Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 31 - 60 of 260

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Effects Of Habitat Management Treatments On Plant Community Composition And Biomass In A Montane Wetland, Jane E. Austin, Janet R. Keough, William H. Pyle Sep 2007

Effects Of Habitat Management Treatments On Plant Community Composition And Biomass In A Montane Wetland, Jane E. Austin, Janet R. Keough, William H. Pyle

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Grazing and burning are commonly applied practices that can impact the diversity and biomass of wetland plant communities. We evaluated the vegetative response of wetlands and adjacent upland grasslands to four treatment regimes (continuous idle, fall prescribed burning followed by idle, annual fall cattle grazing, and rotation of summer grazing and idle) commonly used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our study area was Grays Lake, a large, montane wetland in southeastern Idaho that is bordered by extensive wet meadows. We identified seven plant cover types, representing the transition from dry meadow to deep wetland habitats: mixed deep marsh, …


Protocol For Investigating Displacement Effects Of Wind Facilities On Grassland Songbirds, Wallace Erickson, Dale Strickland, Jill A. Shaffer, Douglas H. Johnson Feb 2007

Protocol For Investigating Displacement Effects Of Wind Facilities On Grassland Songbirds, Wallace Erickson, Dale Strickland, Jill A. Shaffer, Douglas H. Johnson

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Populations of grassland and shrub-steppe bird species are declining more precipitously than any other group of North American bird species (Peterjohn and Sauer 1999). Much of the decline appears associated with habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation of grassland and shrub-steppe habitats. Agricultural development is the greatest cause of grassland loss (Knopf 1994). Urban development and range management practices also contribute to loss of grasslands and biodiversity within remaining grasslands (Vickery et al. 1999, Fuhlendorf and Engle 2001). Because of the permanence and fragmenting nature of urban development, this form of grassland conversion may have more severe and longer-term negative effects …


Sandhill Crane Abundance And Nesting Ecology At Grays Lake, Idaho, Jane Austin, Adonia Henry, I. Joseph Hall Jan 2007

Sandhill Crane Abundance And Nesting Ecology At Grays Lake, Idaho, Jane Austin, Adonia Henry, I. Joseph Hall

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

We examined population size and factors influencing nest survival of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) at Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Idaho, USA, during 1997–2000. Average local population of cranes from late April to early May, 1998–2000, was 735 cranes, 34% higher than that reported for May 1970–1971. We estimated 228 (SE = 30) nests in the basin core (excluding renests), 14% higher than a 1971 estimate. Apparent nest success in our study (x = 60%, n = 519 nests) was lower than reported for Grays Lake 30–50 years earlier. Daily survival rates (DSRs) of all nests …


Review Of Waterfowl Ecology And Management By Guy A. Baldassarre And Eric G. Bolen, Gary Krapu Jan 2007

Review Of Waterfowl Ecology And Management By Guy A. Baldassarre And Eric G. Bolen, Gary Krapu

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Waterfowl are among the most studied groups of birds, in part because many species are widely hunted. In recent decades, waterfowl researchers have provided a wealth of new findings related to population ecology and management. Baldassarre and Bolen, recognizing the rapid growth of valuable new information since their book was first published in 1994 and the emergence of numerous new issues confronting waterfowl conservation, have prepared a new edition of their book.
The 2006 edition of Waterfowl Ecology and Management represents a major revision of the authors’ original work. The handsome new front cover contains an inset of a Mallard …


Short-Term Disruption Of A Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia Esula) Biocontrol Program Following Herbicide Application, Diane L. Larson, James B. Grace, Paul A. Rabie, Paula Andersen Jan 2007

Short-Term Disruption Of A Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia Esula) Biocontrol Program Following Herbicide Application, Diane L. Larson, James B. Grace, Paul A. Rabie, Paula Andersen

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Integrated pest management (IPM) for invasive plant species is being advocated by researchers and implemented by land managers, but few studies have evaluated the success of IPM programs in natural areas. We assessed the relative effects of components of an IPM program for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), an invasive plant, at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Effects of herbicides on leafy spurge abundance and on dynamics of flea beetles (Aphthona spp.) used to control leafy spurge were evaluated over three field seasons following herbicide application. We monitored leafy spurge-infested plots with established flea beetle populations that …


