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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Harvest Demographics Of Temperate-Breeding Canada Geese In South Dakota, 1967–1995, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Jonathan A. Jenks, David E. Naugle, Paul W. Mammenga, Spencer J. Vaa, Jennifer M. Pritchett Apr 2015

Harvest Demographics Of Temperate-Breeding Canada Geese In South Dakota, 1967–1995, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Jonathan A. Jenks, David E. Naugle, Paul W. Mammenga, Spencer J. Vaa, Jennifer M. Pritchett

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

In South Dakota, breeding giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) have increased substantially, and harvest management strategies have been implemented to maximize hunting opportunity (e.g., special early-September seasons) on local, as well as molt-migrant giant Canada geese (B. c. interior) while still protecting lesser abundant Arcticbreeding Canada geese and cackling geese (e.g., B. hutchinsii, B. minima). Information on important parameters, such as survival and recovery rates, are generally lacking for giant Canada geese in the northern Great Plains. Patterns in Canada goose band recoveries can provide insight into the distribution, chronology, and harvest pressures to which a given goose population …


Are Land-Use Changes Reflected In Diets Of Mourning Doves (Zenaida Macroura) In Eastern South Dakota, Joshua B. Smith, Troy Grovenburg, Matthew A. Perrion, Jason M. Augspurger, Trevor W. Bultje, Anna M. Robinson, Brandi L. Crider, Datta Shubham, Jonathan A. Jenks Jan 2015

Are Land-Use Changes Reflected In Diets Of Mourning Doves (Zenaida Macroura) In Eastern South Dakota, Joshua B. Smith, Troy Grovenburg, Matthew A. Perrion, Jason M. Augspurger, Trevor W. Bultje, Anna M. Robinson, Brandi L. Crider, Datta Shubham, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Food habits of the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) have been extensively studied in the southern United States (McClure 1943, Korschgen 1958, Carpenter 1971) and consist primarily of vegetable matter throughout their range (Beckwith 1959). Diet studies in several states have indicated agricultural crops, specifically corn and wheat, were the most readily consumed plant seeds (Korshgen 1958, Carpenter 1971). Similarities observed in diets of doves were dependent on the agricultural crops available within the area. For example, in Missouri, some seasonal variability was documented suggesting doves forage based on food availability as much as by food preference (Korschgen 1958). However, in …


Invasion Is Contingent On Species Assemblage And Invasive Species Identity Inexperimental Rehabilitation Plots, A. Joshua Leffler, Eamonn D. Leonard, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco Nov 2014

Invasion Is Contingent On Species Assemblage And Invasive Species Identity Inexperimental Rehabilitation Plots, A. Joshua Leffler, Eamonn D. Leonard, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Ecological studies often suggest that diverse communities are most resistant to invasion by exotic plants, but relatively few local species may be available to a rehabilitation practitioner. We examine the ability of monocultures and diverse assemblages to resist invasion by an exotic annual grass (cheatgrass) and an exotic biennial forb (dyer’s woad) in experimental rehabilitation plots. We constructed seven assemblages that included three monocultures of grass, forb, or shrub; three four-species mixtures of grasses, forbs, or shrubs; and a three-species mixture of one species from each growth form in an experimental field setting to test resistance to invasion. Assemblages were …


Ad Hoc Smoothing Parameter Performance In Kernel Estimates Of Gps-Derived Home Ranges, Krysten L. Schuler, Greg M. Schroeder, Jonathan A. Jenks, John G. Kie Oct 2014

Ad Hoc Smoothing Parameter Performance In Kernel Estimates Of Gps-Derived Home Ranges, Krysten L. Schuler, Greg M. Schroeder, Jonathan A. Jenks, John G. Kie

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Accuracy of home-range estimates in animals is influenced by a variety of factors, such as method of analysis and number of locations, but animal space use is less often considered and frequently over-generalized through simulations. Our objective was to assess effect of an ad hoc (h_ad hoc)smoothing parameter in kernel analysis from two species that were predicted to have different patterns of utilization distributions across a range of sample sizes. We evaluated variation in home-range estimates with location data collected from GPS collars on two species: mule deer Odocoileus hemionus and coyotes Canis latrans. We calculated home ranges using …


