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The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 37, No. 1, March 2005

The Prairie Naturalist

LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN USE OF HARVESTED CORN FIELDS DURING FALL AND WINTER IN SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS, G. C. Salter, R. J. Robel, and K. E. Kemp 1

DAPHNIA LUMHOLTZI, AN EXOTIC ZOOPLANKTON, INVADING A NEBRASKA RESERVOIR B. C. Peterson, N. J. Fryda, K. D. Koupal, and W. W. Hoback 11

COMPARISON OF MICROCLIMATE AT GRASSLAND BIRD NESTS WITH DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES, K. M. Suedkamp Wells and S. D. Fuhlendorf 21

FACTORS INFLUENCING PERSISTENCE OF WHITEFOOTED MICE, B. R. McMillan, G. A. Kaufman, and D. W. Kaufman 29

NOTES

RECORDS OF THE EASTERN RED BAT ON THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO, …

Records Of The Eastern Red Bat On The Northern Front Range Of Colorado, Daniel J. Neubaum

The Prairie Naturalist

Although common in deciduous forest throughout the Midwest and east-central states, the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is rare in Colorado (Armstrong et al. 1994, Fitzgerald et al. 1994). However, this species has the potential to extend its range because belts of eastern deciduous forest habitat have expanded across western prairies and reached the Front Range of Colorado over the last 100 years (Knopf 1986). The eastern red bat ranges from Canada southward across the United States to northeastern New Mexico with most records occurring east of the Continental Divide (Hall 1981, Shump and Shump 1982, Cryan 2003). …

Comparison Of Microclimate At Grassland Bird Nests With Different Substrates, Kimberly M. Suedkamp Wells, Samuel D. Fuhlendore

The Prairie Naturalist

We compared the effects of two different nest placement strategies (shrubs vs. bunchgrasses) on microclimate conditions for grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) and lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) in Oklahoma. We predicted that the intensity and duration of extreme temperatures (greater than 39° C) and their variability would be reduced at shrub nests compared to bunchgrass nests. A verage maximum temperatures were similar at nests of grasshopper sparrow and lark sparrow, but confidence intervals were more variable and included biologically detrimental temperatures at grasshopper sparrow nests compared to lark sparrow nests. The proportion of time greater than 39° …

The Quintessential Companion For North American Birders: Review Of The Birdwatcher's Companion To North American Birdlife By Christopher W. Leahy, Lawrence Igl

The Prairie Naturalist

The Birdwatcher's Companion was revised in 2004 under a new title, The Birdwatcher's Companion to North American Birdlire, and by a new publisher, Princeton University Press. This substantial work builds on Leahy's previous edition published in 1982. Hailed by the publisher as the quintessential, alphabetically arranged guide to North American birdlife, the new edition of The Birdwatcher's Companion is over 100 pages longer than the first edition, but, overall, the style and format have not changed much between the two editions. The Companion begins with a brief chapter in which the author describes how to use the book, how it …

Factors Influencing Persistence Of White-Footed Mice, Brock R. Mcmillan, Glennis A. Kaufman, Donald W. Kaufman

The Prairie Naturalist

We examined factors that potentially influenced persistence of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) during 1981 to 1988 at Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas. We predicted that both abiotic (e.g., precipitation and temperature) and biotic (e.g., availability of food and density of conspecifics) factors would influence persisten~e of individuals at the study site. Persistence of individual white-footed mice on the study site differed among years and seasons. White-footed mice that were first captured in summer or in autumn persisted longer than those first captured in spring. Young females (less than 20 g) had greater persistence than young males, whereas …

The Sooner State Bird Atlas: Review Of Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas, Dan L. Reinking, Editor, Timothy J. O'Connell

The Prairie Naturalist

In Oklahoma, forest meets prairie, prairie meets mesa, and throughout, our native ecosystems are shaped by human land use. Across this shifting mosaic of habitats, animals find food, raise young, and disperse to find other members of their species. Management for these species is best informed when it springs from a common baseline of knowledge about distributions across the entire management area. For birds, that baseline can be effectively established with a breeding bird atlas. ... In sum, the Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas presents timely information on a fascinating statewide avifauna in a clear and attractive package. The text is …

Daphnia Lumholtzi, An Exotic Zooplankton, Invading A Nebraska Reservoir, Brian C. Peterson, Nicolas J. Fryda, Keith D. Koupal, Wyatt Hoback

The Prairie Naturalist

A limnological assessment project by the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission collected weekly vertical zooplankton tows during May through September 2002 at Harlan County Reservoir in Nebraska. Beginning on 5 August 2002, the exotic Daphnia lumholtzi (Cladocera: Daphniidae) appeared at a density of 0.04 1.1 in one of fifteen standardized sampling stations. By 6 September 2002, D. lumholtzi was found in all fifteen stations at an average density of 2.17 ± 3.10 1.1 with a site maximum density of 11.43 1.1 • Length measurements of D. lumholtzi ranged from 0.80 mm to 5.66 …

Lack Of Brown-Headed Cowbird Nest Parasitism In A Short Grass Region, Stephen L. Winter, Jack F. Cully Jr.

