Life Sciences Commons^™

Enhancing Urban Water Quality Through Biological-Chemical Treatment: Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community And Temporal Chlorophyll-A Response, Matthew Chaffee

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

With a growing human population, urbanization is impeding a plethora of natural waterways. Of these, urban ponds play a vital role in nutrient sequestration, flood prevention, and habitat sanctuaries. However, nutrient loading can reduce habitat effectiveness and promote harmful algae blooms. To reduce internal nutrient loads, a biological-chemical treatment strategy consisting of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) and lanthanum were applied to two urban retention ponds, Densmore and Wilderness Ridge Ponds. To measure effectiveness, chlorophyll-a samples were collected and correlated with Sentinel-2. A novel band algorithm termed 3BR1 produced a strong correlation (R² = 0.72) to physical chlorophyll-a …

Whooping Crane Stay Length In Relation To Stopover Site Characteristics, Andrew J. Caven, Aaron T. Pearse, David A. Brandt, Mary J. Harner, Greg D. Wright, David M. Baasch, Emma M. Brinley Buckley, Kristine L. Metzger, Matthew R. Rabbe,, Anne E. Lacy

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping crane (Grus americana) migratory stopovers can vary in length from hours to more than a month. Stopover sites provide food resources and safety essential for the completion of migration. Factors such as weather, climate, demographics of migrating groups, and physiological condition of migrants influence migratory movements of cranes (Gruidae) to varying degrees. However, little research has examined the relationship between habitat characteristics and stopover stay length in cranes. Site quality may relate to stay length with longer stays that allow individuals to improve body condition, or with shorter stays because of increased foraging efficiency. We examined this …

Working With Land Managers To Identify And Manage Potential Stopover Locations For Whooping Cranes, Chester A. Mcconnell

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population migrate 4,000 km twice each year between their nesting grounds in northern Canada and their wintering grounds on the Texas Gulf Coast. During migration, whooping cranes must land at suitable ponds or wetlands to feed or rest. The Whooping Crane Recovery Plan calls for the protection and management of whooping crane stopover locations within the migration corridor. While major stopover areas have been protected, many other smaller sites remain to be identified. Moreover, the Recovery Plan offers no specific entity to protect and manage the latter. To address these …

Muskrats, James E. Miller

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is a common, semi-aquatic rodent native to the United States (Figure 1). It spends its life in aquatic habitats and is well adapted for swimming.

Although muskrats are an important part of native ecosystems, their burrowing and foraging activities can damage agricultural crops, native marshes and water control systems, such as aquaculture and farm ponds and levees. Such damage can significantly impact agricultural crops like rice that rely on consistent water levels for growth.

Muskrats also cause damage by eating agricultural crops, other vegetation, and crayfish, mussels and other aquaculture products. Loss of vegetation …

Cattle Grazing Effects On Phragmites Australis In Nebraska, Jerry D. Volesky, Stephen L. Young, Karla H. Jenkins Pas

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Phragmites australis (common reed) is one of the most widely distributed flowering plants in North America. The introduced lineage occurs in wetland and riparian areas covering a range of climatic types. In Nebraska, an abundance of livestock could help to reduce P. australis with proper timing and grazing intensities. In 2011, a 3-yr study was initiated to evaluate targeted cattle grazing and herbicide effects and the nutritive value of this species. Treatments included a single application of imazapyr (Habitatt, BASF Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC) herbicide applied in the first year, grazing, and a control. Grazing was applied for up …

Assessing Landscape Constraints On Species Abundance: Does The Neighborhood Limit Species Response To Local Habitat Conservation Programs?, Christopher F. Jorgensen, Larkin A. Powell, Jeffrey J. Lusk, Andrew A. Bishop, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Landscapes in agricultural systems continue to undergo significant change, and the loss of biodiversity is an ever-increasing threat. Although habitat restoration is beneficial, management actions do not always result in the desired outcome. Managers must understand why management actions fail; yet, past studies have focused on assessing habitat attributes at a single spatial scale, and often fail to consider the importance of ecological mechanisms that act across spatial scales. We located survey sites across southern Nebraska, USA and conducted point counts to estimate Ring-necked Pheasant abundance, an economically important species to the region, while simultaneously quantifying landscape effects using a …