Survey Of Selected Pathogens And Blood Parameters Of Northern Yellowstone Elk: Wolf Sanitation Effect Implications, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, P. J. White, L. David Mech Jan 2007

Survey Of Selected Pathogens And Blood Parameters Of Northern Yellowstone Elk: Wolf Sanitation Effect Implications, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, P. J. White, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The restoration or conservation of predators could reduce seroprevalences of certain diseases in prey if predation selectively removes animals exhibiting clinical signs. We assessed disease seroprevalences and blood parameters of 115 adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) wintering on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park [YNP] during 2000– 2005 and compared them to data collected prior to wolf (Canis lupus) restoration (WR) in 1995 and to two other herds in Montana to assess this prediction. Blood parameters were generally within two standard deviations of the means observed in other Montana herds (Gravelly-Snowcrest [GS] and Garnet Mountain …


Defining Space Use And Movements Of Canada Lynx With Global Positioning System Telemetry, Christopher Burdett, Ron Moen, Gerald J. Niemi, L. David Mech Jan 2007

Defining Space Use And Movements Of Canada Lynx With Global Positioning System Telemetry, Christopher Burdett, Ron Moen, Gerald J. Niemi, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Space use and movements of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are difficult to study with very-high-frequency radiocollars. We deployed global positioning system (GPS) collars on 11 lynx in Minnesota to study their seasonal space-use patterns. We estimated home ranges with minimum-convex-polygon and fixed-kernel methods and estimated core areas with area/probability curves. Fixed-kernel home ranges of males (range = 29–522 km2) were significantly larger than those of females (range = 5–95 km2) annually and during the denning season. Some male lynx increased movements during March, the month most influenced by breeding activity. Lynx core areas were …


Testing Global Positioning System Telemetry To Study Wolf Predation On Deer Fawns, Dominic Demma, Shannon Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech Jan 2007

Testing Global Positioning System Telemetry To Study Wolf Predation On Deer Fawns, Dominic Demma, Shannon Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

We conducted a pilot study to test the usefulness of Global Positioning System (GPS) collars for investigating wolf (Canis lupus) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns. Using GPS collars with short location-attempt intervals on 5 wolves and 5 deer during summers 2002–2004 in northeastern Minnesota, USA, demonstrated how this approach could provide new insights into wolf hunting behavior of fawns. For example, a wolf traveled ≥1.5–3.0 km and spent 20–22 hours in the immediate vicinity of known fawn kill sites and ≥0.7 km and 8.3 hours at scavenging sites. Wolf travel paths indicated that wolves …


Influence Of Wind Generators On Grassland-Breeding Birds, Douglas H. Johnson, Jill A. Shaffer Jan 2007

Influence Of Wind Generators On Grassland-Breeding Birds, Douglas H. Johnson, Jill A. Shaffer

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

As the Nation strives for energy independence, interest in renewable energy sources intensifies. Wind energy is one such source, and North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana are ranked among the top five states for wind potential by the Department of Energy. The Missouri Coteau is especially rich in wind energy potential. With its hilly topography and rocky soils, the Coteau also contains large tracts of unplowed grasslands and undrained wetlands. Accordingly, the Coteau is a prime area for nesting waterfowl and other grassland birds, many of which have suffered marked population declines in recent decades. To help maintain breeding populations …


Estimating Water Storage Capacity Of Existing And Potentially Restorable Wetland Depressions In A Subbasin Of The Red River Of The North, Robert A. Gleason, Brian A. Tangen, Murray K. Laubhan, Kevin E. Kermes, Ned H. Euliss Jr. Jan 2007

Estimating Water Storage Capacity Of Existing And Potentially Restorable Wetland Depressions In A Subbasin Of The Red River Of The North, Robert A. Gleason, Brian A. Tangen, Murray K. Laubhan, Kevin E. Kermes, Ned H. Euliss Jr.

