Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating Diet Composition Of Pronghorn In Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, Christopher N. Jacques, Jaret D. Sievers, Jonathan A. Jenks, Chad L. Sexton, Daniel E. Roddy

The Prairie Naturalist

The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) was reintroduced into Wind Cave National Park (WCNP), South Dakota, in 1914, and thus, has inhabited the Park for nearly a century. During the 1990's, a decline in the population raised concern for the continued existence of pronghorn inside WCNP; an investigation into the observed decline was initiated. Primary objectives of our study were to evaluate diet composition and forage selection by pronghorn in WCNP. Microhistological analysis was conducted on 58 fecal samples collected opportunistically from pronghorn during 2002. Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), common juniper (Juniperus communis), and northern bedstraw …

Amphibians And Reptiles In A Mixed-Grass Prairie In Northwestern North Dakota, Robert K. Murphy, Robert F. Danley, Patricia K. Moore

The Prairie Naturalist

There have been almost no surveys of herpetofauna at 109 km² Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge (LNWR) or surrounding counties in northwestern North Dakota, an area possibly undergoing significant environmental change from fossil fuel extraction and use. We used 30 m drift fences to survey amphibian and reptile species in prairie-wetland transition zones at LNWR during mid-May to early-July in 1985 to 1987, and again in 1999 and 2000. We captured only four amphibian and two reptilian species and noted one other reptilian species incidental to our survey. Several species expected to occur in the area were not detected.

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, Number 4, December 2006, Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

Full issue of The Prairie Naturalist (December 2006), volume 38, number 4.

Amphibians and Reptiles in a MixedGrass Prairie in Northwestern North Dakota by Robert K. Murphy, Robert F. Danley, and Patricia K. Moore, pages 207-212

Morphometrics of Six Turtle Species from South Dakota by Sarah J. Bandas and Kenneth F. Higgins, pages 213-222

Evaluation of Habitat Enhancement Structure Use by Spotted Bass by Stanley L. Proboszcz and Christopher S. Guy, pages 223-238

Evaluating Diet Composition of Pronghorn in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota by Christopher N. Jacques , Jaret D. Sievers, Jonathan A. Jenks, Chad L. Sexton, and …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, 2006: Reviewers, Author Index, And Subject Index, Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

The list of reviewers, author index, and subject index for volume 38 (2006) of The Prairie Naturalist published by the Great Plains Natural Science Society out of Fort Hays State University in Kansas, United States.

Evaluation Of Habitat Enhancement Structure Use By Spotted Bass, Stanley L. Proboszcz, Christopher S. Guy

The Prairie Naturalist

Habitat enhancement is a common and effective method used to positively influence fish populations. However, there is a paucity of speciesspecific evaluations of stream habitat enhancement structures for warmwater fishes. We evaluated use of half-log, rootwad enhancement structure, and simulated undercut bank (LUNKERS) by adult and juvenile spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) in natural and experimental streams. Enhancement structures were installed in Otter Creek, Kansas. Adult spotted bass use of natural and enhancement structure was documented weekly during summer and fall of 2001 and 2002 with radiotelemetry. Mean total length (TL) of adult fish was 292 mm (SE = …

Ecophysiology Of Two Native Invasive Woody Species And Two Dominant Warm-Season Grasses In The Semiarid Grasslands Of The Nebraska Sandhills, Kathleen D. Eggemeyer, Tala Awada, David A. Wedin, F. Edwin Harvey, Xinhua Zhou

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Populations of Pinus ponderosa and Juniperus virginiana are expanding into semiarid Sandhills grasslands in Nebraska. To evaluate the physiological basis of their success, we measured the seasonal course of leaf gas exchange, plant water status, and carbon isotope discrimination in these two native trees and two native C₄ grasses (Schizachyrium scoparium and Panicum virgatum). Compared to the trees, grasses had higher net photosynthetic rates (A_net) and water use efficiency (WUE) and more negative predawn and midday water potentials (Ψ) in June and July. While leaf Ψ and rates of leaf gas exchange declined for all …

