Biodiversity Commons^™

Evaluation Of Three Nest Searching Methods For Ring-Necked Pheasant, Jeffery W. Stackhouse, Kevin K. Sedivec, Benjamin A. Geaumont

The Prairie Naturalist

Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) are a highly sought after game bird and as such, much research has been conducted regarding their ecology (Warner 1981, Trautman 1982, Johnson and Knue 1989). Perhaps the most investigated aspect of pheasant ecology is the species’ reproductive season (e.g. Linder et al. 1960, Dumke and Pils 1979, Leif 1994) with many studies focusing on nesting habitat (Baskett 1947, Clark et al. 1999). Results from previous research have acknowledged the difficulty associated with locating pheasant nests in their preferred cover types (Hanson 1970, Evrard 2000). Studies of pheasant nesting ecology have been based on …

Dual Capture Of A Piñon Deer Mouse And A Silky Pocket Mouse Resulting In Consumption Of The Smaller Animal, Jon C. Pigage, Roger D. Peyton

The Prairie Naturalist

Intraspecific dual captures of rodents are uncommon, but not rare. There are several reports of brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), white-footed deer mice (Peromyscus leucopus), North American deer mice (P. maniculatus), western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) caught simultaneously in the same trap (i.e. a door-closing live-trap; Davis 1955, Getz 1961, Blaustein and Rothstein 1978, Jenkins and Llewellyn 1981, Novak 1983). Some reports are incidental whereas others are interpreted as social associations or bonding between conspecifics. Interspecific dual captures are rarely reported in the literature. The earliest report of …

Red-Tailed Hawk Nesting In Kansas: Influence Of Landscape Characteristics, William Langley

The Prairie Naturalist

Factors that affect nest site selection in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) include the physical features surrounding the nest and landscape characteristics. Features surrounding nests include: tree height, tree diameter (dbh), percent canopy cover, slope, nest openness, and density of woody plants or shrubs (Titus and Mosher 1981, Bechard et al. 1990, Tietje et al. 1997, Actkinson et al. 2007). Landscape characteristics that influence nest-site selection by red-tailed hawks vary across regions. In Georgia, red-tailed hawks selected nest site in areas with greater area of agriculture and open pasture (Moorman and Chapman 1996), whereas in Oklahoma prairies, the hawks …

Associations Between Iron Concentration And Productivity In Montane Streams Of The Black Hills, South Dakota, Cari-Ann Hayer, Benjamin M. Holocmb, Steven R. Chipps

The Prairie Naturalist

Iron is an important micronutrient found in aquatic systems that can influence nutrient availability (e.g. phosphorus) and primary productivity. In streams, high iron concentrations often are associated with low pH as a result of acid mine drainage, which is known to affect fish and invertebrate communities. Streams in the Black Hills of South Dakota are generally circumneutral in pH, yet select streams exhibit high iron concentrations associated with natural iron deposits. In this study, we examined relationships among iron concentration, periphyton biomass, macroinvertebrate abundance, and fish assemblages in four Black Hills streams. The stream with the highest iron concentration (~5 …

Use Of Seeded Exotic Grasslands By Wintering Birds, Andrew D. George, Timothy J. O'Connell, Karen R. Hickman, David M. Lesliee Jr.

The Prairie Naturalist

Despite widespread population declines of North American grassland birds, effects of anthropogenic disturbance on wintering habitat of this guild remain poorly understood. We compared avian abundance and habitat structure in fields planted to the exotic grass Old World bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum; OWB) to that in native mixed-grass prairie. During winters of 2007–2008 and 2008–2009, we conducted bird and vegetation surveys in six native grass and six OWB fields in Garfield, Grant, and Alfalfa counties, Oklahoma. We recorded 24 species of wintering birds in native fields and 14 species in OWB monocultures. While vegetation structure was similar between field …

How Important Is A Quality Manuscript Review?, Christopher N. Jacques

The Prairie Naturalist

Temperatures are finally starting to cool a bit (for those of us in the northern Great Plains region) and Thanksgiving break is just around the corner.

I offer my reflections in the spirit of encouraging each of you to take a break from your professional obligations and spend time with friends and family enjoying nature and everything it has to offer this fall.