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Concern over flooding along rivers in the Prairie Pothole Region has stimulated interest in developing spatially distributed hydrologic models to simulate the effects of wet¬land water storage on peak river flows. Such models require spatial data on the storage volume and interception area of existing and restorable wetlands in the watershed of interest. In most cases, information on these model inputs is lacking because resolution of existing topographic maps is inadequate to estimate volume and areas of existing and restorable wetlands. Consequently, most studies have relied on wetland area to volume or interception area relationships to estimate wetland basin storage …


Grassland Establishment For Wildlife Conservation, D. Todd Jones-Farrand, Loren W. Burger Jr., Douglas H. Johnson, Mark R. Ryan Jan 2007

Grassland Establishment For Wildlife Conservation, D. Todd Jones-Farrand, Loren W. Burger Jr., Douglas H. Johnson, Mark R. Ryan

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Establishing grasslands has important implications for wildlife, especially in areas historically rich in grasslands that have since been converted to row crop agriculture. Most grasslands established under farm conservation programs have replaced annual crops with perennial cover that provides year-round resources for wildlife. This change in land use has had a huge influence on grassland bird populations; little is known about its impacts on other terrestrial wildlife species. Wildlife response to grassland establishment is a multi-scale phenomenon dependent upon vegetation structure and composition within the planting, practice-level factors such as size and shape of the field, and its landscape context, …


Femur-Marrow Fat Of White-Tailed Deer Fawns Killed By Wolves, L. David Mech Jan 2007

Femur-Marrow Fat Of White-Tailed Deer Fawns Killed By Wolves, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

I present marrow fat (MF) data from a large sample of white-tailed deer fawns killed by wolves and a sample of fawns that died by accident in a single area, and I use these data to explore the extent that poor nutritional condition may have predisposed fawns to wolf predation. Percent MF of 110 5–10-month-old white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns killed by wolves (Canis lupus) from November through April 1984–2002 in northeastern Minnesota, USA, was lower than MF for 23 fawns killed by accidents in the same area and period. The MF of both male and …


A Proposed Ethogram Of Large-Carnivore Predatory Behavior, Exemplified By The Wolf, Daniel Macnulty, L. David Mech, Douglas Smith Jan 2007

A Proposed Ethogram Of Large-Carnivore Predatory Behavior, Exemplified By The Wolf, Daniel Macnulty, L. David Mech, Douglas Smith

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Although predatory behavior is traditionally described by a basic ethogram composed of 3 phases (search, pursue, and capture), behavioral studies of large terrestrial carnivores generally use the concept of a ‘‘hunt’’ to classify and measure foraging. This approach is problematic because there is no consensus on what behaviors constitute a hunt. We therefore examined how the basic ethogram could be used as a common framework for classifying large carnivore behavior. We used >2,150 h of observed wolf (Canis lupus) behavior in Yellowstone National Park, including 517 and 134 encounters with elk (Cervus elaphus) and American bison …


Interleukin-6 And Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Values In Elk Neonates, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, Craig R. Johnson, Michael P. Murtaugh, L. David Mech, P. J. White Jan 2007

Interleukin-6 And Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Values In Elk Neonates, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, Craig R. Johnson, Michael P. Murtaugh, L. David Mech, P. J. White

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Serological indicators of general condition would be helpful for monitoring or assessing ungulate wildlife. Toward that end, we report the 1st reference values for 2 cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), in neonatal elk (Cervus elaphus). We obtained blood samples from 140 calves ≤ 6 days old in Yellowstone National Park during summer 2003–2005. IL-6 values ranged from 0 to 1.21 pg/ml with a median of 0.03 pg/ml. TNF-α values ranged from 0 to 225.43 pg/ml with a median of 1.85 pg/ml. IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations were not significant predictors of elk calf survival through 21 …


Factors Influencing Soil Invertebrate Communities In Riparian Grasslands Of The Central Platte River Floodplain, Craig A. Davis, Jane E. Austin, Deborah A. Buhl Jun 2006

Factors Influencing Soil Invertebrate Communities In Riparian Grasslands Of The Central Platte River Floodplain, Craig A. Davis, Jane E. Austin, Deborah A. Buhl