A New Perspective On Trait Differences Between Native And Invasive Exotic Plants, A. Joshua Leffler, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco, Roger L. Sheley Feb 2014

A New Perspective On Trait Differences Between Native And Invasive Exotic Plants, A. Joshua Leffler, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco, Roger L. Sheley

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Functional differences between native and exotic species potentially constitute one factor responsible for plant invasion. Differences in trait values between native and exotic invasive species, however, should not be considered fixed and may depend on the context of the comparison. Furthermore, the magnitude of difference between native and exotic species necessary to trigger invasion is unknown. We propose a criterion that differences in trait values between a native and exotic invasive species must be greater than differences between co-occurring natives for this difference to be ecologically meaningful and a contributing factor to plant invasion. We used a meta-analysis to quantify …


Bed-Site Selection By Neonatal White-Tailed Deer In Central North Dakota, Brian A. Schaffer, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy Grovenburg, William F. Jensen Jan 2014

Bed-Site Selection By Neonatal White-Tailed Deer In Central North Dakota, Brian A. Schaffer, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy Grovenburg, William F. Jensen

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Understanding bed-site selection and vegetation characteristics provides valuable information for population management (Verme 1977, Huegel et al. 1985a, Nelson and Woolf 1987). Predation and other natural-caused mortalities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) neonates are most likely to occur within the first 60 days of life; a time period when selected habitat characteristics are vital to survival (Verme 1977, Huegel et al. 1985a, Nelson and Woolf 1987, Grovenburg et al. 2010). Prior to the study of Grovenburg et al. (2010), limited research had been completed on bed-site selection of neonatal white-tailed deer in the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. In …


Evidence For 20th Century Climate Warming And Wetland Drying In The North American Prairie Pothole Region, Brett A. Werner, W. Carter Johnson, Glenn R. Guntenspergen Sep 2013

Evidence For 20th Century Climate Warming And Wetland Drying In The North American Prairie Pothole Region, Brett A. Werner, W. Carter Johnson, Glenn R. Guntenspergen

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is a globally important resource that provides abundant and valuable ecosystem goods and services in the form of biodiversity, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood attenuation, and water and forage for agriculture. Numerous studies have found these wetlands, which number in the millions, to be highly sensitive to climate variability. Here, we compare wetland conditions between two 30-year periods (1946–1975; 1976–2005) using a hindcast simulation approach to determine if recent climate warming in the region has already resulted in changes in wetland condition. Simulations using the WETLANDSCAPE model show that 20th century climate …


A Survey Of Aquatic Invertebrate Communities In Nebraska Sandhill Lakes Reveals Potential Alternative Ecosystem States, J.C. Jolley, E.S. Albin, M.A. Kaemingk, D.W. Willis Jun 2013

A Survey Of Aquatic Invertebrate Communities In Nebraska Sandhill Lakes Reveals Potential Alternative Ecosystem States, J.C. Jolley, E.S. Albin, M.A. Kaemingk, D.W. Willis

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Aquatic invertebrate communities are important to shallow lake ecosystem form and function, providing vital components to the food web and thereby important to achieving lake management goals. We characterized lake invertebrate communities and physicochemical variables in six Nebraska Sandhill lakes and examined these characteristics within an alternative stable state framework. Surveys were conducted during 2005 within each of these lakes by sampling aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, zooplankton abundance and biomass, phytoplankton biomass, and physicochemical variables. When placed within an alternative stable state framework, the response variables exhibited a gradient of different ecosystem states. Two lakes appeared congruent with the clear water …


Migrating Mule Deer: Effects Of Anthropogenically Altered Landscapes, Patrick E. Lendrum, Charles R. Anderson Jr., Kevin L. Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks, R. Terry Bowyer May 2013

Migrating Mule Deer: Effects Of Anthropogenically Altered Landscapes, Patrick E. Lendrum, Charles R. Anderson Jr., Kevin L. Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks, R. Terry Bowyer

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Background: Migration is an adaptive strategy that enables animals to enhance resource availability and reduce risk of predation at a broad geographic scale. Ungulate migrations generally occur along traditional routes, many of which have been disrupted by anthropogenic disturbances. Spring migration in ungulates is of particular importance for conservation planning, because it is closely coupled with timing of parturition. The degree to which oil and gas development affects migratory patterns, and whether ungulate migration is sufficiently plastic to compensate for such changes, warrants additional study to better understand this critical conservation issue.
Methodology/Principal Findings: We studied timing and synchrony of …


