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Biology Of Red-Necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus Lobatus) At The Western Edge Of The Great Basin In Fall Migration, Joseph R. Jehl Jr.

Great Basin Naturalist

Large numbers of Red-necked Phalaropes migrate overland across the Great Basin in fall, occurring commonly at highly saline lakes. Migrants occur at Mono Lake, California, from mid-July to mid-October. The earliest migrants are adult females, followed several weeks later by adult males, and finally by juveniles. Adults make up ca 75% of the population, with males outnumbering females by 5:4. From 1980 through 1984 an estimated 52,000–65,000 birds passed through the area each year, except in 1983, when only 36,000 were recorded. The low number might be attributable to high mortality on oceanic wintering grounds in the Southern Hemisphere in …

Wintering Bats Of The Upper Snake River Plain: Occurrence In Lava-Tube Caves, David L. Genter

Great Basin Naturalist

Distribution and habitat selection of hibernating bats at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and adjacent area are reported. Exploration of over 30 lava-tube caves revealed that two species, Myotis leibii and Plecotus townsendii, hibernate in the upper Snake River Plain. Five species, M. lucifugus, M. evotis, Eptesicus fuscus, Lasionycteris noctivagans, and Lasiurus cinereus are considered migratory. Myotis leibii and P. townsendii hibernate throughout much of the area, occasionally in mixed-species groups. Myotis leibii uses the dark and protected regions of the cave, usually wedged into tiny pockets and crevices near or at the highest portion of the ceiling. Individuals …

Dam-Raised Fawns, An Alternative To Bottle Feeding, Kathrin M. Olson-Rutz, Philip J. Urness, Laura A. Urness

Great Basin Naturalist

Rearing young ungulates for ecological studies is costly and time consuming. Doe-rearing mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawns is a viable alternative to the common method of bottle-feeding. Fawns tamed while nurtured by their tractable dams showed no marked difference in tractability over bottle-reared orphans. The advantages of doe-rearing are better health for the young and convenience for the handler.

Denning Habitat And Diet Of The Swift Fox In Western South Dakota, Daniel W. Uresk, Jon C. Sharps

Great Basin Naturalist

Swift fox (Vulpes velox) were investigated in western South Dakota to determine food habits and denning site characteristics. Over a three-year period food habits consisted of mammals (49%), followed by insects (27%), plants (13%), and birds (6%). Dens were located near hilltops within two habitat types, shortgrass and midgrass rairie; each type is characterized by differing plant species. Soil type was not a selective factor for den sites of swift fox. Management considerations for enhancing swift fox populations are presented.

Full Issue, Vol. 46 No. 2

Great Basin Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Coleoptera Of The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory: An Annotated Checklist, Michael P. Stafford, William F. Barr, James B. Johnson

Great Basin Naturalist

An insect survey was conducted on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory during the summers of 1981–1983. This site is on the Snake River Plains in southeastern Idaho. Presented here is an annotated checklist of the Coleoptera collected. Successful collecting methods, dates of adult occurrence, and relative abundance are given for each species. Relevant biological information is also presented for some species.

Floristic Analysis Of The Southwestern United States, Steven P. Mclaughlin

Great Basin Naturalist

A study was made of the distributions of native, terrestrial, vascular plants occurring in 50 local floras from throughout the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau physiographic provinces of the southwestern United States. The objectives of the study were to objectively define and describe the floristic elements-assemblages of species with roughly coincident geographic distribution-occurring in the southwestern United States and to determine what such assemblages reveal about the floristic history of the region.

The total flora (native, terrestrial species only) of the Southwest is estimated at 5,458 species, 77% of which were recorded in 1 or more of the local …

Food Habits And Dietary Overlap Of Nongame Insectivorous Fishes In Flint Creek, Oklahoma, A Western Ozark Foothills Stream, C. Stan Todd, Kenneth W. Stewart

Great Basin Naturalist

Insectivorous fishes were sampled from March, 1983 to February 1984, in Flint Creek, Delaware Co., Oklahoma. There was insignificant habitat segregation between Etheostoma spectabile and E. punctulatum and seasonal habitat partitioning between Cottus carolinae and both darters. Mature E. spectabile ate primarily chironomids and mayflies, whereas juveniles fed primarily on microcrustaceans. Mature E. punctulatum consumed fewer Ephemerella and Leptophlebia than E. spectabile, feeding on Stenonema and other crustaceans. Juvenile E. punctulatum fed mainly on amphipods and mayflies, and juvenile E. spectabile ate primarily microcrustaceans. Cottus carolinae elected primarily mayflies in spring-summer and chironomids in January-February. Coefficients of dietary overlap …

Presettlement Vegetation Of Part Of Northwestern Moffat County, Colorado, Described From Remnants, William L. Baker, Susan C. Kennedy