The Prairie Naturalist

While conducting field work in Morton County, southwestern Kansas and Baca County, southeastern Colorado, during the period 27 May to 2 July 1997, we found 36 nests of seven bird species. Nests were not searched for systematically, but were found coincidentally as data were collected along transects during research investigating the breeding bird and plant communities of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies and noncolonized shortgrass prairie (Winter 1999).

Low densities of the brown-headed cowbird in our study region, which is characterized by a semi-arid climate, might be a consequence of host populations that exhibit extreme temporal and …

Lesser Prairie-Chicken Use Of Harvested Corn Fields During Fall And Winter In Southwestern Kansas, Gregory C. Salter, Robert J. Robel, Kenneth E. Kemp

The Prairie Naturalist

The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has declined in numbers in Kansas primarily due to the conversion of sand sagebrush (Artemisia .filifolia) prairie to cropland. The lesser prairie-chicken in Finney County, Kansas exists primarily in large fragments of sand sagebrush prairie, and it forages during fall and winter on waste grain in harvested com (Zea mays) fields adjacent to prairie fragments. We used radio-telemetry to monitor lesser prairie chicken locations and found no significant relationship between numbers of bird locations and amounts of waste grain on the ground in harvested com fields. Even the harvested …

Effects Of Calcium Pyruvate Supplementation During Training On Body Composition, Exercise Capacity, And Metabolic Responses To Exercise, Pauline K. Koh-Banerjee, Maria Pontes Ferreira, Mike Greenwood, Rodney G. Bowden, Patty N. Cowan, A. L. Almada, Richard B. Kreider

Nutrition and Food Science Faculty Research Publications

Objective: We evaluated the effects of calcium pyruvate supplementation during training on body composition and metabolic responses to exercise.

Method: Twenty-three untrained females were matched and assigned to ingest in a double blind and randomized manner either 5 g of calcium pyruvate (PYR) or a placebo (PL) twice daily for 30 d while participating in a supervised exercise program. Prior to and following supplementation, subjects had body composition determined via hydrodensiometry; performed a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test; and performed a 45-min walk test at 70% of pre-training VO₂ max in which fasting pre- and post exercise blood samples determined. …

Controller Area Network Based Distributed Control For Autonomous Vehicles, Matthew J. Darr, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Scott A. Shearer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The goal of this project was to evaluate the potential of a controller area network (CAN bus) to be used as the communication network for a distributed control system on an autonomous agricultural vehicle. The prototype system utilized microcontroller-driven nodes to act as control points along a CAN bus. Messages were transferred to the steering, transmission, and hitch control nodes via a task computer. The task computer utilized global positioning system data to generate appropriate control commands. Laboratory and field testing demonstrated that each of the control nodes could function simultaneously over the CAN bus. Results showed that the task …

Forage News [2005-03], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Spring Grazing School
• Alfalfa Award Winners
• Hay Contest Winners
• New Grass Seed DVD Available
• Tom Keene Joins UK Forage Team
• Roundup Ready Alfalfa
• Novel or Friendly (Nontoxic) Endophytes
• Evaluation of a Tasco Supplement on Reproductive Rate in Suckled Postpartum Beef Cows
• Keys to a Profitable Forage Program
• Upcoming Events

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer’S Report 2004

Nebraska Bird Review

One-page spreadsheet constituting the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union treasurer's report at year end (December 31) of 2004. The grand total is $51,716.19.

Nebraska Bird Review (March 2005) 73(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer's Report 2004 ... 2

Winter Field Report, December 2004 to February 2005 ... 3

The 2003-2004 Nebraska Nest Report ... 15

Habitat Associations of Nebraska Birds ... 20

New Westward Breeding Records for Eastern Towhees in Central Nebraska ... 26

In Memory of Dr. Rushton G. Cortelyou ... 29

2004-05 Christmas Bird Counts in Nebraska ... 30

Subscription and Organization Information ... 43

The 2003-2004 Nebraska Nest Report, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

Due to the fact that I was recalled to active duty by the US Army, I have been out of the state for the past two years. Hence, the number of observations made will be much abbreviated, and the usual comments on climatic conditions will be more limited.