First Record Of The Least Shrew In Wyoming; And Clostridium Perfingens Type A Enterotoxemia In A Captive Adult White-Tailed Deer, Shauna R. Marquardt, Brian C. Bartels, Cheryl A. Schmidt, Joshua A. Delger, Kevin L. Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks

The Prairie Naturalist

First Record of the Leaast Shrew in Wyoming by Shauna R. Marquardt, Brian C. Bartels, and Cheryl A. Schmidt; and Clostridium perfingens Type A Enterotoxemia in a Captive Adult White-tailed Deer by Joshua A. Delger , Kevin L. Monteith, and Jonathan A. Jenks.

Habitat Characteristics Of Spring Blackbird Roosts In East-Central South Dakota, H. Jeffrey Homan, Richard S. Sawin, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

The Prairie Naturalist

In the northern Great Plains, blackbirds (Icteridae) roost almost exclusively in emergent-dominated wetlands. The physical characteristics of wetland roosts are not well understood. From March 20 to April 20, 1999, we studied 16 wetlands used as blackbird roosts in east-central South Dakota. Six wetlands had major roosts (range: 102,000-298,000 blackbirds); whereas, 10 wetlands had minor roosts (range: 2,010-34,000 blackbirds). Maximum roost size was correlated directly with emergent vegetation area (P = 0.05) and possibly with wetland basin area (P ≤ 0.10). Water depths were greater at used sites within wetlands of major roosts (median = 44 cm) than …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, Number 3, September 2006, Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

The Prairie Naturalist (September 2006) 38(3)

Editor: Elmer J. Finck

Assistant editor: Hilary Gillock

Great Plains Natural Science Society

Artificial Burrows and the Deer Mouse: Do Number of Entrances Influence Use? GLENNIS A. KAUFMAN1 and DONALD W. KAUFMAN, pages 145-154

Evaluating Genetic Viability of Pronghorn in Wind Cave National Park JONATHAN A. JENKSi , CHRISTOPHER N. JACQUES, JARET D. SIEVERS, ROBERT W. KLAVER, R. TERRY BOWYER, and DANIEL E. RODDY, pages 155-165

Age Structure and Reproductive Activity of the Blue Sucker in the Milk River, Missouri River Drainage, Montana JULIE BEDNARSKl1 and DENNIS L. SCARNECCHIA, pages 167-182

Habitat Characteristics of …

Age Structure And Reproductive Activity Of The Blue Sucker In The Milk River, Missouri River Drainage, Montana, Julie Bednarski, Dennis L. Scarnecchia

The Prairie Naturalist

The life history and ecology of the blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) in the lower Milk River, Montana were investigated in 2002 and 2003. A total of 253 blue sucker was captured; 248 adult fish, three larval fish, and two age-0 juveniles. The ages (n = 102) of the adult blue sucker ranged from 10 to 37 years; maximum age greatly exceeded ages reported in other studies. Blue sucker in the Milk River population grew slower, matured later, and lived longer than fish at lower latitudes. Adult females of the blue sucker were longer and weighed more than …

Reviews: Natural History Of Javelinas; And Three Dvds On Bats, Louis A. Harveson, Jean Legge

The Prairie Naturalist

Reviews of Javelinas: Collared Peccaries of the Southwest (2006) by Jane Manaster, Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas, 85 pages (review by Louis A. Harveson) and of The Secret World of Bats (DVD), Building Homes for Bats (DVD), and Kids Discover Bats (DVD) (2005) published by Bat Conservation International (review by Jean Legge).

Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii): A Technical Conservation Assessment, Justin D. Congdon, Douglas A. Keinath

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are secure in Nebraska, and they range from being vulnerable to threatened, or endangered throughout most of the rest of their distribution. In Region 2, they have not been reported from Kansas, they are extremely rare in South Dakota, and they occupy wetlands in the northern half of Nebraska. The largest population known within the range of Blanding’s turtles is at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska.