Great Basin Naturalist

A general botanical inventory of a part of northwestern Moffat County, Colorado, resulted in the location of "remnants" of the presettlement vegetation spectrum that are largely unaltered by grazing, logging, or other recent human-related land uses. The 69 samples taken from these remnants were classified into 22 plant associations. Composition, structure, environmental location, geographical range, and response to disturbance are discussed for each association, and a photograph of each is presented. Seven of the 22 associations are apparently restricted to the study area. Restricted associations occur in the more extreme environments of the study area, such as on calcareous substrata …

Age, Growth, And Food Habits Of Tui Chub, Gila Bicolor, In Walker Lake, Nevada, James J. Cooper

Great Basin Naturalist

At Walker Lake, Nevada, tui chub were collected 1975–1977 for analysis of age, growth rate, and food habits. The fork length (FL)–scale radius (SR) relationship was linear and described by the equation FL = 4.44 + 3.17 (SR). Age I, II, III, and IV chub were 116, 176, 218, and 242 mm fork length, respectively. Maximum longevity was six years. The length weight relationship was defined by the log transformed linear equation log weight = -4.65 + 2.93 (log FL). Chub collected from pelagic regions ate mostly zooplankton, whereas chub collected from littoral areas had a diet of zooplankton and …

Life History Of The Cui-Ui, Chasmistes Cujus Cope, In Pyramid Lake, Nevada: A Review, William F. Sigler, Steven Vigg, Mimi Bres

Great Basin Naturalist

The cui-ui, Chasmistes cujus Cope, a member of the sucker family and endemic to Pyramid Lake, Nevada, is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Cui-ui was once a major source of sustenance for native Americans, who have inhabited the Lahontan region for at least 11,000 years. The Northern Paiutes developed sophisticated fishing technology to harvest this resource. The original distribution of cui-ui was the ancient Lake Lahontan complex, but as a result of climatic changes it was restricted to the Pyramid–Winnemucca–Truckee system by the turn of the 20th century. Transbasin water diversions (1905 to present) have …

Tundra Vegetation Of Three Cirque Basins In The Northern San Juan Mountains, Colorado, Mary Lou Rottman, Emily L. Hartman

Great Basin Naturalist

The vegetation of three alpine cirque basins in the northern San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado was inventoried and analyzed for the degree of specificity shown by vascular plant communities for certain types of habitats identified as representative of the basins. A total of 197 vascular plant species representing 31 families was inventoried. Growth forms of all species were noted and a growth form spectrum for all of the communities was derived. The caespitose monocot and erect dicot growth forms are the most important growth forms among the community dominants. The most common growth form among all species is the …

Additions To A Bibliography Of Colorado Vegetation Description, William L. Baker

Great Basin Naturalist

A list of 80 references to Colorado vegetation description is presented, along with county and subject indexes to the list. This list expands an earlier list (663) to include literature through 1983.

Index [And Table Of Contents] To Volume 44

Great Basin Naturalist

No abstract provided.

An Ecological Study Of Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva) In Utah And Eastern Nevada, R. D. Hiebert, J. L. Hamrick

Great Basin Naturalist

This paper presents data on the distribution of Pinus longaeva on the Markagunt Plateau, Utah; and the Snake, Egan, and White Pine ranges of eastern Nevada. It also presents data on the present-day density and age structure of three P. longaeva populations and the growth rates of individual trees within these populations.

Conifer species richness and the relative abundance of P. longaeva varies clinally from the Markagunt Plateau to the White Pine Range. The Markagunt Plateau has relatively high conifer species richness (10 species) and low relative abundance of P. longaeva (1%). The White Pine Range has low conifer richness …

Naturalization And Habitat Relationships Of Bitter Nightshade (Solanum Dulcamara) In Central Utah, Jack D. Brotherson, Kevin P. Price

Great Basin Naturalist

Ten plant communities containing bitter nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) were studied and the ecology and naturalizing relationships of bitter nightshade in central Utah area were investigated. Biotic and abiotic factors from each area were statistically analyzed. The data indicated that bitter nightshade was negatively correlated (P < 0.01) with perennial grass cover and positively correlated with tree overstory. Bitter nightshade reached its highest development in heavily shaded areas. No other habitat factors correlated with the presence of bitter nightshade. This lack of environmental constraints along with bitter nightshade's bright red fruits, which are readily consumed by birds, suggests possible reasons for the rapid and successful invasion of the plant into the Utah Lake area.

Ecological Studies Of A Regulated Stream: Huntington River, Emery County, Utah, Robert N. Winget

Great Basin Naturalist

A 36.9 × 10⁶ m³ reservoir constructed on Huntington River, Emery County, Utah, resulted in changes in physical habitat, water quality, temperature, and flow regime. The greatest changes in physical habitat resulted from: (1) sediment additions from dam and road construction plus erosion of reservoir basin during filling; and (2) changing stream flow from a spring high runoff regime to a moderated flow regime. Elimination of spring nutrient concentration peaks and overall reduction of total dissolved nutrient availability in the river plus moderate reductions in pH were the most apparent water quality changes below the reservoir. Water temperature …

End Matter, Vol. 44 No. 2

Great Basin Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Vol. 44 No. 2

Great Basin Naturalist

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Seville Flowers (1900–1968), William H. Behle