Land Use And Climate Variability Amplify Carbon, Nutrient, And Contaminant Pulses: A Review With Management Implications, Sujay S. Kaushal, Peter M. Mayer, Philippe G. Vidon, Rose M. Smith, Micheal J. Pennino, Tamara A. Newcomer, Shuiwang Duan, Claire Welty, Kenneth T. Belt

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture and urbanization is increasing globally at the same time climate extremes have increased in frequency and intensity. We review >200 studies of hydrologic and gaseous fluxes and show how the interaction between land use and climate variability alters magnitude and frequency of carbon, nutrient, and greenhouse gas pulses in watersheds. Agricultural and urban watersheds respond similarly to climate variability due to headwater alteration and loss of ecosystem services to buffer runoff and temperature changes. Organic carbon concentrations/exports increase and organic carbon quality changes with runoff. Nitrogen and phosphorus exports increase during floods (sometimes by an …

Amphibian Occupancy And Functional Connectivity Of Restored Wetlands In The Missouri River Floodplain, Michelle L. Hellman

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wetland decline may threaten many taxa including shorebirds, amphibians, and fish. As agencies increase restoration of wetland habitat, monitoring is crucial to inform the process. Permeable skin sensitive to water quality and biphasic life histories requiring both terrestrial and aquatic habitat make amphibians good indicators of wetland health. I modeled amphibian occupancy in restored Missouri River bends to determine habitat characteristics associated with the presence of amphibians.

Occupancy modeling acknowledges imperfect detection and allows the inclusion of detection covariates. To assess detection I examined two methods currently used to assess anuran occupancy in wetlands, aural anuran surveys and tadpole dip-netting. …

Wetland Management Guidelines For Nebraska's Wildlife Management Areas, Ted Lagrange, Randy Stutheit

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

Prior to Euro-American settlement, wetlands covered about 6% of the Nebraska landscape. Since settlement, the state’s wetlands have suffered serious decline. For example, approximately 90% of Rainwater Basin playa wetlands and 90% of the eastern saline wetlands have been destroyed or are highly degraded. Remaining wetlands are threatened by conversion to other uses (e.g. agriculture), invasive and aggressive vegetation, siltation, and lack of proper management. Only through sound management can the wetlands on our Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) be preserved for the citizens of Nebraska, as well as the native plants and wildlife dependent on them.

This section is directed …

Diets Of Nesting Swainson's Hawks In Relation To Land Cover In Northwestern North Dakota, Robert K. Murphy

The Prairie Naturalist

Relationships between land use practices and types of prey used by Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) in the Northern Great Plains is of increasing interest as the quantity and quality of habitat in the region declines. I recorded 1,284 prey items at 18 Swainson' s hawk nesting areas throughout northwestern North Dakota during summer 1986-1987. After correcting for detectability biases and food needs of adults, I estimated (90% CI) 2,087-2,859 total prey individuals and 138.3-206.7 kg of prey biomass (x = 69.8 g/item) were consumed by adult and nestling Swainson's hawks during my study. Major prey (>10% overall …

Climatological Factors Influencing Yellow Perch Production In Semi-Permanent Wetlands, Christopher M. Longhenry, Michael L. Brown, Todd R. St. Sauver

The Prairie Naturalist

Climatological factors such as temperature, wind, and precipitation have been reported to affect fish reproduction and recruitment in large lakes; however, little is known about these relationships in shallow, semi-permanent wetlands. We utilized age-O yellow perch (Perca flavescens) aquacultural harvest data to model climate effects on variability of juvenile yellow perch year class strength in semi-permanent wetlands. Overall, March through May precipitation, April air temperature, and a wetland parameter (i.e., intrinsic characteristics) provided the best-supported model. These results potentially indicate that spring weather patterns have an influence on yellow perch year class strength in semi-permanent wetlands.

