Animal Sciences Commons^™

Ec05-185 Grazing Winter Wheat In Nebraska, Tom Holman, Drew J. Lyon, David D. Baltensperger, Ivan G. Rush, Ray E. Weed

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Grazing cattle on winter wheat, often prior to grain harvest, is common throughout the southern Great Plains. Grazing generates about $50 million in income for Texas wheat producers and reduces the risk of growing wheat by providing a substantial income source other than grain. Benefits can be realized by grazing prior to the primary environmental risk period for drought, heat stress, and hail, all of which frequently reduce grain yield while having limited impact on forage production. Cattle also are grazed on winter wheat fields in western Nebraska and the surrounding region. Typically in Nebraska, fall forage would be used …

Recent Records Of Formerly Extirpated Carnivores In Nebraska, Justin D. Hoffman, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

By the early 1900's, several large carnivores had been extirpated from Nebraska as a result of unrestricted hunting and trapping by early European settlers. Recently, there have been several confirmed records of carnivores that were once extirpated from Nebraska. In our study, we present new data for five species that recently were documented in Nebraska: Lynx canadensis, Ursus americanus, Canis lupus, Puma concolor, and Lontra canadensis. Restoration programs and legal protection afforded to these species in Nebraska and in adjacent states have allowed population numbers to increase. Because of the increase in populations of these …

Least Shrew (Cryptotis Parva ) In Extreme West-Central Nebraska, Keith Geluso, Jeremy A. White, Michael A. Bogen

Biology Faculty Publications

During the past 35 years, the least shrew (Cryptotis parva) has expanded its distribution along riverine and other mesic corridors in western parts of its distribution, although some recently discovered populations in the West might represent relicts of a previous Pleistocene distribution. In Nebraska, the least shrew originally was known only from eastern and central parts of the state, but recent records are now available from extreme west-central Nebraska and the northwestern corner of the state. Our record from west-central Nebraska probably represents recent westward expansion of C. parua along the North Platte River. This capture in Scotts …

Reproduction And Seasonal Activity Of Silver-Haired Bats In Western Nebraska, Keith Geluso, Jeffrey J. Huebschman, Jeremy A. White, Michael A. Bogen

Biology Faculty Publications

Silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) were thought only to migrate through Nebraska; however, recent surveys in eastern Nebraska report summer records of females and their young. Our study in western Nebraska also shows that silver-haired bats are summer residents. We discovered the 1st reproductively active L. noctivagans in this part of the state. We caught lactating females and volant young in riparian forests along the North Platte River and in forested areas of the Pine Ridge. Previously, adult males were not known from Nebraska in summer, and only 4 records of L. noctivagans were known from western Nebraska during …

Nocturnal Roost Site Selection And Diurnal Habitat Use By Sandhill Cranes During Spring In Central Nebraska, Craig A. Davis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

During spring 1998 and 1999, the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust conducted ground and aerial surveys of staging sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis; hereafter, cranes) to detennine roost site selection and habitat-use patterns along a l20-Ian stretch of the Platte River in south-central Nebraska. Cranes peaked at 232,023 during 22-28 March 1998 and 206,074 during 28 Februaty-6 March 1999 in the study area, a portion of the total crane staging area in the Platte River Valley. Diurnal observations showed that 48% of the cranes were in com fields, 34% in lowland grasslands, 13% in alfalfa fields, and 5% …

Platte River Cooperative Agreement And Proposed Program: Efforts To Protect, Restore, And Manage Habitat For Whooping Cranes, Least Terns, And Piping Plovers, Clayton Derby, Dale Strickland

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

On 1 July 1997 the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado and the U.S. Department of the Interior signed the "Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitats Along the Central Platte River, Nebraska" (Cooperative Agreement). In the Cooperative Agreement, the four parties set forth a "Proposed Platte River Recovery Implementation Program" (Program). The proposed incremental Program uses adaptive management to provide benefits to whooping cranes (Grus americana), least terns (Sterna albifrons), and piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). The proposed Program will also test the assumption that it is possible …

Tracking Sandhill Crane Migration From Saskatchewan To The Gulf Coast, Dale G. Hjertaas, David H. Ellis, Brian W. Johns, Stacie L. Moon

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Four adult sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis rowani) were captured in east-central Saskatchewan, equipped with transmitters, and tracked by satellite to detennine if their migration routes and wintering areas would allow their use as guide birds to establish a new migratory flock of whooping cranes (G. americana). Two birds captured near Yorkton died or their transmitters were lost before migration. Two adults from the Overflowing River moved to staging areas in southern Saskatchewan in September. By 29 September, Crane A left Saskatchewan and moved to North Dakota where it remained until late October. By 21 December, it …

Observations On Small Mammals Recovered From Owl Pellets From Nebraska, Jeffrey J. Huebschman, Patricia W. Freeman, Hugh H. Genoways, Jospeh A. Gubanyi

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Mammalian remains from owl pellet material collected in 24 Nebraska counties were examined, A total of 1262 individual mammals was identified from all owl pellet material and included 19 identifiable species and 21 total genera. The most commonly consumed prey by owls across the state were Microtus (41 % of identifiable prey material), followed by Peromyscus (18%), and Reithrodontomys (11%). Significant locality information for the northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster), the southern bog lemming (Synaptomys cooperi), and the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are reported

Population Genetics Of Midcontinent Sandhill Cranes, Jessica L. Petersen, Richard Bischof, Allen L. Szalanski