Effects Of Plant Phenology And Vertical Height On Accuracy Of Radio-Telemetry Locations, Troy Grovenburg, Christopher N. Jacques, Robert W. Klaver, Christopher S. Deperno, Chad P. Lehman, Todd J. Brinkman, Kevin A. Robling, Susan P. Rupp, Jonathan A. Jenks Mar 2013

Effects Of Plant Phenology And Vertical Height On Accuracy Of Radio-Telemetry Locations, Troy Grovenburg, Christopher N. Jacques, Robert W. Klaver, Christopher S. Deperno, Chad P. Lehman, Todd J. Brinkman, Kevin A. Robling, Susan P. Rupp, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The use of very high frequency (VHF) radio-telemetry remains wide-spread in studies of wildlife ecology andmanagement. However, few studies have evaluated the influence of vegetative obstruction on accuracy in differing habitats with varying transmitter types and heights. Using adult and fawn collars at varying heights above the ground (0, 33, 66 and 100 cm) to simulate activities (bedded, feeding and standing) and ages (neonate, juvenile and adult) of deer Odocoileus spp., we collected 5,767 bearings and estimated 1,424 locations (28-30 for each of 48 subsamples) in three habitat types (pasture, grassland and forest), during two stages of vegetative growth (spring …


Continuous, Pulsed And Disrupted Nutrient Subsidy Effects On Ecosystem Productivity, Stability, And Energy Flow, Michael J. Weber, Michael L. Brown Feb 2013

Continuous, Pulsed And Disrupted Nutrient Subsidy Effects On Ecosystem Productivity, Stability, And Energy Flow, Michael J. Weber, Michael L. Brown

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Resource pulses and subsidies can supply ecosystems with an important source of nutrients that supports additional productivity at multiple trophic levels. Common carp Cyprinus carpio provide ecosystems with a continuous nutrient subsidy through bioturbation and excretion but may also initiate a nutrient pulse through carcass decomposition. We examined how continuous (common carp foraging and excretion), pulsed (carcass decomposition) and disrupted (carp introduced and then removed) nutrient subsidies differed in their ability to alter nutrient availability, ecosystem productivity and stability and energy flow. Nitrogen and phosphorus availability and primary production were highest in pulsed, intermediate in continuous and lowest for disrupted …


Temperature And Functional Traits Influence Differences In Nitrogen Uptake Capacity Between Native And Invasive Grasses, A. Joshua Leffler, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco Jan 2013

Temperature And Functional Traits Influence Differences In Nitrogen Uptake Capacity Between Native And Invasive Grasses, A. Joshua Leffler, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Performance differences between native and exotic invasive plants are often considered static, but invasive grasses may achieve growth advantages in western North America shrublands and steppe under only optimal growing conditions. We examine differences in N uptake and several morphological variables that influence uptake at temperatures between 5 and 25 C. We contrast two native perennial grasses in western North America: Elymus elymoides and Pseudoroegneria spicata; two invasive annual grasses: Bromus tectorum and Taeniatherum caputmedusae; and one highly selected non-native perennial grass: Agropyron cristatum. The influence of temperature on N uptake is poorly characterized, yet these invasive annual grasses are …


Topographic Home Range Of Large Mammals: Is Planimetric Home Range Still A Viable Method?, W. David Walter, Justin W. Fischer, Teresa J. Fink, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Jonathan A. Jenks, Kurt C. Vercauteren Jan 2013

Topographic Home Range Of Large Mammals: Is Planimetric Home Range Still A Viable Method?, W. David Walter, Justin W. Fischer, Teresa J. Fink, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Jonathan A. Jenks, Kurt C. Vercauteren

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Topography influences movement trajectories, quality of forages used, and behavioral response of large herbivores to anthropogenic disturbances, but research is lacking on the influence of terrain complexity on size of home range. Size of home range usually is based on planimetric area and therefore rarely accounts for the true surface area traversed by an animal. We conducted radiotelemetry on bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) equipped with VHF collars at three sites from 2002 to 2006 to document size of home range in areas that ranged from 400 …


