Digital Commons Network^™

North American Vegetation Patterns Observed With The Noaa-7 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, Samuel N. Goward, Compton J. Tucker, Dennis G. Dye

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

Spectral vegetation index measurements derived from remotely sensed observations show great promise as a means to improve knowledge of land vegetation patterns. The daily, global observations acquired by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, a sensor on the current series of U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological satellites, may be particularly well suited for global studies of vegetation. Preliminary results from analysis of North American observations, extending from April to November 1982, show that the vegetation index patterns observed correspond to the known seasonality of North American natural and cultivated vegetation. Integration of the observations over the growing season …

Comparison Of Bootstrap And Jacknife Statistical Procedures, Amanuel Gobena

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This report compares the bootstrapping to jacknifing statistical procedures in terms in bias, confidence interval and estimation of median. Related literature have been reviewed. A bootstrap allows a researcher to get an approximation to the distribution of possibly complicated statistical summaries. It is based on random sampling with replacement from experimental units. Jacknife has also been in operation prior to bootstrapping statistical procedure. The jacknife divides the data into subgroups and obtains partial estimates of these subgroups by omitting one subgroup at a time. When both of these statistical resampling procedures are compared the bootstrap has less bias, more accurate …

Success In Rat Control In Kuwait, K.S. Al-Sanei, T.M. Zaghloul, A.M. Salit, M.T. Omar, M.M. Balba

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 11th (1984)

The preliminary rat survey prior to the actual attack phase of Rat Control Program in Kuwait revealed an infestation rate with the Norway rat, Rattus norveqicus, in buildings ranging between 32.7% and 70.7%. The comparatively high infestation was observed in 92.5% of Kuwait buildings. Moreover the infestation reached 99% in certain districts of the country. This high infestation was associated with an increase in rat-borne diseases particularly murine typhus, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever and certain parasitic diseases.

A programme for rodent control in Kuwait was initiated through a political decision by the cabinet which gave the full responsibility of rodent …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 16, No. 2. June 1984

The Prairie Naturalist

Paul B. Kannowski, Editor

Nikki R. Sea bloom , Assistant Editor

Douglas H. Johnson, Book Review Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTUMN WEIGHTS OF PLAINS SHARP-TAILED GROUSE IN MONTANA ▪ J. E. Swenson and R. L. Eng

VEGETATION PROFILE AND GRASSLAND BIRD RESPONSE TO SPRING BURNING ▪ G. E. Huber and A. A. Steuter

WETLAND PRESERVATION CONFLICTS IN NORTH DAKOTA: ECONOMIC INCENTIVES AND LANDOWNER ATTITUDES ▪ R. D. Saylor, R. A. Stromstad and M. E. Winger

COLLEMBOLA OF SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA: SPECIES COMPOSITION AND HABITAT DISTRIBUTION ▪ B. L. Benner and P. B. Kannowski

NEW RECORDS OF EARTHWORMS FROM KANSAS (Oligochaeta: …

Current Status Of Research On The Blackbird-Sunflower Problem In North Dakota, Joseph L. Guarino

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 11th (1984)

Since 1979, the Denver Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has conducted an accelerated research program on the blackbird-sunflower problem which occurs annually in the Dakotas and Minnesota. The objective is to develop effective, cost beneficial and environmentally safe methods for reducing blackbird damage to ripening sunflower. A multidisciplinary approach involving interrelated studies of problem definition, ecology, and control methods development is being used. Preliminary results are presented from several studies involving: state- and county-wide estimates of damage; frequency distribution and timing of damage; compensatory growth in early damaged sunflower heads; breeding male blackbird censuses; mass-marking migratory red-winged …

Research On Winter Roosting Blackbirds And Starlings In The Southeastern United States, Donald F. Mott

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 11th (1984)

Each winter, more than 300 million blackbirds and starlings congregate in hundreds of roosting sites in the southeastern United States. In addition to nuisance problems involving odor and property damage from fecal material, and potential airport hazards, research studies to date suggest that the major problems with these birds and their roosts involve grain losses in feedlots, latent disease transmission to livestock, and public health concerns with histoplasmosis. Control methods development studies have shown the utility of Starlicide and nonchemical control methods in reducing starling feedlot problems. A sprinkler-irrigation delivery system for the surfactant, PA-14, has been developed that enhances …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 16, No. 1. March 1984

The Prairie Naturalist

Paul B. Kannowski, Editor

Nikki R. Seabloom, Assistant Editor

Douglas H. Johnson, Book Review Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MORTALITY OF RACCOONS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ E. K. Fritzell and R. J. Greenwood