Salamander Colonization Of Chase Lake, Stutsman County, North Dakota, David M. Mushet, Kyle I. Mclean, Craig A. Stockwell

The Prairie Naturalist

Salt concentrations in lakes are dynamic. In the western United States, water diversions have caused significant declines in lake levels resulting in increased salinity, placing many aquatic species at risk (Galat and Robinson 1983, Beutel et al. 2001). Severe droughts can have similar effects on salt concentrations and aquatic communities (Swanson et al. 2003). Conversely, large inputs of water can dilute salt concentrations and contribute to community shifts (Euliss et al. 2004).

Chase Lake is a large, shallow, alkaline lake in east-central North Dakota most famously known for supporting one of the largest breeding colonies of the American white pelican …

A Simple Device For Measuring The Minimum Current Velocity To Maintain Semi-Buoyant Fish Eggs In Suspension, Julias S. Mueller, Brandon D. Cheek, Qingman Chen, Jillian Groeschel, Shannok K. Brewer, Timothy B. Grabowski

The Prairie Naturalist

Pelagic broadcast spawning cyprinids are common to Great Plains rivers and streams. This reproductive guild produces non-adhesive semi-buoyant eggs that require sufficient current velocity to remain in suspension during development. Although studies have shown that there may be a minimum velocity needed to keep the eggs in suspension, this velocity has not been estimated directly nor has the influence of physicochemical factors on egg buoyancy been determined. We developed a simple, inexpensive flow chamber that allowed for evaluation of minimum current velocity needed to keep semi-buoyant eggs in suspension at any time frame during egg development. The device described here …

The Imperative Of Conserving California's Foothill Oak Woodlands, Lauren Phillips

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Northward Range Extension Of The Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon Hispidus) In Missouri, Cody W. Thompson, Elmer J. Finck

The Prairie Naturalist

The hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) is a widely distributed rodent with a geographic range extending from north-central Mexico to southern Nebraska and central Virginia and from southeastern Arizona east to Florida (Carleton et al. 1999, Peppers and Bradley 2000, Wilson and Reeder 2005) with isolated populations in Arizona (Bradley et al. 2012) and California (Clark 1972). Range expansions for the species have been well documented (Clark 1972, Farney 1975, Benedict et al. 2000, Wright et al. 2010, Wills et al. 2011). The majority of these range expansions have occurred across the Central Plains during the 20th century …

Whooping Cranes Consume Plains Leopard Frogs At Migratory Stopover Sites In Nebraska, Keith Geluso, Brad T. Krohn, Mary J. Harner, Michael J. Assenmacher

The Prairie Naturalist

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) currently consist of a single, wild population that migrates annually from breeding grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, to wintering grounds on and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge along the Texas coast, USA (NRC 2005). This population reached a low of less than 20 individuals in 1941 (Allen 1952) but has rebounded to over 250 individuals (Chavez-Ramirez and Wehtje 2012, Gil-Weir et al. 2012). Whooping cranes migrate approximately 4,000 km each spring and autumn, traversing much of the North American Great Plains (Lewis 1995) and periodically landing along rivers, wetlands, and other …

Relationships Among Walleye Mercury, Selenium, Stable Isotopes, Size And Age, Mark J. Fincel, Robert P. Hanten, Shannon Minerich

The Prairie Naturalist

Bioaccumulation of mercury is well-documented in aquatic ecosystems and occurs as mercury is accumulated and passed up food chains (Kidd et al. 1995, Atwell et al. 1998, Downs et al. 1998). Trophic level correlations have been widely reported for mercury (Snodgrass et al. 2000) and other metals (Barron 1995). Generally, within a system, carnivores have the highest mercury loadings, omnivores intermediate and herbivores the lowest (Phillips et al. 1980). However, little research has focused on the differences in mercury bioaccumulation for a single species that ranges across multiple trophic levels (Burger et al. 2001).

Stable isotope analysis has expanded the …

Pasture Condition Guide For The Kimberley, Kathryn Ryan, Elizabeth Tierney, Paul Novelly, Robert Mccartney

Bulletins 4000 -

This interactive guide has been produced as a tool for assessing pasture condition over a range of pasture types in the Kimberley. A pasture type is a distinctive mix of plant species, soil type and landscape position. For example, the Mitchell Grass Alluvial Plain Pasture type is a mixture of Mitchell grasses and other species occurring on black soil alluvial plains. Pasture condition is an important factor affecting the potential of the rangelands for animal production and is a useful indicator for the sustainability of production.