Foraging Ecology Of Fall-Migrating Shorebirds In The Illinois River Valley, Randolph V. Smith, Joshua Stafford, Aaron P. Yetter, Michelle M. Horath, Christopher S. Hine, Jeffery P. Hover Sep 2012

Foraging Ecology Of Fall-Migrating Shorebirds In The Illinois River Valley, Randolph V. Smith, Joshua Stafford, Aaron P. Yetter, Michelle M. Horath, Christopher S. Hine, Jeffery P. Hover

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Populations of many shorebird species appear to be declining in North America, and food resources at stopover habitats may limit migratory bird populations. We investigated body condition of, and foraging habitat and diet selection by 4 species of shorebirds in the central Illinois River valley during fall migrations 2007 and 2008 (Killdeer [Charadrius vociferus], Least Sandpiper [Calidris minutilla], Pectoral Sandpiper [Calidris melanotos], and Lesser Yellowlegs [Tringa flavipes]). All species except Killdeer were in good to excellent condition, based on size-corrected body mass and fat scores. Shorebird diets were dominated by invertebrate taxa from Orders Diptera and Coleoptera. Additionally, Isopoda, Hemiptera, …


Survival Of White-Tailed Deer Fawns In The Grasslands Of The Northern Great Plains, Troy W. Grovenburg, Robert W. Klaver, Jonathan A. Jenks Jul 2012

Survival Of White-Tailed Deer Fawns In The Grasslands Of The Northern Great Plains, Troy W. Grovenburg, Robert W. Klaver, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Environmental factors, such as forest characteristics, have been linked to fawn survival in eastern and southern white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) populations. In the Great Plains, less is known about how intrinsic and habitat factors influence fawn survival. During 2007-2009, we captured and radiocollared 81 fawns in north-central South Dakota and recorded 23 mortalities, of which 18 died before 1 September. Predation accounted for 52.2% of mortality; remaining mortality included human (hunting, vehicle, and farm accident; 26.1%) and hypothermia (21.7%). Coyotes (Canis latrans) accounted for 83.3% of predation on fawns. We used known-fate analysis in Program MARK to estimate summer …


Causes Of Pneumonia Epizootics Among Bighorn Sheep, Western United States, 2008–2010, Thomas E. Besser, Margaret A. Highland, Katherine Baker, E. Frances Cassirer, Neil J. Anderson, Jennifer M. Ramsey, Kristen Mansfield, Darren L. Bruning, Peregrine Wolff, Joshua B. Smith, Jonathan A. Jenks Mar 2012

Causes Of Pneumonia Epizootics Among Bighorn Sheep, Western United States, 2008–2010, Thomas E. Besser, Margaret A. Highland, Katherine Baker, E. Frances Cassirer, Neil J. Anderson, Jennifer M. Ramsey, Kristen Mansfield, Darren L. Bruning, Peregrine Wolff, Joshua B. Smith, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Epizootic pneumonia of bighorn sheep is a devastating disease of uncertain etiology. To help clarify the etiology, we used culture and culture-independent methods to compare the prevalence of the bacterial respiratory pathogens Mannheimia haemolytica, Bibersteinia trehalosi, Pasteurella multocida, and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in lung tissue from 44 bighorn sheep from herds affected by 8 outbreaks in the western United States. M. ovipneumoniae, the only agent detected at signifi cantly higher prevalence in animals from outbreaks (95%) than in animals from unaffected healthy populations (0%), was the most consistently detected agent and the only agent that exhibited single strain types within each …


Spatial Ecology Of White-Tailed Deer Fawns In The Northern Great Plains: Implications Of Loss Of Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands, Troy W. Grovenburg, Robert W. Klaver, Jonathan A. Jenks Mar 2012