The core habitat of Blanding’s turtles has an aquatic component that consists of a permanent wetland and a suite of other, usually smaller and more temporary, wetlands such …

Feeding Habitats Of Spring-Migrating Blackbirds In East-Central South Dakota, Richard S. Sawin, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier, H. Jeffrey Homan

The Prairie Naturalist

Between March 27 and April 21, 1998, we monitored blackbird (Icteridae) activity and habitat selection at a migratory staging area in east-central South Dakota. We used fixed-area observation points located within 20 l-km² circular plots centered on four wetland basins that were used as night roosts. Each roost was surveyed four times, with the surveys spread evenly throughout the blackbird migration. We recorded the number of blackbird flocks, flock size and composition, habitat used, and behavior (e.g., loafing and feeding). Fifty percent (n = 242) of the 482 flocks recorded in the quadrats was observed loafing in trees …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, Number 2, June 2006, Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

The Prairie Naturalist (June 2006) Volume 38, Issue 2, full issue.

Feeding Habitats of Spring-Migrating Blackbirds in East-central South Dakota, by Richard S. Sawin, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier, and H. Jeffrey Homan, pages 73-84.

Brood Break-up and Juvenile Dispersal of Lesser Prairie-chicken in Kansas, by James C. Pitman , Brent E. Jamison, Christian A. Hagen, Robert J. Robel, and Roger D. Applegate, pages 74-99.

Population Biology of Pumpkinseed in Enemy Swim Lake, South Dakota, by Eric J. Weimer and Michael L. Brown, pages 101-111.

Reproductive Development in the Sicklefin Chub in the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone Rivers, by …

Brood Break-Up And Juvenile Dispersal Of Lesser Prairie-Chicken In Kansas, James C. Pitman, Brent E. Jamison, Christian A. Hagen, Robert J. Robel, Roger D. Applegate

The Prairie Naturalist

Natal dispersal is critical for genetic interchange between subpopulations of birds and little is known about the timing and extent of lesser prairiechicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) dispersal movements. We monitored movements of 51 transmitter-equipped female lesser prairie-chicken known to have hatched a nest. Average minimum daily brood movements differed (t = -2.94, df = 829, P < 0.01) between the early (273 m; 0 to 14 days post-hatch) and late (312 m; 15 to 60 days post-hatch) brood rearing periods. We captured 71 juvenile lesser prairie-chicken from 10 broods at 3 to 11 days post-hatch and marked them with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. We subsequently captured 41 chicks from 20 different broods and fitted them with necklace-style transmitters. Transmitter- equipped brood hens and individual chicks were monitored daily and the average date of brood break-up was September 13 (85 to 128 days post-hatch). Both males and females exhibited bimodal dispersal movements in the fall and spring. Autumn dispersal movements peaked between late October and early November for both sexes. Spring dispersal movement of males peaked during late February. Female dispersal movements in the spring peaked in late March and were much more extensive than fall dispersal movements. Natal dispersal distance for all marked males averaged 1.4 km (SE= 0.2, n = 9). The approximate dispersal distances of three transmitter-equipped females ranged from 1.5 to 26.3 km. Because of greater dispersal distances, females will contribute more to genetic exchanges between fragmented subpopulations. To ensure genetic connectivity, we recommend that a distance of less …

Population Biology Of Pumpkinseed In Enemy Swim Lake, South Dakota, Eric J. Weimer, Michael L. Brown

The Prairie Naturalist

Little information is available regarding the biology and population characteristics of pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), especially in South Dakota, a state at the western edge of the species native range. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks summer trap net survey data, collected 1998 to 2003, suggests the Enemy Swim Lake population has low abundance (0.4-2.9 per trap net night) and moderately high size structure (proportional stock density [PSD] ranges between 71 and 91). To further examine the biological characteristics of the Enemy Swim Lake population, pumpkinseed was collected from Indian Bay with trap nets during May 2003. …

Reproductive Development In The Sicklefin Chub In The Missouri And Lower Yellowstone Rivers, Douglas J. Dieterman, Eric Roberts, Patrick J. Braaten, David L. Galat