A Proposed Plan For Managing Eastern Nebraska's Saline Wetlands, Vandhana Rabadinanth

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Eastern Nebraska’s saline wetlands play a major role in Nebraska’s environmental place in the world. Besides the role of scientific changes being important, education also is essential in the conservation of these wetlands. Through the observation of Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica lincolniana) and soil electroconductivity, I propose that we need to reform Nebraska’s education system to help schools play a bigger part in environmental issues such as this one. There is a drastic trend in the correlations between Salt Creek tiger beetle populations and wetland degradation. Since many Lincoln residents have a limited knowledge of what is …

Influence Of Landscape Features Of Wetlands On Nesting Patterns Of Sandhill Cranes In Central Wisconsin, Su Liying, Anne E. Lacy, Jeb A. Barzen

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We studied the relationship between landscape features and nesting patterns of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in central Wisconsin for 3 years. Our study covered 9,840 ha, including about 50% agricultural fields, 20% forest, and 20% wetlands. We analyzed landscape features and nesting patterns at the wetland complex level. Landscape features included size, shape, and type of cover for each wetland complex. Nesting patterns included nesting density and the spatial pattern of the nest locations in a wetland among years. Nest density varied among wetland complexes and years. Mean nest densities in wetlands surveyed were 0.037, 0.033, …

Study Of Environmental Variables And Connectivity Of Northern Mexico For Cranes: Conservation Implications, Edgar Gustavo López-Saut, Ricardo Rodriguez Estrella, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems for biodiversity and as a resource for humans. Humans depend on wetlands for water and food, but with expansion of urban cores, water overexploitation, and the increase of croplands, wetlands are at risk. The Chihuahuan desert is an ecoregion important for the economy and development of Mexico. Although there are many temporal wetlands that support many migratory birds, water in some desert landscapes is being overexploited due to development. This leads to the desiccation of wetlands important for migratory birds such as cranes. The cranes as a group are associated with grasslands …

Selection Criteria For Important Sites For Wintering Sandhill Cranes In The Mexican Altiplano, Alberto Lafon Terrazas, Eduardo Carrera Gonzalez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Conservation of natural resources has increased worldwide, and Mexico shows the same tendency. Unfortunately, selection criteria for conservation areas and objectives do not always follow a methodology that will allow for optimum selection. In Mexico and other countries we have a series of priority sites proposed by experts in various biodiversity areas, based on knowledge of the existing biological resources of the site. This results in two situations: more attention and resources are given to certain areas, but no resources are invested in sites that could be of equal or greater importance than those currently proposed. This leads to knowledge …

Habitat Characteristics Of Spring Blackbird Roosts In East-Central South Dakota, H. Jeffrey Homan, Richard S. Sawin, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

The Prairie Naturalist

In the northern Great Plains, blackbirds (Icteridae) roost almost exclusively in emergent-dominated wetlands. The physical characteristics of wetland roosts are not well understood. From March 20 to April 20, 1999, we studied 16 wetlands used as blackbird roosts in east-central South Dakota. Six wetlands had major roosts (range: 102,000-298,000 blackbirds); whereas, 10 wetlands had minor roosts (range: 2,010-34,000 blackbirds). Maximum roost size was correlated directly with emergent vegetation area (P = 0.05) and possibly with wetland basin area (P ≤ 0.10). Water depths were greater at used sites within wetlands of major roosts (median = 44 cm) than …

Sandhill Crane Use Of Managed Chufa Wetlands In New Mexico, John P. Taylor, Loren M. Smith

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Natural wetland food plants help meet energetic requirements for sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). Chufa (Cyperus esculentus) tubers were found to be a prominent item in the winter diet of cranes in New Mexico and Texas. In 1996 and 1997, chufa production was compared among mowing, discing, and sustained-flooding treatments intended to enhance chufa tuber growth. Sandhill crane numbers were monitored on wetlands during winter flooding to determine treatment preferences. No differences in sandhill crane use of treated wetlands were found in 1996, however in 1997, crane use was higher on disked field than sustained flood fields …

Nf05-632 Protecting Your Watershed, Thomas G. Franti, Steven R. Tonn

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Everyone lives in a watershed. A watershed is the land area that contributes water to a location, usually a stream, pond, lake or river. Everything we do on the suface of our watershed impacts the water quality of our streams, wetlands, ponds, lakes and rivers. Like organs in a body, every part of the watershed is essential. What happens in one part affects other downstream parts. This NebFacts discusses the threat of pollutions in our watersheds, common runoff pollutants, and best management practices for protecting the watershed.