Spatial Ecology Of White-Tailed Deer Fawns In The Northern Great Plains: Implications Of Loss Of Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands, Troy W. Grovenburg, Robert W. Klaver, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Few studies have evaluated how wildlife, and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in particular, respond to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands. We conducted a 3-year study (2007– 2009) to determine the influence of CRP on fawn ecology during a time of declining CRP enrollment. We captured and radiocollared 81 fawn white-tailed deer during 15 May to 15 June 2007–2009 in north-central South Dakota, collected 6,505 locations, and documented 70 summer home ranges. Mean summer home ranges increased temporally during 2007–2009 (P < 0.001) and corresponded to a 41% loss of CRP grasslands in the area (2.3% loss in land cover and approx. 21% loss in cover habitat in the study area) over the duration of the study. Additionally, mean movement between daily locations increased (P < 0.001) from 2007 to 2009. Analysis of covariance models indicated that change in CRP influenced home-range size, and change in CRP and wheat influenced daily movement. Smaller home ranges and reduced movements were associated with greater quantity of CRP available to fawns, and increased movements were associated with more acreage of wheat available to fawns. Fawns shifted resource selection during the summer at a mean age ranging from 48.8 days to 58.6 days, and this shift was associated with height of corn (83–87 cm). During early summer, fawns consistently selected for CRP; selection of wheat progressed temporally from avoidance in 2007 to selection in 2009. During late summer, fawns consistently selected for corn habitat and used CRP at least in proportion to its availability. Reduction in CRP-grasslands seemed to increase fawn home-range size and daily movements and, influenced change in resource selection to wheat. Current legislation mandates continued decrease in CRP enrollment and concomitant increase in the planting of corn for ethanol production. Management of habitat throughout the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains that maximizes cover habitats would provide neonates with adequate cover for protection from predators.


Birth Timing For Mountain Lions (Puma Concolor); Testing The Prey Availability Hypothesis, Brian D. Jansen Jan 2012

Birth Timing For Mountain Lions (Puma Concolor); Testing The Prey Availability Hypothesis, Brian D. Jansen

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

We investigated potential advantages in birth timing for mountain lion (Puma concolor) cubs. We examined cub body mass, survival, and age of natal dispersal in relation to specific timing of birth. We also investigated the role of maternal age relative to timing of births. We captured mountain lion cubs while in the natal den to determine birth date, which allowed for precise estimates of the population birth pulse and age of natal dispersal. A birth pulse occurred during June–August. Body mass of cubs was related to litter size and timing of birth; heaviest cubs occurred in litters of 2, and …


Evaluation Of Carbon Fluxes And Trends (2000e2008) In The Greater Platte River Basin: A Sustainability Study For Potential Biofuel Feedstock Development, Yingxin Gu, Bruce K. Wylie, Li Zhang, Tagir G. Gilmanov Jan 2012

Evaluation Of Carbon Fluxes And Trends (2000e2008) In The Greater Platte River Basin: A Sustainability Study For Potential Biofuel Feedstock Development, Yingxin Gu, Bruce K. Wylie, Li Zhang, Tagir G. Gilmanov

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

This study evaluates the carbon fluxes and trends and examines the environmental sustainability (e.g., carbon budget, source or sink) of the potential biofuel feedstock sites identified in the Greater Platte River Basin (GPRB). A 9-year (2000e2008) time series of net ecosystem production (NEP), a measure of net carbon absorption or emission by ecosystems, was used to assess the historical trends and budgets of carbon flux for grasslands in the GPRB. The spatially averaged annual NEP (ANEP) for grassland areas that are possibly suitable for biofuel expansion (productive grasslands) was 71e169 g C m2 year1 during 2000e2008, indicating a carbon sink …


Priority Effects Among Young-Of-The-Year Fish: Reduced Growth Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus) Caused By Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens)?, Mark A. Kaemingk, Jeffrey C. Jolley, David W. Willis, Steven R. Chipps Jan 2012

Priority Effects Among Young-Of-The-Year Fish: Reduced Growth Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus) Caused By Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens)?, Mark A. Kaemingk, Jeffrey C. Jolley, David W. Willis, Steven R. Chipps

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

1. When available, Daphnia spp. are often preferred by age-0 yellow perch and bluegill sunfish because of energetic profitability. We hypothesised that predation by age-0 yellow perch could lead to a midsummer decline (MSD) of Daphnia spp. and that priority effects may favour yellow perch because they hatch before bluegill, allowing them to capitalise on Daphnia spp. prior to bluegill emergence. 2. Data were collected from 2004 to 2010 in Pelican Lake, Nebraska, U.S.A. The lake experienced a prolonged MSD in all but 1 year (2005), generally occurring within the first 2 weeks of June except in 2008 and 2010 …