The Prairie Naturalist

We describe aspects of sicklefin chub (Macrhybopsis meeki) reproductive development from three study areas encompassing greater than 2,700 km of the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone rivers. The sicklefin chub was collected between late July and early October in 1996 and 1997. A total of 193 sicklefin chub was collected and examined for reproductive characteristics. Twenty-nine sicklefin chub were found to be reproductively mature females. Some sicklefin chub matured at age 2, but most matured at age 3 and all matured by age 4. Females first became mature at 70 to 79 mm total length (TL) in the Upper …

First Record Of Hairy Woodrush From South Dakota, Katherine A. Zacharkevics

The Prairie Naturalist

Hairy woodrush (Luzula acuminata (Juncaceae)), a native perennial graminoid, has recently been recorded for the first time from South Dakota.

Book Reviews: Raptors In Your Pocket: A Guide To Great Plains Birds Of Prey; Dakota Flora: A Seasonal Sampler; The National Grasslands, Paul M. Konrad, Bonnie Heidel, F. L. Knopf

The Prairie Naturalist

Reviews of:

Raptors in Your Pocket: A Guide to Great Plains Birds of Prey, Dana Gardner, 2006, University of Iowa Press, 16 pages (laminated).

Dakota Flora: A Seasonal Sampler, David J. Ode, 2006, South Dakota State Historical Society Press, Pierre, South Dakota, 260 pages.

The National Grasslands, Francis Moul, 2006, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 153 pages.

Invasive Species Definition Clarification And Guidance, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

Summary

Invasive species are those that are not native to the ecosystem under consideration and that cause or are likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health. Plant and animal species under domestication or cultivation and under human control are not invasive species. Furthermore for policy purposes, to be considered invasive, the negative impacts caused by a non-native species will be deemed to outweigh the beneficial effects it provides. Finally, a non-native species might be considered invasive in one region but not in another. Whether or not a species is considered an invasive …

Estimates Of Breeding Bird Populations In The Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota, Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas Johnson, Daniel N. Svingen

The Prairie Naturalist

We conducted a two-year survey of breeding birds in the Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota, to estimate total populations of breeding birds. The Grassland is of interest because it provides wildlife habitat and recreational birding opportunities. Indicated breeding pairs were counted on 100-m wide belt transects during morning surveys from late May to early July in 2002 and 2003. We surveyed approximately 6 to 7% of the Grassland each year. The most abundant species in both years were grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), claycolored sparrow (Spizella pallida), Savannah sparrow (Passerculus …

Effects Of Predator Removal On Upland Nesting Ducks In North Dakota Grassland Fragments, Kristen D. Chodachek, Michael J. Chamberlain

The Prairie Naturalist

Low nest success rates in the Prairie Pothole Region are attributed mainly to changes in the predator community coupled with reductions in availability of suitable nesting cover. We evaluated effects of removal of mammalian predators on pair density and nest success of ducks nesting on 259 ha sites in northeastern North Dakota during 2001 and 2002. We monitored pair density and duck nests on 10 sites with removal and 10 sites without removal. Overall nest success for both years was greater on trapped (53.4%) than nontrapped sites (28.7%). Pair densities were not affected by predator removal, but did increase across …

First Record Of The Spurge Hawkmoth As A Pollen Vector For The Western Prairie Fringed Orchid [Notes], Carla R. Jordan, Gerald M. Fauske, Mrion O. Harris, Darla Lenz

The Prairie Naturalist

Identification of pollen vectors is one step in refining management plans for a threatened plant such as the western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara Sheviak and Bowles). Pollen vector bionomics, phenology, and ethology must be understood to assess this moth and other potential pollinators relative to orchid reproductive success. Also, the ability of spurge hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), a recently introduced species, to act as a pollen vector for an obligate prairie plant, the western prairie fringed orchid, in theoretical terms, provides evidence which contradicts long held tenets of one-to-one correspondence between orchids and their pollinators. Further research might shed …

Suggestions For Contributors And Editorial Policy (The Prairie Naturalist), Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

Suggestions for contributors and editorial policy for The Prairie Naturalist from March 2006, Volume 38, Issue 1.

