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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 Platte River Ecology Study: Special Research Report', Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Each spring about 80%of the sandhill cranes in North America stop for several weeks in the Platte and North Platte River Valleys of Nebraska while en route to breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska, and the Soviet Union. This concentration of cranes is unparalleled in North America and these sites represent the principal spring staging areas for the midcontinent population. Large numbers of waterfowl, numerous bald eagles, whooping cranes, and many other species also use the area.

Recent changes in habitat conditions along the Platte and North Platte Rivers have prompted concern for the welfare of sandhill cranes and other migratory …

Herpetofauna Of Mormon Island Preserve Hall County, Nebraska, Royce E. Ballinger, Steven M. Jones, J. W. Nietfeldt

Papers in Herpetology

Introduction: Studies of reptiles and amphibians in the grasslands of North America have primarily concerned the compilation of state faunal lists (e.g. Smith 1956, Hudson 1942, Webb 1970, Wheeler and Wheeler 1966). There have been a large number of reports on range extensions to augment this basic data. With the exception of the extensive studies by Fitch (1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1963) primarily on reptiles and Bragg (1940a, 1940b, 1943, 1953) primarily on anurans, the ecology of the herpetiles of the grasslands are not well studied. Lynch (1978) provided an excellent analysis of the ecological distributions of the leopard frogs …

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. …

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 …

Review Of Deserts On The March By Paul B. Sears, R. Douglas Hurt

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

In 1935, the worst Dust Bowl year, Paul B. Sears, then professor of botany at the University of Oklahoma, published Deserts on the March, a succinctly written book that directed public attention toward the growing menace of soil erosion in the United States. By 1980, Deserts on the March had become a classic ecological study; it is currently in the tenth printing and fourth edition. Sears, now retired from his position of chairman of the conservation program at Yale University, has rewritten much of the original text, but his message is the same today as it was nearly fifty …

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 …

Missouri National Recreational River: Native American Cultural Resources, John Ludwickson, Donald Blakeslee, John O'Shea

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

An inventory of known and identifiable cultural resources referrable to Native American populations was undertaken for a corridor along the new Missouri National Recreational River, roughly from Gavin's Foint Dam to Ponca, Nebraska. These resources included archaeological sites and collections, ethnographic and ethnohistorical data and relevant environmental background information. Using these data the Native American occupation of the Missouri National Recreational River area was synthesized into a regional overview which stresses culture-historical developments and changing adaptations to the natural environment. Problems for continuing research utilizing existing archaeological collections were developed, and recommendations for continued field work to fill in gaps …

Comparative Water Relations And Photosynthesis Of Mycorrhizal And Non-Mycorrhizal Bouteloua Gracilis H.B.K. Lag Ex Steud., Michael F. Allen, William K. Smith, Thomas S. Moore Jr., Martha Christensen

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The rangeland grass, Bouteloua gracilis was inoculated with its mycorrhizal symbiont, Glomus fasciculatus, to determine the influence of vesicular-arhuscular mycorrhizae on water status, stomatal behaviour and photosynthesis as well as gross plant morphology, biomass and phosphorus content. Mycorrhizal infection increased transpiration rates by over 100% with 50 to 70% lower leaf resistances to water vapour diffusion. Leaf xylem pressure was not different between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants indicating that whole-plant resistance to water transport was reduced by more than 50%. Photosynthetic rates under saturating light conditions increased 68% with infection as a consequence of a 33% reduction in stomatal …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 12, Numbers 3 And 4. September–December 1980

The Prairie Naturalist

THE FLORA AND SANDHILLS PRAIRIE COMMUNITIES OF ARAPAHO PRAIRIE, ARTHUR COUNTY, NEBRASKA ▪ K. H. Keeler, A. T. Harrison and L. S. Vescio

USE OF ULTRASONIC SOUND TO ESTIMATE BODY FAT DEPOTS IN THE MALLARD ▪ G. A. Baldassarre, R. J. Whyte and E. G. Bolen

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD BREEDING IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ D. Child, J. Fontaine, T. Gatz, M. Johnson and J. Oswald

SPRING ARRIVAL OF BIRDS AT WOODWORTH, NORTH DAKOTA ▪ K. F. Higgins, L. M. Kirsch, and J. M. Callow

HYBRIDIZATION AND TAXONOMIC STATUS OF GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS AND SHARP-TAILED GROUSE (HYBRIDIZATION IN GROUSE) ▪ D. W. …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 12, Number 2. June 1980