THE EFFECTS OF MOWING ON THE RODENT COMMUNITY OF A NATIVE TALL GRASS PRAIRIE IN EASTERN NEBRASKA ▪ C. A. Lemen and M. K. Clausen

PARASITES OF FISH FROM THE JAMES AND SHEYENNE RIVERS, JAMESTOWN RESERVOIR COMPLEX, AND LAKE ASHTABULA IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ M. D. Forstie and H. L. Holloway

LEAD POISONING OF SANDHILL CRANES (Grus canadensis) ▪ R. M. Windingstad, S. M. Kerr, and …

Vergleichend Biologisch-Ökologische Untersuchungen In Hochgebirgen Der Nordwest- Und Südmongolei: Allgemeiner Bericht, Werner Hilbig, Michael Stubbe, N. Dawaa, Z. Schamsran, M. Dorn, K. Helmecke, D. Bumžaa, K. Ulykpan

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In den Jahren 1976 bis 1978 führten Biologen der Martin-Luther-Universität HalleWittenberg und der Staatlichen Mongolischen Universität Ulan-Bator Arbeiten zur Höhenstufenzonierung des Charchiraa-Gebirges in der Nordw estmongolei d urch. In der Steppen- (1340 m), Lärchenwald- (2150 m) und alpinen Zone (2375 m) wurden Meßstationen errichtet, in denen über mehrere Wochen der Monate Juni bis August gearbeitet wurde. Paralleluntersuchungen konnten im Juni/Juli 1979 in dem ariden Gebirgszug Ich-bogd im Gobi-Altai (Halbwüste 1300 m, Bergsteppe 2500 m, alpine Matte 2740 m) durchgeführt werden. Der allgemeine Bericht .informiert über Aufgabenstellung, Ablauf der Expeditionen, Untersuchungsmethoden, Lage, Geologie und Klima der Untersuchungsgebiete sowie über allgemeine Erkenntnisse …

Changes In The Lower Chesapeake Bay Food-Chain In Presence Of The Sea Nettle Chrysaora-Quinquecirrha (Scyphomedusa), David Feigenbaum, Michael Kelly

OES Faculty Publications

The abundance of 4 levels of the lower Chesapeake Bay food chain (Chlorophyll a, herbivores, ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, and Scyphomedusa Chrysaora quinquecirrha) were moni­tored twice weekly at 4 stations from May 10 through Sep 30, 1982 in the Lafayette and Elizabeth Rivers (Virginia). The herbivore standing stock, largely copepods, declined sharply in late May when M. Jeidyi appeared, but rebounded a month later when C. quinquecirrha medusae reduced the ctenophore population. Despite the additional presence of Aurelia aurita (Scyphomedusa) from Jul onward, herbivore abundance remained at moderate levels until the end of the study period. Phytoplankton abundance fluctuated …

The Effect Of Sea Nettle Abundance On The Food Chain Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Michael Glenn Kelly

OES Theses and Dissertations

The significance of sea nettle abundance on lower levels of the Chesapeake Bay food chain was examined in a field study and by the analysis of medusa gut contents. In the field study, the abundance of four levels of the food chain (Chlorophyll (a), copepods, the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, and the Schyphomedusa Chrysaora guinguecirrha) were monitored twice weekly at four stations from May 10 through September 30, 1982. The copepod standing stock declined sharply in late May when M. leidyi appeared, but rebounded a month later when C. guinguecirrha medusae reduced the ctenophore population. Despite the additional presence …

The Influence Of Soil Moisture, Texture, And Temperature On Nest-Site Selection And Burrowing Activity By The Pine Vole, Microtus Plnetorum, Donald H. Rhodes, Milo E. Richmond

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) have long been recognized as a pest species in fruit orchards of the eastern United States (Hamilton 1935). These semifossorial rodents construct tunnel systems beneath apple trees where they eat entire roots or strip roots of bark and cambium. Hamilton (1938) reported numbers of pine voles within apple orchards as high as 200-300 voles per acre which is in sharp contrast to the relative scarcity of pine voles outside orchard situations (Crain and Packard 1966; Goertz 1971), These findings suggest that orchard habitat provides excellent conditions for pine vole growth and reproduction, although the specific components …

