Dakota populations of three dace species (northern redbelly dace Chrosomus eos, finescale dace Chrosomus neogaeus, and pearl dace Margariscus margarita) are relict of Pleistocene Glaciation and are isolated from the northern core of their distribution, but little information exists regarding …
Extreme Variation In The Sagittal Crest Of Tapirus Polkensis (Mammalia Perissodactyla) At The Gray Fossil Site Northeastern Tn., Aaron Randall Abernethy
Extreme Variation In The Sagittal Crest Of Tapirus Polkensis (Mammalia Perissodactyla) At The Gray Fossil Site Northeastern Tn., Aaron Randall Abernethy
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The preservation and quantity of fossil tapirs (Tapirus polkensis) from the Gray Fossil Site in northeastern Tennessee provides a unique opportunity for comparison and analysis of skeletal characters. Intraspecifically, modern tapirs show little to no variation in the morphology of the sagittal crest. However, several different morphologies exist within the sample at Gray. No osteological evidence of sexual dimorphism exists for tapirs, and no correlation between crest shape and sex was observed. Several juveniles display well defined crests, while some adults have only minor thickening of the temporal ridges; therefore, no distinct correlation between age and crest state …
Population Structure Based On Age-Class Distribution Of Tapirus Polkensis From The Gray Fossil Site Tennessee., Matthew L. Gibson
Population Structure Based On Age-Class Distribution Of Tapirus Polkensis From The Gray Fossil Site Tennessee., Matthew L. Gibson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Individuals of Tapirus polkensis from the Gray Fossil Site exhibit an excellent level of preservation. Intact skulls collected from the site were arranged in a rough age class system separated into 7 categories based on the teeth present and amount of dental wear. Such an eruption series is useful for general comparisons amongst the individual tapirs; however, the classes do not represent an age in years due to a lack of data on living tapirs. Consequently, it is possible that some age classes may contain several years of a tapirs life, or comparatively only a few months. In this study …
Population Viability Analysis Of Swift Fox (Vulpes Velox) At The Badlands National Park, Indrani Sasmal
Population Viability Analysis Of Swift Fox (Vulpes Velox) At The Badlands National Park, Indrani Sasmal
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The swift fox (Vulpes velox) was historically distributed in southwestern South Dakota including the region surrounding Badlands National Park (BNP). The species declined during the mid-1900s due to habitat fragmentation, non-target poisoning, and harvest. A remnant population occurred on USDA Forest Service lands in Fall River County, South Dakota. Following the successful reintroduction of the species in Canada (1983), a reintroduction program was initiated in BNP in the year 2003. Free-ranging swift fox from Colorado and Wyoming were translocated to BNP from 2003 to 2006. Despite these releases and observations of free-ranging swift fox occurring throughout western South Dakota, it …
Effects Of Fish Introductions On The Geographic Distribution And Native Invertebrate Biodiversity Of Naturally Fishless Lakes In Maine, Emily Gaenzle Schilling
Effects Of Fish Introductions On The Geographic Distribution And Native Invertebrate Biodiversity Of Naturally Fishless Lakes In Maine, Emily Gaenzle Schilling
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Widespread fish stocking has led to a worldwide decline in naturally fishless lakes and their associated communities. Little is known about the historical distribution or native communities of these freshwater ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a quantitative method to remotely detect naturally fishless lakes in Maine, 2) conduct a landscape-scale assessment of unique attributes of fishless lake macroinvertebrate communities, 3) identify macroinvertebrate bioindicators of fish absence, and 4) assess effects of introduced fish on native macroinvertebrates. I identified two physiographic types of naturally fishless lakes in Maine: kettle lakes in the eastern lowlands and foothills …
Effect Of Coyotes And Release Site Selection On Survival And Movement Of Translocated Swift Foxes In The Badlands Ecosystem Of South Dakota, Greg M. Schroeder
Effect Of Coyotes And Release Site Selection On Survival And Movement Of Translocated Swift Foxes In The Badlands Ecosystem Of South Dakota, Greg M. Schroeder
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Success of different release strategies for swift fox (Vulpes velox) translocation was evaluated in the Badlands Ecosystem in southwestern South Dakota. Release site selection (outside coyote [Canis latrans] core-use areas compared to random release sites) and release method (i.e., hard, semi-hard, and soft) were examined to determine effects on swift fox survival and movements at 50 days post-release. I hypothesized that swift foxes released outside of coyote core-use areas would survive at a higher rate than foxes released at random sites. From 2003-2006, 16 adult coyotes were fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) radio collars and monitored during the pup …
Implications Of Spatial Autocorrelation And Dispersal For The Modeling Of Species Distributions, Volker Bahn
Implications Of Spatial Autocorrelation And Dispersal For The Modeling Of Species Distributions, Volker Bahn
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Modeling the geographical distributions of wildlife species is important for ecology and conservation biology. Spatial autocorrelation in species distributions poses a problem for distribution modeling because it invalidates the assumption of independence among sample locations. I explored the prevalence and causes of spatial autocorrelation in data from the Breeding Bird Survey, covering the conterminous United States, using Regression Trees, Conditional Autoregressive Regressions (CAR), and the partitioning of variance. I also constructed a simulation model to investigate dispersal as a process contributing to spatial autocorrelation, and attempted to verify the connection between dispersal and spatial autocorrelation in species' distributions in empirical …
Climatic And Lithogenic Controls On Soil Organic Matter-Mineral Associations, Rota Wagai
Climatic And Lithogenic Controls On Soil Organic Matter-Mineral Associations, Rota Wagai