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, Number 1, March 2006, Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

Fire History, Passerine Abundance, and Habitat on a North Dakota Drift Plain Prairie by Timothy J. Ludwick and Robert T. Murphy, pages 1-11

Bats in a Human-made Forest of Central Nebraska by Keith Geluso, pages 13-23

Effects of Predator Removal on Upland Nesting Ducks in North Dakota Grassland Fragments by Kristen D. Chodachek and Michael J. Chamberlain, pages 25-37

Estimates of Breeding Bird Populations in the Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota by Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson, and Daniel N. Svingen, pages 39-56

Notes: First Record of the Spurge Hawkmoth as a Pollen Vector for the western Prairie Fringed …

Fire History, Passerine Abundance, And Habitat On A North Dakota Drift Plain Prairie, Timothy J. Ludwick, Robert K. Murphy

The Prairie Naturalist

Prescribed fire is among key tools for restoring and managing prairies in the northern Great Plains, yet there are no published reports of its impacts on grassland passerine birds on native prairie in the Drift Plain, a major physiographic subregion. We examined relationships between prescribed fire history and abundance and habitat of breeding passerines in Drift Plain prairie at Des Lacs National Wildlife National Refuge in northwestern North Dakota. In 2003, we used point counts (n = 79 75 m radius plots) to survey bird abundance on 16 management units that had been prescribe-burned one to three times each …

Why Is The Number Of Dna Bases 4?, Bo Deng

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

In this paper we construct a mathematical model for DNA replication based on Shannon’s mathematical theory for communication. We treatDNAreplication as a communication channel. We show that the mean replication rate is maximal with four nucleotide bases under the primary assumption that the pairing time of the G–C bases is between 1.65 and 3 times the pairing time of the A–T bases.

Prevalence And Serovars Of Salmonella In The Feces Of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In Nebraska, David G. Renter, David P. Gnad, Jan M. Sargeant, Scott E. Hygnstrom

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

To determine the prevalence and serovars of Salmonella in free-ranging deer, we cultured feces from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested by hunters during a regular firearm season in southeastern Nebraska (USA). We recovered Salmonella from 5 (1%; 95% confidence interval: 0.37– 2.20%) of 500 samples and identified four different Salmonella enterica serovars [Litchfield (1), Dessau (1), Infantis (2), and Enteritidis (1)]. Although the prevalence of Salmonella in free-ranging deer appears to be low, the serovars recovered are known to be pathogenic to humans and animals.

A Comparison Of Presettlement Vegetation And Fire Regimes With Current Patterns In Oak Woodlands And Shrublands Of Sw Oregon, Patricia S. Muir Dr., Paul Hosten Dr.

JFSP Research Project Reports

Fuel reduction efforts on BLM lands in southwestern Oregon are motivated by the need to reduce fire hazard and restore and rehabilitate ecosystems. Successful ecosystem restoration depends, in part, on understanding the target: what ecosystem model is considered natural and healthy for a given area? Oak (Quercus garryana) woodlands and shrublands are two of the most characteristic ecosystems in interior valleys of southwest Oregon, and extensive acreages within these systems are treated annually for fuel reduction. However, these are also two of the least understood ecosystems in the region. We know little about their presettlement attributes, responses to disturbance, or …

An Internet Based Portal For Fire Science And Management In The Southern Region

JFSP Research Project Reports

Task 1 – Organize a technical advisory team and host an initial workshop to explore methods for integrating FRAMES, TTRS, and ESFS websites.

Task 2 – Identify and acquire data, tools, and publications from funded JFSP and NFP projects working with the JFSP and NFP project databases and principal investigators. Also, when possible identify and acquire data and tools used and created by others in the wildland fire community including state agencies, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations.

Task 3 – Develop and post online FGDC metadata records for all datasets from funded JFSP and NFP projects as well as key …