A brief visit to the western Panhandle in June 2003 revealed that at least the southwestern Panhandle received enough rain to grow a crop of wheat, and there was more grass on the hills than in the previous several years. Despite this, some other parts of the state, especially the western Republican …

Subscription And Organization Information [March 2005]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Lou Pritchard, NOU Librarian, c/o University of Nebraska State Museum, W-436 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): …

In Memory Of Dr. Rushton G. Cortelyou

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union lost a longtime member and friend on May 2, 2004, when Dr. Rushton Cortelyou passed away just 16 days shy of his 98th birthday. He had been a member of the NOU for more than 50 years. He was preceded in death by Margaret, his wife of 68 years. Survivors include daughters Helen Linger and Carol Cortelyou, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Rusty’s membership in the NOU dates from 1953, and he contributed much to the organization. He served as president in 1962-64 and as editor of The Nebraska Bird Review from 1965 to 1990. As …

Winter Field Report, December 2004 To February 2005, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This winter was generally unremarkable except for the occurrence of good numbers of several species at the western edge of the state, notably Clark's Nutcracker, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Bohemian Waxwing. There were a couple of sightings of Mountain Chickadee and one of Cassin's Finch for good measure. All of the winter finches on the Nebraska list (except for Hoary Redpoll) appeared, most notably Pine Grosbeak, represented by two birds. One of these was in the southwest (Kansas had several reports) but the other was in the east, suggesting either multiple points of origin, or, as suggested by some in Kansas, …

2004-05 Christmas Bird Counts In Nebraska

Nebraska Bird Review

The addition of a new count encompassing Ponca State Park brings our total reported Nebraska counts to twelve this year. A total of 199 field counters and 20 feeder watchers participated. Temperatures were average, DeSoto being the cold spot, and precipitation was minimal.

This was the first year Cackling Geese were reported, following the recent split of Canada and Cackling Geese; a total of 70 were counted in 6 circles. American Wigeon numbers have been rising steadily on Nebraska CBCs, and the trend continued this year with 819 counted, a 25-year high. Three White-winged Scoters were found at Lake Mcconaughy, …

Arabidopsis Atspl14, A Plant-Specific Sbp-Domain Transcription Factor, Participates In Plant Development And Sensitivity To Fumonisin B1, Julie M. Stone, Xinwen Liang, Emily R. Nekl, Justin J. Stiers

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The recessive Arabidopsis thaliana fumonisin B1-resistant (fbr6) mutant was identified by its ability to survive in the presence of a programmed cell death (PCD)-inducing fungal toxin FB1. The fbr6 mutant also displays altered plant architecture in the absence of FB1, most notably elongated petioles and enhanced leaf margin serration. These phenotypes are a result of a T-DNA insertion in the SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein (SBP) domain gene, AtSPL14. AtSPL14 encodes a plant-specific protein with features characteristic of a transcriptional regulator, including a nuclear localization signal sequence, a plant-specific DNA binding domain (the SBP box), and a protein …

Sp341-Y Western Corn Rootworm, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Field & Commercial Crops

Three species of corn rootworms are found in Tennessee. The Western corn rootworm is the most destructive of the three species. This insect is now prevalent from Texas to the Dakotas, and has moved into Tennessee within the past 10 to 15 years. Until 1955, this rootworm was found in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota and Iowa. The Western corn rootworm has traditionally moved into the territory of the Northern corn rootworm, which is also found in Tennessee.

Pb1751 A Southern Pine Management Guide For Tennessee Landowners, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Forestry’s impact upon Tennessee is inescapable. The wood products industry contributes more than $21 billion annually to the state economy and employs 184,000 workers.1 There are 14.4 million acres of forestland across the state, more than half the land base, and nearly 70 percent of these lands are owned by private, non-industrial landowners. Tennessee prides itself upon being one of the nation’s largest producers of hardwood timber, but 1.2 million acres of our forests are comprised of southern yellow pines.

These pines contribute not only to a diversity of products that can be commercially marketed, but also increase the wide …

Methanogen Diversity Evidenced By Molecular Characterization Of Methyl Coenzyme M Reductase A (Mcra) Genes In Hydrothermal Sediments Of The Guaymas Basin, Ashita Dhillon, Mark Lever, Karen Lloyd, Daniel B. Albert, Mitchell L. Sogin, Andreas Teske

Microbiology Publications and Other Works

The methanogenic community in hydrothermally active sediments of Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California, Mexico) was analyzed by PCR amplification, cloning, and sequencing of methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) and 16S rRNA genes. Members of the Methanomicrobiales and Methanosarcinales dominated the mcrA and 16S rRNA clone libraries from the upper 15 cm of the sediments. Within the H2/CO2- and formate-utilizing family Methanomicrobiales, two mcrA and 16S rRNA lineages were closely affiliated with cultured species of the genera Methanoculleus and Methanocorpusculum. The most frequently recovered mcrA PCR amplicons within the Methanomicrobiales did not branch with any cultured genera. Within the nutritionally versatile …