Incorporating Satellite Derived Cloud Climatologies To Improve High Resolution Interpolation Of Daily Precipitation., Adam M. Wilson, Benoit Parmentier, Brian Mcgill, Rob Guralnick, Walter Jetz

Yale Day of Data

Conservation of biodiversity demands comprehension of evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes that occur over vast spatial and temporal scales. A central goal of ecology is to understand the factors that control the spatial distribution of species and this has become even more important in the face of climate change. However, at global scales there can be enormous uncertainty in environmental data used to model species distributions. Even ‘simple’ metrics such as mean annual precipitation are difficult to estimate in areas with few weather stations and available data sets do not quantify uncertainty in these surfaces. We are developing a …

Traversing Swanton Road, 13th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Systematics, Climate, And Ecology Of Fossil And Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) And Implications Of Nyssa Grayensis Sp. Nov. From The Gray Fossil Site, Northeast Tennessee, Nathan R. Noll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Late Hemphillian (latest Miocene or earliest Pliocene, 7-4.5 Ma) Gray Fossil Site in northeastern Tennessee is interpreted to represent a lacustrine paleokarst fed by a river or stream. This research focuses on the morphological and systematic relations of Nyssa endocarps (fruit pits) from the fossil site to extinct and extant Nyssa species. A combination of metric and nonmetric traits allows recognition of a new species: Nyssa grayensis sp. nov. This fossil species shares the most similarities with the extant Nyssa ogeche Bartram ex Marshall from southeast North America and the Eocene fossil Nyssa eolignitica Berry from western Tennessee. Affinities …

Multiple Approaches For Assessing Mangrove Biophysical And Biochemical Variables Using In Situ And Remote Sensing Techniques, Francisco Javier Flores De Santiago

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mangrove forests are important ecosystems and play a key role in maintaining the equilibrium in coastal lagoons and estuaries. However, in recent years, there has been a considerable loss of mangrove extension due to anthropogenic activities. Recent studies suggest that multiple in situ and remote sensing approaches must be carried out to understand the dynamics in these complex ecosystems. Therefore, the objective for this PhD dissertation is to develop multiple techniques for monitoring the seasonal biophysical and biochemical conditions of the mangrove forests. Particular objectives will include: i. Test the feasibility of using a Chlorophyll Content Index from a …

A Floristic Analysis And Comparison Of Plant Communities In Harlan County, Nebraska, Naomi D. Hastings, Steven J. Rothenberger

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Historically, the Republican River Valley in Harlan County, Nebraska, has been extensively explored, but the county flora has continually been under-represented and has been found to lack records for plants that are considered common. During the 2009 growing season, a taxonomic study and comparison of 3 different sites in Harlan County was made. Site #1 was pastureland and Sites #2 and #3 were both riparian, located on the north side of the Republican River. Collections were pressed, dried, identified, and deposited in the University of Nebraska at Kearney Herbarium (NEBK). Forty-eight new county records were verified, in­cluding cutleaf-cucumber (Cyclanthera …

Effects Of Multiple Ecological Drivers On Recruitment And Succession Of Coral Reef Macroalgal Communities, Alain Duran

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study evaluated the effects of herbivory pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on recruitment and succession of coral reef macroalgal communities. Recruitment and succession tiles were placed in a nutrient-herbivory factorial experiment and macroalgal abundances were evaluated through time. Proportional abundances of macroalgal form-functional groups on recruitment and succession tiles were similar to field established communities within treatments, evidencing possible effects of adult macroalgae as propagule supply. Macroalgal abundance of recruitment tiles increased with nutrient loading and herbivory reduction combined whereas on succession tiles nutrient loading increased abundance of articulated-calcareous only when herbivores were excluded. Macroalgal field established …

Estudios Científicos En El Estado De Hidalgo Y Zonas Aledañas, Volumen Ii, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott Monks

Zea E-Books Collection

Los 16 capítulos que conforman este libro son una contribución al conocimiento de la biodiversidad y conservación de los recursos naturales en el estado de Hidalgo, México.

Se aborda el derecho de propiedad intelectual en la biodiversidad, citando algunos ejemplos de México. Así mismo, se presenta un estudio de la biodiversidad y distribución de la herpetofauna en cuatro tipos de vegetación. Desde el punto de vista de la helmintología se presentan dos estudios de los helmintos parásitos de vertebrados silvestres; con nuevos registros de hospederos y localidades de algunas especies de helmintos para Hidalgo. También, se aborda el uso de …

Notes: Nesting Patterns Of Red-Tailed Hawks And Great-Horned Owls In South-Cen- Tral Kansas, William Langley

The Prairie Naturalist

Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and great-horned owls (Bubo virginianus) can influence the nesting behavior of each other through direct competition for nesting sites. For instance, owls begin nesting before hawks and, thus, can use nests from the previous year and prevent hawks from occupying those sites (Orians and Kuhl- man 1956, Gilmer et al. 1983, Minor et al. 1993). However, both species sometimes kill the nestlings of the other (Craig- head and Craighead 1956, Bosakowski et al. 1989).