A Progress Report Of The Cedar Creek Natural History Area, David F. Parmelee

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Dispersal And Harvest Of Sage Grouse Utilizing The Test Reactor Area Of The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Howard W. Browers, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A radio telemetry study of sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) summering at the Test Reactor Area (TRA) on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in southeastern Idaho was initiated in July 1980. Objectives included determination of habitat use, home range, brood breakup, fall movements, and harvest of sage grouse using the TRA. Supplemental habitat data and fall movement data were collected from sage grouse summering at the Central Facilities Area (CFA) on the INEL in 1982. Seasonal precipitation appeared to influence the period of use of the TRA by sage grouse. Grouse arrived later and left earlier in the wet year …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 14, No. 4. December 1982

The Prairie Naturalist

THE MICROBIAL AND VEGETATIONAL RESPONSE TO FIRE IN THE LYNX PRAIRIE PRESERVE, ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO ▪ A. E. Annala and L. A. Kapustka

ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR IN FREE-RANGING BARBARY SHEEP (AMMOTRAGUS LERVIA) G. G. Gray and C. D. Simpson

HOME RANGES OF MULE DEER BUCKS IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE ▪ B. H. Koerth and F. C. Bryant

DETERMINING SEX OF PLAINS POCKET GOPHERS BY INCISOR WIDTH ▪ R. M. Case and A. B. Sargeant

BOOK REVIEWS:

On Counting Birds ▪ S. A. Mikol

Freshwater Marshes ▪ R. M. Kaminiski

NOTICE TO AUTHORS ▪ Editor

INDEX TO VOLUME 14 …

Classification And Management Of Wetlands In The Western Kentucky Coal Field, William J. Mitsch, Robert W. Bosserman, Paul L. Hill Jr., Jan R. Taylor

KWRRI Research Reports

This is the first research report of a three-year project on wetland identification and management criteria in the western Kentucky coal field. The region is approximately 12,000 square kilometers and, due to its slight relief, contains many wetlands, some contiguous with surface coal mining operations. The overall objectives of the research project are 1) to identify, classify, and map wetlands in the western Kentucky coal field; 2) to evaluate the major biotic and abiotic factors that affect those wetlands; and 3) to develop strategies for the proper management of those wetlands.

The first report of this three-year project has involved …

Raptor-Mimicking Kites For Reducing Bird Damage To Wine Grapes, Roger L. Hothem, Richard W. Dehaven

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 10th (1982)

Preliminary tests in California vineyards during 1979 and 1980 indicated that a raptor-mimicking kite suspended from a helium-filled balloon (kite-balloon or KB) could reduce bird damage to ripening wine grapes. Based on the results of both damage assessments and bird censuses, one KB per hectare, deployed for alternate 1-wk periods, reduced losses caused by birds by about 33% in 1979 and by an average of 48% in 1980 when compared with 1-wk control periods. Habituation by the birds to the KB appeared to reduce its effectiveness over time in 1979, but this problem was reduced in 1980 by regularly changing …

Food Habits And Placental Scar Counts Of Bobcats In South Dakota, David Eric Nomsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) food habits and placental scar counts were investigated in western South Dakota during 1978-79 and 1979-80 trapping and hunting seasons. Food habits were recorded by frequency of occurrence and placental scar counts were used to determine litter size for South Dakota bobcats. Rabbits (Sylvilagus spp. and Lepus spp.), rats and mice (primarily Microtus spp. and Peromyscus spp.), and deer (Odocoileus spp.) were identified in 56, 32, and 7% of bobcat stomachs, respectively. Analysis showed that rabbits, rats and mice, and deer occurred in 58, 36, and 9% of bobcat intestines, respectively. Occurrences in rabbits decreased from 67% …

Observations On The Biology Of Cave Planarians Of The United States, Jerry H. Carpenter

International Journal of Speleology

Observations are made on the biology of several species of cave planarians (mostly of the family Kenkiidae) collected alive from over 50 caves in 14 states. Most of these species were maintained in laboratory cultures at 12°C±3°C. Food eaten was extremely variable. Functions of the anterior adhesive organ included food capture, locomotion, defence against predators, and probably chemoreception, mechanoreception, and as a holdfast in strong currents. Predators probably consist of fishes, crayfishes, and salamanders. Sporozoan and ciliated parasites were found occasionally. Cocoons were found in winter, spring, and summer; they hatched in about 3 months and contained 2 to 17 …

Application Of A New Method For Quantitative Evaluation Of Stream Benthic Algal Populations, Richard L. Meyer, Neil Woomer