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

In the Platte River Valley of central Nebraska, USA, riparian grasslands (also known as wet meadows) have been severely impacted by a reduction in river flows, causing lower ground-water levels and altered seasonal hydroperiods. The potential impacts of these hydrologic changes, as well as the environmental factors that influence wet meadow soil invertebrate communities, are not well understood. An understanding of the ecological processes that influence these invertebrate communities is crucial for maintaining and restoring wet meadows along the Platte River. Our objectives were to describe the soil invertebrate community of wet meadows throughout the growing season and to examine …


Factors Influencing Soil Invertebrate Communities In Riparian Grasslands Of The Central Platte River Floodplain, Craig A. Davis, Jane E. Austin, Deborah A. Buhl Jun 2006

Factors Influencing Soil Invertebrate Communities In Riparian Grasslands Of The Central Platte River Floodplain, Craig A. Davis, Jane E. Austin, Deborah A. Buhl

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

In the Platte River Valley of central Nebraska, USA, riparian grasslands (also known as wet meadows) have been severely impacted by a reduction in river flows, causing lower ground-water levels and altered seasonal hydroperiods. The potential impacts of these hydrologic changes, as well as the environmental factors that influence wet meadow soil invertebrate communities, are not well understood. An understanding of the ecological processes that influence these invertebrate communities is crucial for maintaining and restoring wet meadows along the Platte River. Our objectives were to describe the soil invertebrate community of wet meadows throughout the growing season and to examine …


Are Trans-Pacific Invasions The New Wave?, Ragan M. Callaway, Shi Li Miao, Qinfeng Guo Jan 2006

Are Trans-Pacific Invasions The New Wave?, Ragan M. Callaway, Shi Li Miao, Qinfeng Guo

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The movement of organisms among continents by humans has caused profound changes in the ecology of relocated species and of communities to which they have been introduced. Perhaps less than 1% of all species that arrive at foreign shores become invaders (Williamson and Fitter 1996), but the few that explode in abundance wreak tremendous environmental and economic damage (Mack et al. 2000; Pimentel et al. 2000; Xu et al. 2006). During the last decade research on invasive species has dramatically increased. For example, from 1988 to 1990 the journal Ecology published three papers with the words ‘invasive’ or ‘invader’ in …


North American Prairie Wetlands Are Important Nonforested Land-Based Carbon Storage Sites, Ned H. Euliss Jr., R. A. Gleason, A. Olness, R.L. Mcdougal, H.R. Murkin, R.D. Robarts, R.A. Bourbonniere, B.G. Warner Jan 2006

North American Prairie Wetlands Are Important Nonforested Land-Based Carbon Storage Sites, Ned H. Euliss Jr., R. A. Gleason, A. Olness, R.L. Mcdougal, H.R. Murkin, R.D. Robarts, R.A. Bourbonniere, B.G. Warner

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

We evaluated the potential of prairie wetlands in North America as carbon sinks. Agricultural conversion has resulted in the average loss of 10.1 Mg ha- of soil organic carbon on over 16 million ha of wetlands in this region. Wetland restoration has potential to sequester 378 Tg of organic carbon over a 10-year period. Wetlands can sequester over twice the organic carbon as no-till cropland on only about 17% of the total land area in the region. We estimate that wetland restoration has potential to offset 2.4% of the annual fossil CO2 emission reported for North America in …


Community Maturity, Species Saturation And The Variant Diversity–Productivity Relationships In Grasslands, Qinfeng Guo, Terry Shaffer, Thomas Buhl Jan 2006

Community Maturity, Species Saturation And The Variant Diversity–Productivity Relationships In Grasslands, Qinfeng Guo, Terry Shaffer, Thomas Buhl

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Detailed knowledge of the relationship between plant diversity and productivity is critical for advancing our understanding of ecosystem functioning and for achieving success in habitat restoration efforts. However, effects and interactions of diversity, succession and biotic invasions on productivity remain elusive. We studied newly established communities in relation to preexisting homogeneous vegetation invaded by exotic plants in the northern Great Plains, USA, at four study sites for 3 years. We observed variant diversity–productivity relationships for the seeded communities (generally positive monotonic at three sites and non-monotonic at the other site) but no relationships for the resident community or the seeded …