The objective of my study was to investigate nesting patterns of these two raptors at the edge of the tallgrass prairie over …

Research Notes Vs. Research Articles, Christopher N. Jacques

The Prairie Naturalist

Greetings GPNSS members! I hope this email finds you well, winding down another academic year, and looking forward to the summer field season. Warm temperatures, peak foliage, and heightened anticipation of the start of another field season are upon us following a long winter season and unusually wet spring for many of us across the Great Plains. Here in westcentral Illinois, wild turkeys are gobbling, neotropical migrants are singing and establishing breeding territories, and white-tailed deer are within days of giving birth to the next generation of fawns. Granted, there are many outdoor activities to participate in, though oppressive heat …

Distribution Of Burrowing Owls In East- Central South Dakota, Jiill A. Shaffer, Jason P. Thiele

The Prairie Naturalist

Western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) populations have declined across much of western North America, particularly at the northern and eastern edges of the species’ breeding range (Martell et al. 2001, Murphy et al. 2001, Shyry et al. 2001, Skeel et al. 2001, Klute et al. 2003). In South Dakota, the burrowing owl is a summer resident that historically was relatively common throughout the state, but its range has decreased in recent decades, especially in the eastern half of the state (Whitney et al. 1978, South Dakota Ornithologists’ Union [SDOU] 1991, Peterson 1995). Tallman et al. (2002) described the species …

Contributions Of Stocked And Naturally Reproduced Rainbow Trout In The Deerfield Reservoir System, Jacob L. Davis, Jerry W. Wilhite, Greg Simpson, Michael E. Barnes, Kaite N. Bertrand, David W. Willis

The Prairie Naturalist

Deerfield Reservoir in the Black Hills of South Dakota and its tributary system are managed as hatchery supplemented rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fisheries. Three genetically unique strains of rainbow trout (Shasta, Erwin and McConaughy) are stocked into the system. Recently, juvenile rainbow trout of unknown origin were collected in the tributary system above Deerfield Reservoir, indicating potential natural reproduction. Understanding the genetic origins and ability of these rainbow trout to contribute to the fishery is essential in determining the proper management strategy for these waters. Our objectives were to 1) evaluate the genetic origins of potentially naturally reproduced rainbow trout …

Creation Of A Natural History Information Database With Mobile Device Access For The Pace Campus In Pleasantville, Joshua J. Schwartz, Martina Blackwood

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

Persons As Plants: Ecopsychology And The Return To The Dream Of Nature, Monica Gagliano

Landscapes: the Journal of the International Centre for Landscape and Language

Abstract. In this article, I examine human-plant perceptions and interactions in terms of developing a new perspective on the perception and the actions of people towards plants. By combining my scientific understanding of the biological world and my own experiences working with plant shamans, storytellers and mystics from around the world, I engage with the idea that the hierarchical structure by which Western science defines the variety of life forms as ‘primitive’ or ‘more evolved’ is at the root of the current environmental crisis and I argue that the solution to it rests in a change of this very perspective.

Traversing Swanton Road, 12th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Traversing Swanton Road, 11th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Title Page, Contents, Contributors For Estudios Científicos En El Estado De Hidalgo Y Zonas Aledañas, Volumen Ii, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott Monks

Estudios científicos en el estado de Hidalgo y zonas aledañas

Title Page

Contents

Contributors

Distribución De La Herpetofauna En Cuatro Tipos De Vegetación Del Estado De Hidalgo, México, Uriel Hernández-Salinas, Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista

Estudios científicos en el estado de Hidalgo y zonas aledañas

Este estudio se realizó en un periodo de un año (2007-2008), con el propósito de elaborar una lista de especies de anfibios y reptiles que habitan en cuatro tipos de vegetación: bosque mesófilo de montaña (BMM), bosque de pino-encino (BPE), matorral xerófilo (MX) y bosque tropical perennifolio (BTP) del estado de Hidalgo, y comparar la riqueza de especies entre éstos. Se encontró que el MX fue el tipo de vegetación con la menor riqueza de especies (H = 2.942), mientras que el BMM presentó la mayor de riqueza (H = 3.267). El BTP y el BPE fue la combinación vegetal …