The Prairie Naturalist

COMPOSITION OF BEAVER CACHES ON THE TONGUE RIVER IN MONTANA ▪ J. E. Swenson and S. J. Knapp

GRAY PARTRIDGE WINTER MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT USE IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ J. W. Schulz

ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF MAMMALS OF NEBRASKA ▪ J. K. Jones, Jr. and J. R. Choate

OBSERVATIONS OF SEVERAL ARCTIC GULLS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ C. A. Faanes and T. A. Gatz

WINTER FOOD HABITS OF NEBRASKA BOBCATS (Felis rufus) C. J Mahan

NOTE

The Meadow Jumping Mouse in Southeastern Montana ▪ W. L. Matthews

The Problem Of Pika Control In Baluchistan, Pakistan, Abdul Aziz Khan, William R. Smythe

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

The collared pika, Ochotona rufescens has been recorded as a serious pest in apple orchards in the uplands valley of Ziarat in Baluchistan. In the winter, when the natural vegetation is lacking, the pikas debark the apple tree trunks or branches resulting in the killing of the tree and reduced fruit production. In summer, damage to wheat, corn and potatoes is also very severe. It is estimated that pikas cause hundreds of thousands of dollars (US) in annual apple production losses. The apple production in Baluchistan accounts for about 35 percent of the total provincial income through food production. During …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 12, Number 1. March, 1980

The Prairie Naturalist

RESIDUAL SEEDS AS POTENTIAL SPRING WATERFOWL FOODS IN SMALL, MAN-MADE IMPOUNDMENTS ▪ G. A. Baldassarre

NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF BATS FROM BADLANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT, SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ J. P. Farney and J. K. Jones, Jr.

PRAIRIE CHICKEN DOMINATED SHARP-TAILED GROUSE INTERACTION ▪ R. A. Schmidt

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA— 1979 ▪ R. N. Randall

THIRD NESTING OF CATTLE EGRET IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. A. Schmidt

FIRST BREEDING RECORDS OF THE WHITE-FACED IBIS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. A. Schmidt

NOTES

Pinon Jay in North Dakota ▪ R. N Randall, J. Swanick and O. Swanick

Gray-crowned …

Population Regulation In Wolves, Jane M. Packard, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The possibility of social regulation of wolf populations has been discussed in the literature for several years. Some of the first ecological studies of wolves indicated that their populations did not increase as rapidly as was theoretically possible, and that they reached a saturation point apparently not set by food. Subsequent captive studies demonstrated the existence of social mechanisms possibly capable of regulating population growth. However, the importance of these factors in wild populations has not been established. This paper has four objectives: (1) to evaluate the existing concept of "intrinsic limitation," (2) to propose that wolf population dynamics may …

Bibliography Of J. E. Weaver

Papers of John E. Weaver (1884–1956)

1914-1963

(8 pages, typescript)

Den And Den-Site Characteristics Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In Southeastern Nebraska, Donald P. Althoff

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Sixteen pup-rearing den-sites of coyotes (Canis latrans) were located in southeastern Nebraska from 1976-1978. Although there was no selection for sites close to water or away from roads, dens were always located 400 m or farther from occupied farmsteads. The mean distance between neighboring dens was 3.87 km. Twelve sites were located within 1 m of brome grass (Bromus inermis); 15 dens were located where two cover-types met. Twelve dens were dug in loam soil; four in clay. Mean number of entrances for 10 excavated dens was 1.4, with the majority opening to the east and …

Floristic Analysis Of A Natural Area On The Lower Platte River Flood Plain, Donald A. Becker

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The vascular flora of an extinct river-island and inactive northchannel of the Platte River was studied from 1972-1978. Within a variety of vegetation types, including seral and sub climax flood plain forests, 289 species were identified from 200 genera and 70 families. The flora is dominated by four families, the Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, and Fabaceae, which contribute 40% of the species. Forty-eight species of woody plants occur in the area, including 17 species not previously reported in Dodge County. While much of the flora is composed of forest species (36.1%), significant numbers of ruderal and marsh species (each 19.4%) are …

Flora And Fauna A Biliography With Abstracts Or Partial Summaries

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam to Ponca State Park, Nebraska was designated, on 10 November 1978, a National Recreational River. The purpose of the designation is to preserve and protect the river reach and to make its resources available for public use.