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The response of stream biota to changing water quality or other ecosystem perturbations is an important means of assessing water quality. The dynamic nature of streams induces significant sampling and measurement problems. In smaller streams a true algal plankton subcommunity is lacking and the major location for the production of algae is attachment onto stones and other stable surfaces at the substrate-water interface. Several artificial techniques have been developed to analyze the composition of a portion of the epiphytic periphyton (algae attached to stones) but not populations which are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to natural substrates. A newly developed substrate …

Water Current, Volume 13, No. 5, September/October 1981

Water Current Newsletter

From the Desk of the Director
Water Problems Ranked as #1 Priority
Coordination of Water Extension Programs
Water Resources Seminar Series
Agricultural and Water Research Fund Projects
Project Funded by OWRT
NWRC Research Program
States to Continue Regional Water Resources Efforts
Water Conservation Workshops Project
No Funds for State Water Institutes
Watt Reaffirms State Control of Water in Announcing New Legal Opinion
Repeal of Principles and Standards
Research Review: Measurement of Actual Transpiration of Native Grass Stands as a Component of Nebraska Sandhills Groundwater Hydrology

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 13, Number 2. June 1981

The Prairie Naturalist

HERPETOFAUNA OF MORMON ISLAND PRESERVE, HALL COUNTY, NEBRASKA ▪ S. M. Jones, R. E. Ballinger and J. W Nietfeldt

COYOTE USE OF PLAYAS IN THE TEXAS HIGH PLAINS ▪ R. W. Whiteside and F. S. Guthery

NEW RECORD OF THE LEAST WEASEL IN WYOMING ▪ M. R. Stromberg, D. E. Biggens and M. Bidwell

STATUS OF AMERICAN WOODCOCK IN NEBRASKA WITH NOTES ON A RECENT BREEDING RECORD ▪ G. R. Lingle

WINTER FOODS OF THE PINE GROSBEAK IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. C. Reigh

SEASONAL VARIATION IN HOME RANGE OF A FEMALE BADGER (Taxidea taxus) ▪ R. …

Seasonal Temperature Preference Of Adult Mountain Whitefish, Prosopium Williamsoni, Jean M. Ihnat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Temperatures selected seasonally by adult mountain whitefish were measured in the laboratory in a horizontal gradient. Final preferendum estimates, based on acute (3-hour) preference tests conducted with fish acclimated to 5, 10, and 15 C each season, were 17.7 C (pre-spawning), 11.9 C (post-spawning), 9.9 C (winter), and 16.3 C (spring). Seasonal influence on temperature selection was evident on the basis of differences in final preferenda, covariance analysis of responses of laboratory-acclimated fish, and temperature selection by fish held at ambient river temperatures. Post-spawning and winter groups selected lower temperatures than did pre-spawning and spring groups. Pre-spawning fish selected temperatures …

Natural Pastures Of The Macquarie Region Of New South Wales: Their Origin, Composition And Management, David Leslie Michaelk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two experiments were conducted in the semi-arid (400 millimeter annual rainfall) Macquarie region of New South Wales, Australia, at the Trangie Agricultural Research Station (31° 59'S; 147° S7'E), to examine (a) the way botanical parameters can be used to separate grazing and climatic impacts on range vegetation, and (b) how this delineation affects application of range science tenets (site, condition and trend) to different pasture types.

Two range sites were studied: Site 1, a light soil type, was dominated by annual grasses, legumes and forbs, whereas perennial grasses (mainly Chloris acieularis and Chloris truncata) dominated the heavy soils of …

A Comparison Of Reproductive Strategies Among Marine Snakes, Cliff A. Lemen, Harold K. Voris

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

(1) Gravid females representing fourteen species of marine snakes were collected from four localities along the coast of Malaysia in 1975. The average clutch size ranged from 2.9 to 17.8 but most species had between three and seven young. The number of young produced and the size of gravid Lapemis hardwickii differed significantly at two sites in the Straits of Malacca. Eight species showed a significantly positive relationship between the number of oviducal eggs and female weight. The rate of infertility among ten species ranged from 4.5 to 20%.