The Many Faces Of Replication, Douglas Johnson Jan 2006

The Many Faces Of Replication, Douglas Johnson

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Replication is one of the three cornerstones of inference from experimental studies, the other two being control and randomization. In fact, replication is essential for the benefits of randomization to apply. In addition to ordinary replication, the repetition of treatments within a study, two other levels of replication have been identified. Pseudoreplication, a termed coined by Stuart Hurlbert, generally involves making multiple measurements on experiment units (which is commendable) and treating them as if they reflected independent responses to treatment (which is erroneous). Metareplication is a higher level of replication in which entire studies are repeated. Scientists are too much …


Insect Visitation And Pollen Deposition In An Invaded Prairie Plant Community, Diane L. Larson, Ronald A. Royer, Margaret R. Royer Jan 2006

Insect Visitation And Pollen Deposition In An Invaded Prairie Plant Community, Diane L. Larson, Ronald A. Royer, Margaret R. Royer

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Invasive plants with large flowering displays have been shown to compete with native plants for pollinator services, often to the detriment of native plant fitness. In this study, we compare the pollinator communities and pollen deposited on stigmas of native plant species within and away from stands of the invasive alien plant, leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) at a large natural area in North Dakota, USA. Specifically, we ask if infestation influences (1) visitation rates and taxonomic composition of visitors to native flowers, and (2) the amount of conspecific pollen, number of pollen species, and proportion of heterospecific pollen on stigmas …


A 3-Decade Dearth Of Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In A Wolf (Canis Lupus)–Dominated Ecosystem, Michael Nelson, L. David Mech Jan 2006

A 3-Decade Dearth Of Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In A Wolf (Canis Lupus)–Dominated Ecosystem, Michael Nelson, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Some 30 y after wolves (Canis lupus) were implicated in decimating wintering white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a 3000-km2 area of northeastern Minnesota, wintering deer still have not recolonized the area. From 1976 to 2004, we aerially radio-tracked wolves there during 250 h and recorded 2 deer (in 1985 and 2000) killed or eaten by wolves during February and March. We observed no other deer or deer sign, but regularly observed deer, deer sign and wolf-killed deer in adjacent wolf-pack territories. Although habitat in the study area generally remains poor, some regeneration has taken place, …


Survival Of Adult Female Elk In Yellowstone Following Wolf Restoration, Shaney Evans, L. David Mech, P. J. White, Glen A. Sergeant Jan 2006

Survival Of Adult Female Elk In Yellowstone Following Wolf Restoration, Shaney Evans, L. David Mech, P. J. White, Glen A. Sergeant

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Counts of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) in northwestern Wyoming and adjacent Montana, USA, have decreased at an average rate of 6–8% per year since wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced in 1995. Population growth rates of elk are typically sensitive to variations in adult female survival; populations that are stable or increasing exhibit high adult female survival. We used survival records for 85 radio-collared adult female elk 1–19 years old to estimate annual survival from March 2000 to February 2004. Weighted average annual survival rates were approximately 0.83 (95% CI=0.77–0.89) for females 1–15 years old and …


Prediction Failure Of A Wolf Landscape Model, L. David Mech Jan 2006

Prediction Failure Of A Wolf Landscape Model, L. David Mech

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

I compared 101 wolf (Canis lupus) pack territories formed in Wisconsin during 1993–2004 to the logistic regression predictive model of Mladenoff et al. (1995, 1997, 1999). Of these, 60% were located in putative habitat suitabilities 50% remained unoccupied by known packs after 24 years of recolonization. This model was a poor predictor of wolf re-colonizing locations in Wisconsin, apparently because it failed to consider the adaptability of wolves. Such models should be used cautiously in wolf-management or restoration plans.


Proximate And Landscape Factors Influence Grassland Bird Distributions, Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson Jan 2006

Proximate And Landscape Factors Influence Grassland Bird Distributions, Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Ecologists increasingly recognize that birds can respond to features well beyond their normal areas of activity, but little is known about the relative importance of landscapes and proximate factors or about the scales of landscapes that influence bird distributions. We examined the influences of tree cover at both proximate and landscape scales on grassland birds, a group of birds of high conservation concern, in the Sheyenne National Grassland in North Dakota, USA. The Grassland contains a diverse array of grassland and woodland habitats. We surveyed breeding birds on 2015 100 m long transect segments during 2002 and 2003. We modeled …