Invasion Triangle: An Organizational Framework For Species Invasion, Lora B. Perkins, Elizabeth A. Leger, Robert S. Nowak Dec 2011

Invasion Triangle: An Organizational Framework For Species Invasion, Lora B. Perkins, Elizabeth A. Leger, Robert S. Nowak

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Species invasion is a complex, multifactor process. To encapsulate this complexity into an intuitively appealing, simple, and straightforward manner, we present an organizational framework in the form of an invasion triangle. The invasion triangle is an adaptation of the disease triangle used by plant pathologists to help envision and evaluate interactions among a host, a pathogen, and an environment. Our modification of this framework for invasive species incorporates the major processes that result in invasion as the three sides of the triangle: (1) attributes of the potential invader; (2) biotic characteristics of a potentially invaded site; and (3) environmental conditions …


Canada Goose Crop Damage Abatement In South Dakota, Troy M. Radtke, Charles D. Dieter Oct 2011

Canada Goose Crop Damage Abatement In South Dakota, Troy M. Radtke, Charles D. Dieter

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) can cause considerable damage to crops during summer when geese are flightless. We evaluated the effectiveness of a program designed to alleviate crop damage on soybeans by Canada geese in South Dakota, USA. The applications of electric fences, feeding stations, and propane cannons reduced the area of crop damage by 90% in 2006 and 80% in 2007, but the timing was important. Fields where abatement practices were applied early in the growing season had less damage than fields where they were applied later. Abatement practices that were properly applied as soon as damage started …


Nitrogen Acquisition By Annual And Perennial Grass Seedlings: Testing The Roles Of Performance And Plasticity To Explain Plant Invasion, A. J. Leffler, T. A. Monaco, J. J. James Oct 2011

Nitrogen Acquisition By Annual And Perennial Grass Seedlings: Testing The Roles Of Performance And Plasticity To Explain Plant Invasion, A. J. Leffler, T. A. Monaco, J. J. James

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Differences in resource acquisition between native and exotic plants is one hypothesis to explain invasive plant success. Mechanisms include greater resource acquisition rates and greater plasticity in resource acquisition by invasive exotic species compared to non-invasive natives. We assess the support for these mechanisms by comparing nitrate acquisition and growth of invasive annual and perennial grass seedlings in western North America. Two invasive exotic grasses (Bromus tectorum and Taeniatherum caput-medusae) and three perennial native and exotic grasses (Pseudoroegneria spicata, Elymus elymoides, and Agropyron cristatum) were grown at various temperatures typical of autumn and springtime when resource are abundant and dominance …


The Maternal Effect: Carrying The Consequences Of Nutrition Across Generations, Kevin Monteith, Joshua Delger, Lowell Schmitz, Kyle Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks Jun 2011

The Maternal Effect: Carrying The Consequences Of Nutrition Across Generations, Kevin Monteith, Joshua Delger, Lowell Schmitz, Kyle Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Let’s indulge ourselves in a deer-management fantasy for a moment. I’m sure it won’t be your first time! Imagine you are blessed to own and manage your own block of deer country for several years (for many fortunate readers, this is reality, not fantasy). Although the ground you purchase holds plenty of deer, the overgrown forests and grassy meadows might not be providing the nutrition necessary for these deer to achieve their genetic potential. In addition, the 6-foot high browse line resulting from extreme overabundance of deer is a likely indication of why only scrawny looking bucks are typically harvested …


Preference Of White-Tailed Deer For Corn Hybrids And Agricultural Husbandry Practices During The Growing Season, Joshua A. Delger, Kevin L. Monteith, Lowell E. Schmitz, Jonathan A. Jenks Apr 2011

Preference Of White-Tailed Deer For Corn Hybrids And Agricultural Husbandry Practices During The Growing Season, Joshua A. Delger, Kevin L. Monteith, Lowell E. Schmitz, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Damage to field corn (Zea mays) by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can be substantial, resulting in millions of dollars lost annually. Numerous methods exist to minimize deer depredation, but all have met with varying degrees of success. Currently, little information is available on preference of white-tailed deer for corn hybrids during the growing season and how that preference might affect depredation patterns. We used adult female white-tailed deer in captivity to study the effect of herbicide treatments on deer-use (treatment versus no treatment) of corn in 2005 and to document preference among specific corn hybrids in …