Great Basin Naturalist

Seville Flowers was the foremost authority of his time on cryptogamic botany in the intermountain region, having published monographs on the mosses, lichens, and ferns of Utah. He also had strong interests in algae, grasses, composites, and the history of botany. In addition to his systematic research, his expertise extended to field ecology. Early in his career he made a classic study of the vegetation of the Great Salt Lake region that led in later years to his participation in the ecological studies at Dugway Proving Grounds in western Utah. Still later he had charge of the predam vegetative surveys …

Autumn And Winter Food Habits Of Bobcats In Washington State, Steven T. Knick, Steven J. Sweeney, J. Richard Alldredge, J. David Brittell

Great Basin Naturalist

The stomach contents were examined from 324 western Washington bobcats (Felis rufus) and 123 from eastern Washington taken by hunters from 1976 through 1980, for major prey items as well as sex- and age-related differences in diet. Western Washington bobcats ate primarily mountain beavers (Aplodontia rufa) (42% occurrence) and snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) (26%). Within that population females ate larger quantities of smaller prey such as Douglas squirrels (Tamiasciurus douglasi) and lesser amounts of deer (Odocoileus sp.) than males. Bobcat diets in eastern Washington were more diverse; main foods consisted of …

Seasonal Growth Of The Tui Chub, Gila Bicolor, In Pyramid Lake, Nevada, Joseph L. Kennedy

Great Basin Naturalist

Tui chubs collected from November 1975 through November 1977 from Pyramid Lake, Nevada, were analyzed for seasonal growth patterns. Major growth in length occurred during the fall and early winter, and major reproductive development occurred during the late spring and early summer.

Kramer Palouse Natural Area, Del W. Despain, Grant A. Harris

Great Basin Naturalist

The 27-acre Kramer Palouse Natural Area located in southeastern Washington State represents the best remaining example of what was once the most productive portion of the original Palouse Prairie. This area is being maintained in its pristine condition as a key to the past and as a memory to a unique and once extensive prairie land by the Department of Forestry and Range Management at Washington State University.

Aculeata Hymenoptera Of Sand Mountain And Blow Sand Mountains, Nevada, R. W. Rust, L. M. Hanks, R. C. Bechtel

Great Basin Naturalist

There were 198 species of aculeata Hymenoptera in 15 families collected from Sand Mountain and Blow Sand Mountains, Nevada. Four species are considered new to science and none are considered endemic to either dune area.

A Bibliography Of Colorado Vegetation Description, William L. Baker

Great Basin Naturalist

A list of 658 references to Colorado vegetation description is presented, along with county and subject indexes to the list.

Ants Of Utah, Dorald M. Allred

Great Basin Naturalist

Distribution records, including 26 maps of specific collection localities and counties are given for 169 species in 29 genera of ants known to occur in Utah. In some cases intraspecific and interspecific morphological variations and behavior are noted. Taxonomic keys are included for the identification of subfamilies, genera, and species.

Nest Site Selection In Raptor Communities Of The Eastern Great Basin Desert, Dwight G. Smith, Joseph R. Murphy

Great Basin Naturalist

Measures of niche breadth and overlap were used to compare nest site selection in a community of 10 raptor species and the Raven nesting in the eastern Great Basin Desert. Three variables were examined: nest site type, elevation, and exposure. Results suggest a division of component raptor species into relatively abundant core species that show wide niche breadths and uncommon fringe species with narrow niche breadths. Differences in use of each resource are most pronounced along elevation gradient in which three guilds are evident that correspond to raptor species groupings that nest at higher, middle, and lower elevations. Each guild …

Herpetological Notes From The Nevada Test Site, Wilmer W. Tanner

Great Basin Naturalist

During the years 1965–1971, considerable data were gathered that included information concerning species not previously reported. These included Chionactis occipatalis talpina, Coleonyx variegatus utahensis, Crotaphytus collaris bicinctores, Cnemidophorus tigris tigris, and Sauromalus obesus obesus. Although complete information concerning their life histories is not reported, some information concerning growth and reproduction is included.

Vegetation And Soil Factors In The Relation To Slope Position On Foothill Knolls In The Uinta Basin Of Utah, Miles O. Moretti, Jack D. Brotherson

Great Basin Naturalist

Vegetation and soil differences with respect to slope position were studied on foothill knolls in the Uinta Basin of Utah. Plant communities on windswept ridges (top of slope) exhibited several unique characteristics when compared to the other slope communities. These communities at the top and base of slopes were sufficiently different in respect to plant life form composition, plant cover, wind-adapted growth forms, and percent exposed rock that they should be considered separate community types. Mineral concentrations in plant tissue and soil samples declined downslope in some cases and increased in others. Diversity decreased downslope as shrubs became dominant over …

Local Floras Of The Southwest, 1920–1980: An Annotated Bibliography, Janice E. Bowers

Great Basin Naturalist

Local floras, that is, plant lists for relatively small areas, are widely scattered, often unpublished, and difficult to locate. Over 100 local floras from the southwestern United States (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) are listed and briefly annotated.