The Secretary of the Interior has been mandated to administer the river. Acting through the Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, the Secretary of the Interior has entered into a written cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Army (acting through the Chief of Engineers) to provide for construction and maintenance of erosion control work …

Pheasants In Asia 1979: Proceedings Of The First International Symposium On Pheasants In Asia (November 21-23, 1979 : Kathmandu, Nepal), Keith Howman, Christopher Savage

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Conference Proceedings

Message from His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev

Inaugural Address by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister

Welcome Address by the Chief Conservator of Forests

Reply by Keith Howman, Chairman of the Conference

Keynote Papers

Forestry, National Parks and Conservation in Nepal, B. N. Upreti

Pheasant Conservation: A Minimum Programme? Christopher D.W. Savage

Reports on the Status of Pheasants

Nepal (1) Introductory Paper, Karna Sarkya

Nepal (2) Status of the Pheasants of Nepal, J. O. M. Roberts

Status of the Pheasants in Pakistan, Z. B. Mirza

Status of the Pheasants, Malaysia and Indonesia, G. W. H. Davison

The Himalayas: …

Cultural Ecology: A Brief Overview, Michael C. Gunn

Nebraska Anthropologist

Cultural ecology is based on the interaction of culture, man and environment. To the understanding of this relationship the present paper discusses the origin and development of cultural ecology, the various applications and techniques of cultural ecology by the anthropological discipline, and finally, criticisms and future goals of an ecological anthropology.

Ecology is not an anthropological subdiscipline, nor is it even a standardized approach in anthropology. Ecology may be defined as the science dealing with the study of entire assemblages of living organisms and their physical milieus, which together constitute integrated systems. More simply, ecology is the study of the …

Human And Cultural Ecology: A Partial Bibliography, Michael C. Gunn

Nebraska Anthropologist

The following bibliography represents a partial listing of books and articles dealing with human and cultural ecology. Central to this bibliography are titles dealing with the conceptual and methodological aspects of human/cultural ecology as applicable to the broad field of anthropology. Also of primary importance are titles dealing with the anthropological use of population demography. Topics of related interest (general ecology, human adaption, bioenergetics, etc.) are represented by selected titles. While the bibliography falls far short of total citation of all articles dealing with the aforementioned topics, it should provide a firm base upon which the student or researcher may …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 11, Number 4. December 1979

The Prairie Naturalist

THE STATUS OF HERONS, EGRETS AND IBISES IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ J. T. Lokomoen

RANGE EXPANSION OF BAIRD'S SPARROW IN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ H. A. Kantrud and C. A. Faanes

NESTING RECORDS OF THE WOOD THRUSH IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ S. O. Lambeth and D. O. Lambeth

SOME ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MARBLED GODWITS AND WILLETS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ K. F. Higgins, L. M. Kirsch, M. R. Ryan and R. B. Renken

NOTES ON THE INCUBATION BEHAVIOR OF BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS ▪ E G. Bolen and E. N. Smith

NOTES

Red Fox Captures Sharp-tailed Grouse at the Lek ▪ S. …

The Attractiveness Of Shredded Garbage To Gulls And Other Avian Species Potentially Hazardous To Aircraft, Dennis M. Forsythe

Bird Control Seminars Proceedings

The bird-aircraft strike hazard is a world-wide problem resulting in human fatalities and aircraft damage. Although the exact cost of bird damage is difficult to obtain, United States Air Force losses are estimated at over $10 million per year (Harrison 1976). Collisions between birds and aircrafts occur either enroute or when planes are landing or taking off at airports. Most of these collisions are due to large flocks of birds attracted to the vicinity by food, shelter, or water (Solman 1971). Solid waste disposal sites are an abundant food source for many hazardous bird species, especially gulls and blackbirds; and …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 11, Number 3. September 1979

The Prairie Naturalist

DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL HISTORY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN WESTERN NEBRASKA WITH ECOLOGICAL NOTES ON THE HERPETILES OF ARAPAHO PRAIRIE ▪ R. E. Ballinger, J. D. Lynch and P. H. Cole

AVIAN MORTALITY FROM A SEVERE HAIL STORM ▪ J. L. Piehl

EFFECTS OF A SUMMER STORM ON BIRD POPULATIONS ▪ D. H. Johnson

SEXING AND AGING CRITERIA FOR THE WHITE PELICAN ▪ G. R. Lingle and N. F. Sloan

CANVASBACK DUCK RECOVERS FROM COMPOUND LUXATION TO WING ▪ H. A. Doty

SECOND NORTH DAKOTA RECORD OF LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH ▪ C. A. Faanes