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Interactions of organic matter (OM) with soil mineral phases strongly affect the storage and dynamics of soil OM as well as other ecosystem processes. This study examined aspects of organo-mineral associations in soils at different scales. First, I assessed the potential controls of climate and parent rock type on organo-mineral associations using two sets of undisturbed tropical forest soils developed on two contrasting rocks along an altitudinal gradient in Borneo, Southeast Asia. Density fractionations showed that OM stored in surface mineral soils partitioned towards plant detritus fraction under cooler climates on both rock types. Thus climate exerted stronger control on …
Modeling Bird Species Occurrence In Current And Future Landscapes, Stephen Nicholas Matthews
Modeling Bird Species Occurrence In Current And Future Landscapes, Stephen Nicholas Matthews
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
With mounting evidence that global temperatures have increased significantly over the last century and the projections of greater changes in climate by the end of this century, understanding the potential consequences of these changes for species is essential to conservation efforts. Here I evaluate the potential response of birds to projected climate change by using regression tree analysis to create models of species distributions under current conditions from Breeding Bird Survey data and then project these models onto General Circulation Model (GCM) scenarios of global climate change. Before modeling species responses to climate change, I selected seventeen bird species to …
Growth Increment Analysis Of Marine Bivalves From The North, Stephen D. Houk
Growth Increment Analysis Of Marine Bivalves From The North, Stephen D. Houk
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study aids in developing a sea surface temperature (SST) proxy with monthly temporal resolution using a combination of growth increment and stable isotope analyses of marine bivalves from the north coast of Peru. Faunal assemblages from the Siches and Ostra Base Camp archaeological sites contain shells of warm-tropical mollusks that currently live farther north in Ecuador. The presence of warm-tropical species in these sites and others as far south as 10"s latitude and dating prior to 5730 cal yr B.P. indicates a stable warm-water regime in the eastern tropical Pacific which subsequently changes to a modern temperate-water regime after …
Raptor Use Of The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Richard Wayne Hansen
Raptor Use Of The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Richard Wayne Hansen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Raptors are high trophic-level predators, and thus sensitive to environmental change. I conducted a basic ecological study of raptors using the Idaho National Environmental Laboratory (INEL), in southeastern Idaho, between 1991 and 1993 to assess effects of human activity on the site. Results were compared to previous raptor studies conducted on the INEL from 1974-1976 and in 1982, as well as with studies of rough-legged hawks, long-eared owls, and burrowing owls conducted during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Road-side raptor surveys were conducted from January through May in 1992 and 1993. Principle species recorded were rough-legged hawks, red-tailed hawks, …
Population Status And Characteristics Of Macrhybopsis Gelida, Platygobio Gracilis And Rhinichthys Cataractae In The Missouri River Basin, Selena J. Werdon
Population Status And Characteristics Of Macrhybopsis Gelida, Platygobio Gracilis And Rhinichthys Cataractae In The Missouri River Basin, Selena J. Werdon
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Few sturgeon chub (Macrhybopsis gelida: Cyprinidae) have been collected in the last decade, therefore their status, habitat selection and morphology were investigated at 172 previous collection sites. Data on two ecologically similar species, Platygobio gracilis and Rhinichthys cataractae, were also collected. Macrhvbopsis gelida were collected at 28 sites on the Powder River (n = 158) in Wyoming and Montana, and at one site on the Yellowstone River (n = 1) in Montana. Age-I, Age-II and Age-III M. gelida were collected. Specimens were 37 to 95 mm in total length. Macrhvbopsis gelida were ripe in mid-June, at water temperatures of 18.3-22. …
An Ecological Study Of Mourning Doves In A Cold Desert Ecosystem On The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Frank P. Howe
An Ecological Study Of Mourning Doves In A Cold Desert Ecosystem On The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Frank P. Howe
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) use of and movements around man-made ponds, as well as dove nesting ecology, were studied from 1983 through 1985 on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). Relative dove use was higher (P < 0.01) on some ponds than others, and multiple regression revealed a positive association (R 2 = 0.49) between relative use and the geographic isolation of ponds. Two peaks in diurnal pond use were exhibited by doves on the INEL: the mourning peak began around 0800 and lasted until approximately 1300, and the evening peak began at about 2030 and ended by 2150. Seasonal pond use fluctuated slightly through the summer then dropped rapidly in early September. Average and average maximum movements indicated that the 41 mourning doves trapped and fitted with radio-transmitters at the Test Reactor Area (TRA) and the Naval Research Facility (NRF) did not move off of the INEL on a regular basis. The average distance from mourning dove locations to TRA and NRF was <2.0 km, and the average maximum dove location was <3.5 km from either facility. Average (<2.0 km) and average maximum (<3.5 km) distances were also measured from dove locations to watering sites. Doves captured at both TRA and NRF moved, on average, 1.5 km from their nests; the average maximum distance from a dove's location to its nest was 2.8 and 5.4 km for doves caught at TRA and NRF. The average maximum distance between any 2 locations (for the same individual) at both TRA and NRF was <4.0 km. Mourning doves on the INEL are primarily ground nesters. Nesting success averaged 68% per year, with 1.8 fledglings produced per successful nest. Nesting densities averaged 0.02 nests/ha during the study. Three peaks in hatching occurred on the INEL: 1 during the fourth week of June, another during the third week of July, and a third during the first and second weeks of August. Annual production estimates for the INEL ranged from 11,300 to 17,000 doves, based on a model using 2 and 3 nesting attempts per summer. No differences (P > 0.05) were indicated in the percent coverage of shrubs, grasses, forbs, and bare ground, as measured with the line-intercept method, in the 5-m area surrounding dove nests and paired random sites. However, a difference in the percentage of grass cover and bare ground, as measured with a point-frame, was indicated in the 1-m2 (microhabitat) centered on the nest or random site; nest sites contained …