Influences Of Management Regimes On Breeding Bird Densities And Habitat In Mixed-Grass Prairie: An Example From North Dakota, Andrea A. Lueders, Patricia L. Kennedy, Douglas H. Johnson Jan 2006

Influences Of Management Regimes On Breeding Bird Densities And Habitat In Mixed-Grass Prairie: An Example From North Dakota, Andrea A. Lueders, Patricia L. Kennedy, Douglas H. Johnson

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

It is well known that North American grassland bird populations appear to be declining (Igl and Johnson 1997, Sauer et al. 2004). Most of these birds breed and winter in North America, so declines are likely associated with continental processes (Knopf 1994). Scientists have also observed parallel declines among species that have overlapping breeding ranges but disparate wintering distributions (Igl and Johnson 1997). These patterns suggest declines may be linked to problems on the breeding grounds.


Avian Response To Meadow Restoration In The Central Great Plains, Rosalind B. Renfrew, Douglas H. Johnson, Gary R. Lingle, W. Douglas Robinson Jan 2006

Avian Response To Meadow Restoration In The Central Great Plains, Rosalind B. Renfrew, Douglas H. Johnson, Gary R. Lingle, W. Douglas Robinson

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Native grassland is one of the most heavily degraded of all North American ecosystems, and restoration of altered grasslands is a tool used to mitigate some of the biological ramifications of past land use practices. Providing habitat for grassland-dependent bird species often is one of the many goals of restoration. We evaluated the efficacy of meadow restoration for breeding birds in the Nebraska Platte River Valley by comparing the bird community and vegetation structure on 25 natural (original sod) and 25 restored meadows. We conducted principal components analyses on the vegetation structure and on the bird community, and modeled the …


Patch Size And Landscape Effects On Density And Nesting Success Of Grassland Birds, Maiken Winter, Douglas H. Johnson, Jill A. Shaffer, Therese M. Donovan, W. Daniel Svedarsky Jan 2006

Patch Size And Landscape Effects On Density And Nesting Success Of Grassland Birds, Maiken Winter, Douglas H. Johnson, Jill A. Shaffer, Therese M. Donovan, W. Daniel Svedarsky

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Cumnt management recommendations for grassland birds in North America emphasize providing large patches of grassland habitat within landscapes that have few forest or shrubland areas. These Bird Conservation Areas are being proposed under the assumption that large patches of habitat in treeless landscapes will maintain viable populations of grassland birds. This assumption requires that patch size and landscape features affect density and nesting success of grassland birds, and that these effects are consistent among years and regions and across focal species. However, these assumptions have not yet been validated for grassland binls, and the relative importance of local vegetation structure, …


Distributions Of Exotic Plants In Eastern Asia And North America, Qinfeng Guo, Hong Qian, Robert E. Ricklefs, Weimin Xi Jan 2006

Distributions Of Exotic Plants In Eastern Asia And North America, Qinfeng Guo, Hong Qian, Robert E. Ricklefs, Weimin Xi

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Although some plant traits have been linked to invasion success, the possible effects of regional factors, such as diversity, habitat suitability, and human activity are not well understood. Each of these mechanisms predicts a different pattern of distribution at the regional scale. Thus, where climate and soils are similar, predictions based on regional hypotheses for invasion success can be tested by comparisons of distributions in the source and receiving regions. Here, we analyse the native and alien geographic ranges of all 1567 plant species that have been introduced between eastern Asia and North America or have been introduced to both …


Intercontinental Biotic Invasions: What Can We Learn From Native Populations And Habitats?, Qinfeng Guo Jan 2006

Intercontinental Biotic Invasions: What Can We Learn From Native Populations And Habitats?, Qinfeng Guo

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effectiveness of management strategies for invasive species is often hampered by a lack of clear understanding of the factors that limit species distributions. The distribution of exotic species, especially those that are invasive, are often so dynamic that limiting factors are difficult to identify. Comparisons of exotic species between their native ranges, where they are presumably close to equilibrium with controlling factors, and their ranges in areas of introduction can circumvent this difficulty. Such studies would help identify (1) limiting factors for distributions in native ranges, (2) factors associated with a high degree of invasiveness, (3) changes in genetics …