Life Sciences Commons^™

Characteristics And Spatial Heterogeneity Of Prescribed Fire Behavior In North Dakota Grasslands, Megan Elizabeth Zopfi

Theses and Dissertations

Fire is a critical physical and chemical process required to sustain many grassland ecosystems. In North America, observations of grassland fire behavior in warm-season, southern grasslands are commonly used in fire behavior modeling efforts across the Great Plains. However, grasslands of the northern Great Plains contain a greater component of cool-season vegetation that may generate different fire behavior. To further our understanding of prescribed fire behavior in North Dakota grasslands, we quantified fuel, weather, and fire behavior characteristics associated with 27 prescribed fires conducted across three sites in North Dakota. We sampled 27 points on each fire arranged into a …

The Population Genetics Of The Wood Frog, Rana Sylvatica, Across Its Geographic Range, Tina M. Squire

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to determine the level of genetic variation across the continental-wide range of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica. Levels of genetic differentiation between sampled populations were investigated as was the possible locations of glacial refugia for this species. DNA microsatellites were used as the genetic marker. This study found significant genetic differentiation across the geographic range of Rana sylvatica that increased with geographic distance. In addition three likely glacial refugia, Alaska, New York and the southern Appalachians, were identified.

A subset of the populations used in the geographic range study was used to investigate the patterns at a …

Implications Of Introduced Mule Deer On Santa Catalina Island, California : Their Impacts, Population Ecology, And Management, Thad A. Manuwal

Theses and Dissertations

A small group of mule deer were introduced to Santa Catalina Island in the early
1930s. The mule deer population increased through the 1940s and 1950s and remains widespread and abundant today. Large browsing ungulates are not native to Santa Catalina Island and there is concern that nonnative mule deer are damaging endemic trees and shrubs on the island when foraging. This study was designed to develop quantitative information on diets, foraging behavior, movements, and population biology of mule deer on Catalina Island.

Diet analysis indicated mule deer are consuming a wide variety of native and
endemic plants found on …

Mitochondrial Dna Variation Within The Western-Clark's Grebe Complex (Podicipedidae: Aechmophorus), Bruce Alan Eichhorst

Theses and Dissertations

The Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidenta:lis) and Clark's Grebe (A .. clarkii) are considered to be closely related .. Until recently, they were regarded as color phases of one species--the Western Grebe. I assessed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation within and between the Aechmophorus color phases. I also evaluated the plausibility of two vicariance models that have been. proposed to explain the evolution of the color phases. Grebes were collected from seven breeding sites, representing three geographic regions of the United States-Canada breeding range. Restriction-enzyme analysis of a total sample of 109 grebes was conducted. Estimates of nucleotide divergence ( dxu dA), …

Small Mammal Demographics In North Dakota Conservation Reserve Program Plantings, Larry A. Lysne

Theses and Dissertations

During the summers of 1989 and 1990, capture-recapture methods were used to de~ermine small mammal demographics and population dynamics in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) plantings in north central North Dakota. Four age classes (1-4 years) of CRP plantings were sampled. Small mammal species diversity was low (H'=0.057-0.374). Eight species of small mammals were captured on CRP tracts, with deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) comprising 92% of all small mammals recorded. Largest deer mouse populations (64/ha .and 51/ha) occurred in late August and early September, 1990. Peak densities in 1990 were over twice as high as those of 1989. Home range sizes …

Investigations Of Population Structure And Relative Abundance Of Year-Classes Of Buffalo Fishes, Ictiobus Spp., In Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota, David W. Willis

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to investigate the population and abundance of year-classes of the buffalo fishes in Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota. Fish used in this study were obtained from Grasteit Dakota Fisheries, a commercial fishing operation headquartered in Newtown, North Dakota.

Only bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinelius) and smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus) were collected during this study; no black buffalo (Iciobus niger) were captured. The age and growth of these fish was found to be quite similar to that in other Missouri River mainstem reservoirs. The mean condition factor (K-TL) for the bigmouth was found to be 1.88 and for the …

Nesting And Brooding Characteristics Of Sharp-Tailed Grouse (Pedioecetes Phasianellus Jamesi Lincoln) In Southwestern North Dakota, Carter Drew Christenson

Theses and Dissertations

A study of the nesting and brood habitat preferences of sharp-tailed grouse (Pedioecetes phasianellus jamesi Lincoln) was conducted in southwestern North Dakota during the reproductive seasons of 1969 and 1970. Radio telemetry was used to monitor the spring and summer activities of seventeen sharp-tail hens. Eight brooding hens were semi-continuously radio-tracked for movement and cover selection. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of seventeen nests and eight renests was made to determine the preferred nesting cover and the effects of intensive grazing upon it .. Nests were established either in non-use areas or in areas of light to moderate grazing. These …