Sp641-Tennessee Farm-Level Economic Implications Of Soybean Rust, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Marketing, Finances and Value-Added Agriculture

Asian Soybean Rust (here after referred to as “rust”) is a potentially devastating crop disease. It now afflicts soybean production in the Eastern Hemisphere and in the Western Hemisphere south of the equator. The first case of rust in the continental United States was confirmed on November 10, 2004. While the extent of the outbreak is not known, concern over the long-range impact of rust on U.S. soybeans has grown as a result of the confirmation.

Many federal and state agricultural agencies have begun preparations for such an outbreak. Defined protocols have been developed in some states for better agency …

A Sustainable Future For Recreational Fishing In The Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Proposal For Discussion., Department Of Fisheries.

Fisheries management papers

Fishing activity on the Cocos is essentially unmanaged at present and there has been some condern by the local community that a number of species, such as coral trout, have declined in numbers over the last decade. This draft strategy was developed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries who now has responsibility for managing recreational fishing on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services.

The Role Of Peer Social Network Factors And Physical Activity In Adolescent Girls, Carolyn C. Voorhees, David Murray, Greg Welk, Amanda Birnbaum, Kurt M. Ribisi, Carolyn C. Johnson, Karin Allor Pfeiffer, Brit Saksvig, Jared B. Jobe

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: To study the relationship between peer-related physical activity (PA) social networks and the PA of adolescent girls.

Methods: Cross-sectional, convenience sample of adolescent girls. Mixed-model linear regression analyses to identify significant correlates of self-reported PA while accounting for correlation of girls in the same school.

Results: Younger girls were more active than older girls. Most activity-related peer social network items were related to PA levels. More PA with friends was significantly related to self-reported PA in multivariate analyses.

Conclusions: Frequency of PA with friends was an important correlate of PA among the peer network variables …

Using Media Messaging To Promote Healthful Eating And Physical Activity Among Urban Youth, B.J. Carter, Amanda Birnbaum, Lisa Hark, Brian Vickery, Charles Potter, Michael P. Osborne

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

National trends show consistent increases, as well as racial and ethnic dis- parities, in the prevalence of overweight children and adolescents. Such disparity is evident regarding behaviors such as a poor diet and a lack of physical activity and in the prevalence and outcomes of associated health problems. It has been suggested that grounding interventions in cultural traditions and norms are critical for preventing obesity among ethnic and racial minority youth; however, with some notable exceptions, few community interventions have used this approach. Moreover, urban minority youth may face additional barriers to healthful eating and physical activity behaviors, such as …

Using Media Messaging To Promote Healthful Eating And Physical Activity Among Urban Youth, B.J Carter, Amanda Birnbaum, Lisa Hark, Brian Vickery, Charles Potter, Michael P. Osborne

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

National trends show consistent increases, as well as racial and ethnic dis- parities, in the prevalence of overweight children and adolescents. Such disparity is evident regarding behaviors such as a poor diet and a lack of physical activity and in the prevalence and outcomes of associated health problems. It has been suggested that grounding interventions in cultural traditions and norms are critical for preventing obesity among ethnic and racial minority youth; however, with some notable exceptions, few community interventions have used this approach. Moreover, urban minority youth may face additional barriers to healthful eating and physical activity behaviors, such as …

Effects Of Predation Pressure On The Cognitive Ability Of The Poeciliid Brachyraphis Episcopi, Culum Brown, Victoria A. Braithwaite

Sentience Collection

Variable levels of predation pressure are known to have significant impacts on the evolutionary ecology of different populations and can affect life-history traits, behavior, and morphology. To date, no studies have directly investigated the impact of predation pressure on cognitive ability. Here we use a system of replicate rivers, each with sites of high- and low-predation pressure, to investigate how this ecological variable affects learning ability in a tropical poeciliid, Brachyraphis episcopi. We used a spatial task to assess the cognitive ability of eight populations from four independent streams (four high- and four low- predation populations). The fish were required …

Acute Toxicity Testing Without Animals: More Scientific And Less Of A Gamble, Gillian R. Langley

Application of Alternative Methods Collection

In this report, we argue specifically that acute toxicity data should not be sought from animal tests. The underlying principle of such tests on rats and mice is that the results can be effectively extrapolated to humans. In fact, after nearly 80 years of use of these tests, the predictivity of rodent data for human acute toxic effects has been disputed but never proven.