(2) Sex ratios in the collections varied significantly through time and …

Growth And Development Rates Of Microtus Pinetorum Under Different Photoperiods, T. L. Derting, J. A. Cransford

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Photo-period and nutrition are important variables affecting reproductive activity and growth in many rodents. Field and laboratory studies indicate that long photo-period (spring-summer) cause Increased growth while short photo-periods (fall-winter) inhibit these processes. In the montane vole (Microtus montanus) recently weaned animals gain weight at a much lower rate under short photo-periods or in total darkness than under long photo-periods (Vaughan et al., 1973; Peterborg, 1978). Adult M. montanus had more offspring and larger mean litter sizes under LD 18:6 than LD 6:18 (Pinter & Negus, 1965). Similarly, long (LD 16:8) or increasing photo-periods stimulated the onset of …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 13, Number 1. March 1981

The Prairie Naturalist

EDITOR: Dr. Paul B. Kannowski

BOOK REVIEW EDITOR: Douglas H. Johnson

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WATERFOWL USE OF A MUNICIPAL SEWAGE LAGOON ▪ G-A. D. Maxson

MASS MORTALITY OF MUSSELS FROM SLUMPING ALONG THE RED LAKE RIVER NEAR CROOKSTON, MINNESOTA ▪ A. M. Cvancara, D. J. Brown, D. K. Cudworth, and T. R. Klett

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA — 1980 ▪ R. N. Randall

BREEDING BIRDS ON WATERFOWL PRODUCTION AREAS IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ H. F. Duebbert

FURTHER EVIDENCE OF MARSH HAWKS FEEDING ON DUCKS ▪ R. A. Wishert, R. M. Kaminski, and D. W. Soprovich

FIRST NEST …

An Energy Education Teaching Unit For The Fifth Grade, Lynn A. Thompson

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Report No 45 - The Short Term Effects Of Brush Harvesting On The Kwongan Vegetation At Eneabba, Western Australia, E. A. Griffin, A. J. M. Hopkins

Fisheries Research Reports

Areas of the kwongan vegetation south of Eneabba are currently being harvested to provide brush for rehabilitation after mining. Because of the botanical importance of the Eneabba kwongan, a study of the effects of the harvesting was initiated. Three areas with different harvest histories were sampled using quadrats paired across cut/uncut boundaries. Floristic and structural differences between quadrats and between areas were assessed. The store of seed in uncut vegetation was measured.

There was a loss of species as a result of harvesting, at least in the short-term. Many species regenerated by resprouting from buds in damaged stems or in …

Initial Growth And Survival Of Bluegills And Black Bullheads Stocked With Largemouth Bass In South Dakota Ponds, James J. Shelley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Initial growth and survival rates were estimated for bluegills (Leponis macrochirus) and black bullheads (Ictalurus melas) stocked simultaneously with largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in ponds throughout South Dakota. Mean first year survival for bluegills and black bullheads stocked in eastern South Dakota ponds was 28.6% and 67.7%, respectively. Differences in first year bluegill growth throughout the state were not detected. Total lengths for bluegills averaged 52.4 mm after one growing season statewide and 137.1 mm after two growing seasons in southeastern South Dakota ponds. Significant (P<.05) geographical differences in first year growth of black bullheads were detected with mean lengths ranging from 67.7 mm in northwest ponds to 115.5 mm in southeast ponds. The average total length for black bullheads after two growing season in southeastern South Dakota ponds was 215.2 mm. The combined effects of pH, turbidity, and bicarbonate alkalinity accounted for 67.5% of the variation in first year bluegill growth. The pond parameters total number of growing days, fish present prior to stocking, and pond surface area when combined accounted for 73.9% of the variation in first year black bullhead growth. Differences in bluegill relative weight values were not detected throughout South Dakota; the average for the state was 105.2. Mean black bullhead condition factors (K) for fish with total lengths between 128 and 191 mm were 1.85 and 1.45 for pre- and post-spawning periods, respectively. Bullheads probably spawned between 29 May and 26 June 1980.

Comparison Of Benthic Oxygen Demand Measurement Techniques, Thomas V. Belanger

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Several common methods to measure benthic oxygen demand were compared using measured and literature data. An in situ respirometer technique, a laboratory core-uptake technique and a laboratory flow-through system technique were compared on sand and organic sediment in Lake Washington, Florida. In situ uptake rates were significantly higher than core uptake rates, and this difference was greater for highly organic sediment than sand sediment. Measured and literature uptake values for in situ respirometer and core-uptake techniques with organic sediment were compared and resulted in a relationship (r = .99; P< .01) of the form: in situ uptake (g 2/m 2-hr) = .036 + 1.16 core uptake (g 2/m 2-hr). In many cases both coreuptake and in situ respirometer techniques under estimate oxygen consumption, due to difficulties in obtaining correct water velocities over the sediment surface. In the flow-through system studies, sediment oxygen uptake varied considerably with flow rate and a significant logarithmic relationship (P<.01) was obtained with Lake Apopka, Florida organic sediment. Measurement techniques that simulate field flows are the most accurate, such as the flow through system or the in situ tunnel respirometer technique.