Corn Hybrids: Deer Taste The Difference, Joshua A. Delger, Kevin L. Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks Dec 2010

Corn Hybrids: Deer Taste The Difference, Joshua A. Delger, Kevin L. Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

As daylight begins to illuminate the countryside, a cold wind rustles through the leaves of the weedy rows of corn that you barely had time to get in the ground this past spring. The corn plants are stunted, the few small ears of corn that did grow are not even enticing to passing blackbirds, and that stud buck captured on your trail-camera months earlier is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, a couple hundred yards across the fence to the south, you hear the unmistakable sound of deer running through corn. Your heart rate involuntarily increases. As the sun continues to …


Late Summer Movements By Giant Canada Geese In Relation To A September Hunting Season, Charles D. Dieter, Bobby J. Anderson, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Paul W. Mammenga, Spencer Vaa Oct 2010

Late Summer Movements By Giant Canada Geese In Relation To A September Hunting Season, Charles D. Dieter, Bobby J. Anderson, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Paul W. Mammenga, Spencer Vaa

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The population of giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) breeding in eastern South Dakota has increased dramatically since reintroduction efforts began in the 1960s. May breeding population levels of giant Canada geese exceeded population management goals set by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) by the mid-1990s, and the population has continued to increase into the 2000s. This population increase was accompanied by an increase in goose-related conflicts such as crop depredation. In 1996, a September hunting season was implemented in select counties in eastern South Dakota in an effort to reduce the giant …


Dispersal Movements Of Subadult Cougars From The Black Hills: The Notions Of Range Expansion And Recolonization, D. J. Thompson, J. A. Jenks Oct 2010

Dispersal Movements Of Subadult Cougars From The Black Hills: The Notions Of Range Expansion And Recolonization, D. J. Thompson, J. A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Dispersal plays a vital role in cougar (Puma concolor) population ecology, creating genetic viability and maintaining gene flow between populations. The naturally recolonized cougar population in the Black Hills is at the edge of the species’ range in North America and completely surrounded by the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. Our objective was to document dispersal movements and possible range expansion of subadult cougars captured within the Black Hills ecosystem of southwestern South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. Twenty-four (n ¼ 14 males, n ¼ 10 females) subadult cougars were captured in the Black Hills. Independence of cougars from females …


Survival And Harvest Characteristics Of Giant Canada Geese In Eastern South Dakota, 2000–2004, Charles D. Dieter, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Bobby J. Anderson, Spencer Vaa, Paul W. Mammenga Oct 2010

Survival And Harvest Characteristics Of Giant Canada Geese In Eastern South Dakota, 2000–2004, Charles D. Dieter, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Bobby J. Anderson, Spencer Vaa, Paul W. Mammenga

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The population of giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) in eastern South Dakota has increased substantially since reintroduction efforts began in the 1960s. Breeding population estimates of Canada geese exceeded the population management objective of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks by the mid-1990s and has continued to increase at an estimated rate of 3 to 5% per year. Goose-related crop damage complaints have also increased. In 1996, a September hunting season (September 1 to 15) was implemented in 10 counties in eastern South Dakota and was expanded in 2000 to include most of eastern South Dakota. …


Consumer Return Chronology Alters Recovery Trajectory Of Stream Ecosystem Structure And Function Following Drought, Justin N. Murdock, Keith B. Gido, Walter K. Dodds, Katie N. Bertrand, Matt R. Whiles Apr 2010

Consumer Return Chronology Alters Recovery Trajectory Of Stream Ecosystem Structure And Function Following Drought, Justin N. Murdock, Keith B. Gido, Walter K. Dodds, Katie N. Bertrand, Matt R. Whiles

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Consumers are increasingly being recognized as important drivers of ecological succession, yet it is still hard to predict the nature and direction of consumer effects in nonequilibrium environments. We used stream consumer exclosures and large outdoor mesocosms to study the impact of macroconsumers (i.e., fish and crayfish) on recovery of intermittent prairie streams after drying. In the stream, macroconsumers altered system recovery trajectory by decreasing algal and macroinvertebrate biomass, primary productivity, and benthic nutrient uptake rates. However, macroconsumer influence was transient, and differences between exclosures and controls disappeared after 35 days. Introducing and removing macroconsumers after 28 days resulted mainly …