FIRST NESTING RECORD OF A LOUISIANA HERON …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 11 , Number 2. June 1979

The Prairie Naturalist

SPECIES WITH EXTRA FLORAL NECTARIES IN A TEMPERATE FLORA (NEBRASKA) ▪ Kathleen H. Keeler

PLANTS OF MOUNT GOLIATH RESEARCH NATURAL AREA ▪ Jeanette Hartman and Rod Mitchell

STATUS OF THE STURGEON CHUB (HYBOPSIS GELIDA) AND SICKLEFIN CHUB (HYBOPSIS MEEKI) IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ Robert C. Reigh and Dean S. Elsen

OBSERVATIONS ON COYOTE BIOLOGY IN NORTH-CENTRAL MISSOURI ▪ Fred B. Samson and Bill D. Hill

DESTRUCTION TO NESTING BIRDS ON A MARSH BAY BY A SINGLE STORM ▪ Martin K. McNicholl

BOOK REVIEWS

Presentations on Predators ▪ Staff

Migratory Game Birds ▪ Ronald A. Ryder

Wolf …

The Prairie Naturalist Vol. 11, No. 1. March, 1979

The Prairie Naturalist

ORIN ALVA STEVENS, A PRAIRIE NATURALIST ▪ G. Monson

FIRST RECORD OF LONG-TAILED JAEGER FOR NORTH DAKOTA ▪ T. Gatz and D. Treasure

NEW RECORDS OF THE DWARF SHREW (SOREX NANUS) IN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ R. J. Cinq-Mars, R. S. Hoffmann and J. K. Jones, Jr.

THE ETHYLENE FROM BURNING LIGNITE AS A PROBABLE CAUSE OF COLUMNARITY IN NORTH DAKOTA JUNIPERS ▪ J. M. Murphy and D. J. Holden

CAMOUFLAGED COYOTE DEN ENTRANCES ▪ D. P. Althoff

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA - 1978 ▪ R.N. Randall

NOTES

An Upland Nest of the Virginia Rail in North …

Water Usage And Power Production: The Electric Utility Industry Is Dependent On Water Utilization, T. P. Harding, L. G. Harrow

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The utilization of water as a heat transfer fluid is essential for the production of economic electrical power. There are many types of cooling facilities; however, the most economical means of electrical power production requires very large quantities of water to serve as a low temperature heat sink. For this reason, the power industry has, when possible, located its facilities near large sources of cold water, such as the Missouri River. The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) has utilized the Missouri River since the turn of the century, and continues to do so today.

The availability of water in the …

Bacteriocin-Like Substances Produced By Rhizobium Japonicum And Other Slow-Growing Rhizobia, D. C. Gross, A. K. Vidaver

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Bacteriocin-like substances were commonly produced by slow-growing Rhizobium japonicum and cowpea rhizobia on an L-arabinose medium. Antagonism between strains of R. japonicum was not detected in vitro; however, such strains were often sensitive to some bacteriocins produced by cowpea rhizobia. Inhibitory zones (2 to 8 mm from colony margins), produced by 58 of 66 R. japonicum test strains, were reproducibly detected with Corynebacterium nebraskense as an indicator. Quantitative production was not related to symbiotic properties of effective strains, since nine noninfective strains and one ineffective strain produced bacteriocin. Eight R. japonicum strains that did not produce bacteriocin nevertheless formed effective …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 10, Number 4. December 1978

The Prairie Naturalist

THE ORNITHOGEOGRAPHY OF THE GREAT PLAINS STATES ▪ Paul A. Johnsgard

CAPTURE OF GRAY PARTRIDGE BY FALCONRY IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ John W. Schulz

INCUBATION RHYTHMS AND EGG TEMPERATURES OF AN AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL AND A RENESTING PINTAIL ▪ Alan D. Afton

TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF SPRING MIGRATION OF YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ Richard D. Crawford

CHECKLIST OF NORTH DAKOTA MAMMALS: COMMENTS ON STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES ▪ Robert W. Seabloom

NOTE

First Nesting Record of Cattle Egret and Little Blue Heron in North Dakota ▪ Lloyd A. Jones

BOOK REVIEWS

Geese of the World ▪ Carl E. …