Ec03-177 Noxious Weeds Of Nebraska: Purple Loosestrife, Stevan Z. Knezevic

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Purple loosestrife is an introduced invasive weed that is overrunning thousands of acres of wetlands and waterways in the Midwest. Once purple loosestrife invades a wetland, natural habitat is lost and the productivity of native plant and animal communities is severely reduced. This Extension Circular discusses the biology, identification, distribution and control of purple loosestrife.

Rearing And Releasing Galerucella Beetles To Control Purple Loosestrife, Stevan Z. Kenzevic, Doug Smith

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Purple loosestrife is a noxious weed quickly invading Nebraska's wetlands. This publication describes the rearing and releasing of insects for biological control of the weed, as one part of an integrated management program. Purple loosestrife is a noxious perennial weed invading thousands of acres of wetlands and waterways in the Midwest. In Nebraska an estimated 18,000 acres are already infested by this plant, mostly along the main rivers and waterways. It has no natural enemies in North America, therefore it is very hard to prevent it from spreading. For years people have tried to eradicate it, especially in the Great …

Ec98-1776 Nebraska Groundwater Of Aquaculture, Terrence B. Kayes, Stuart K. Mcfeeters

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Aquaculture, the cultivation or husbandry of aquatic plants and animals, is the fastest growing component of United States agriculture. Nebraska presently has an extremely small aquaculture industry, but the potential benefits of investing in the development of a large-scale industry are enormous.

Nebraska is one of the nation's most water-rich states. Its groundwater resources are enormous, and include the High Plians Aquafer, which ranks among the world' largest near-surface aquifers.

Changes In The Status, Distribution, And Management Of Double-Crested Cormorants In Wisconsin, Summer W. Matteson, Paul W. Rasmussen, Kenneth L. Stromborg, Thomas I. Meier, Julie Van Stappen, Eric C. Nelson

Symposium on Double-Crested Cormorants: Population Status and Management Issues in the Midwest

We reviewed and summarized historical data and conducted population surveys from 1973 through 1997 to determine the breeding status and distribution of doublecrested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in Wisconsin. Breeding cormorants historically occupied large, isolated lakes and wetlands in northern Wisconsin, but there were no known nesting sites until 1919, when cormorants were reported nesting on Lake Wisconsin in south-central Wisconsin. From the 1920’s to the 1950’s, cormorants occupied 17 colony sites in 16 counties, though no more than 7 sites were occupied during any particular year. From the 1950’s to the early 1970’s, the number of cormorant nests …

Ec95-816 Extending The Clean Water Act: Issues And Alternatives, Roy Frederick

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Author's note: This publication was written in the months immediately prior to the beginning of the 104th Congress in January 1995. While the basic issues ave not changed, the schedule for reauthorization of the Clean Water Act and the approach to issues may have been altered by the change in political-party leadership in the Congress. For example, wetlands policy and private property rights may be treated as separate pieces of legislation in 1995.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, frequently referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA), was last amended and updated in 1987. This reauthorization expired …

Nf94-206 Common Ground: The Case Of Seasonally Inundated Cropland, William Miller

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Increasing waterfowl migration habitat has been a goal of many groups and individuals for decades. Individuals have provided money for habitat by supporting private organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, and through the purchase of hunting licenses, duck stamps, and habitat stamps. All these activities have helped, but funds have been limited so it has not been possible to provide enough wetland space for the migrating waterfowl.

This NebFact discusses cost effective ways to provide more waterfowl migration habitat on seasonally inundated crops and a seasonal strategy that could provide habitat for geese and ducks during the spring and fall migration …

Managing Nature Reserves For Cranes In China, James Harris

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

During the past 15 years, China has established more than 300 nature reserves. Many of the wetland reserves have been created primarily to protect endangered cranes. This paper summarizes the status of 22 nature reserves, 13 for breeding cranes and 9 for wintering cranes. The nature reserves have often been established in areas heavily populated or intensively used for economic purposes. Many reserves have been effective in stopping hunting of cranes. Taking of eggs or young has also been greatly reduced, but general human disturbances threaten successful nesting. Reserve authorities have also taken steps to prevent destruction or degradation of …