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Midcontinent Sandhill Crane Population is comprised of 3 subspecies, lesser (Grus canadensis canadensis), Canadian (G. c. rowani), and greater (G. c. tabida) sandhill cranes. In conjunction with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, we studied the extent of genetic variation between and within each race of the Midcontinent Sandhill Crane Population. DNA was extracted from 150 feather and dried blood samples collected from 1995-99 from sandhill cranes in the Platte River Valley, central Nebraska. Parsimony and maximwn likelihood analysis of the mtDNA D-loop sequences (ca 675 bp amplified using PCR) from 29 …

Observations On Small Mammals Recovered From Owl Pellets From Nebraska, Jeffrey J. Huebschman, Hugh H. Genoways, Patricia W. Freeman, Joseph A. Gubanyi

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Mammalian remains from owl pellet material collected in 24 Nebraska counties were examined. A total of 1262 individual mammals was identified from all owl pellet material and included 19 identifiable species and 21 total genera. The most commonly consumed prey by owls across the state were Microtus (41% of identifiable prey material), followed by Peromyscus (18%), and Reithrodontomys (11%). Significant locality information for the northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster), the southern bog lemming (Synaptomys cooperi), and the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are reported.

Strategy For The Conservation Of Non-Game Birds In The State Of Nebraska, Jacqueline Lee Canterbury

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Non-game birds comprise 93% of the 831 species recorded in the U.S; of these, forest birds and neotropical migrants have received considerable attention. To develop a management plan for non-game birds in Nebraska, historically a predominately grassland ecosystem, it was necessary to determine species in need of conservation and assess their respective habitat status. Using BBS and PIF databases, we developed a prioritization scheme that identified 44 breeding species in need of conservation in Nebraska; 20 of the 44 are grassland birds. Because several species in need of conservation known to occur in the state were missing from these databases, …

The Relative Importance Of Patch Area And Perimeter–Area Ratio To Grassland Breeding Birds, Christopher J. Helzer, Dennis E. Jelinski

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Habitat fragmentation has been implicated as a major cause of population decline in grassland birds. We tested the hypothesis that a combination of area and shape determines the use of grassland patches by breeding birds. We compared both species richness and individual species presence in 45 wet meadow grasslands in the floodplain of the central Platte River, Nebraska. Bird data were collected through the use of belt transects and supplemented by walking and listening outside transects. Our data supported our primary hypothesis that perimeter–area ratio, which reflects both the area and shape of a patch, is the strongest predictor of …

Diet Of A Relict Population Of The Eastern Woodrat In Nebraska, Hugh H. Genoways, Patricia W. Freeman, Mary K. Clausen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The relict population of Neotoma floridana occurring along the Niobrara River in north-central Nebraska was found to have a diet composed of 38 types of food items of which 37 types were plants. Unique features of the summer diet of this population were a higher than expected use of red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and invertebrates as food items.

Nebraska's Flying Mammals, Patricia W. Freeman, Kenneth N. Geluso, J. Scott Altenbach

Biology Faculty Publications

They flit around at dusk in crazy patterns. They fly around street lights and dive at rocks thrown in the air. They have high-pitched squeaks and turn up in unexpected places. They have strange, little faces and bizarre ears. They have soft fur and a thin rubbery membrane across their long fingers. They are bats, Nebraska's only flying mammals.

Bats are mysterious. Is it because they come out at night and we come out in the daytime? Maybe it is because we associate flying with birds, not mammals. Bats are dark and foreboding, not brightly colored. At first, these mysterious …

Availability Of Stopover Habitat For Migrant Whooping Cranes In Nebraska, Dale W. Stahlecker

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Four stratified random samples of 512 National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps within the central Nebraska portion of the Wood Buffalo-Aransas whooping crane (Grus americana) migration corridor were used to evaluate the availability of wetland roost sites. Wetlands were eliminated as potential roosts if visibility was obscured by vegetation or slope, if certain human activities occurred within 100-800 ro, or if water < 30 em deep was not available. Seasonal emergent wetlands, available as roosts primarily in spring, dominated all samples, particularly in the nortb. Sixty-five percent of all wetlands >0.04 ha passed map review and 52 % passed when ground-truthed. NWI map review was a good predictor of both suitability (63 % correct) and unsuitability (73 % correct). More than one-half of all open and emergent …

Sorex Merriami In Nebraska, Patricia W. Freeman, Jay D. Druecker, Scott Tvrz

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We report the capture of a second specimen of Merriam’s shrew (Sorex merriami) from the northwestern comer of Nebraska from dry grassland of sage and rabbitbrush. The first specimen, captured in 1965, is a more eastern record in what today is Sandhills prairie.

Ranch Management Practices In The Sandhills Of Nebraska: Managing Production, Sean A. Coady, Richard T. Clark

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This report represents the second in a two-part series that summarize a comprehensive survey of Nebraska Sandhills range cattle operations. The focus of this report is on management of the production aspects of the ranch business and provides details on pasture and meadow management, hay production, crops, breeding programs, nutritional programs, and maintaining the health of the herd.

Contaminant Residues In Sandhill Cranes Killed Upon Striking Powerlines In Central Nebraska, Timothy E. Fannin

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 1989 and 1990, 58 sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) were collected along the central Platte River in Nebraska during a study of mortality caused by powerline impact. Brains were assayed for acetylcholinesterase activity; gut contents were analyzed for residues of 25 organophosphate and 6 carbamate compounds; and livers were analyzed for 20 inorganics (including lead, mercury, and boron) and 22 organochlorine chemicals. Brain acetylcholinesterase activities appeared to be within normal ranges, and no measurable organophosphate or carbamate residues were found in the gut contents of 5 birds with the lowest brain enzyme activities. Heptachlor epoxide, oxychlordane. p,p' -DDE, …

Temporal Patterns Of Sandhill Crane Roost Site Use In The Platte River, Bradley S. Norling, Stanley H. Anderson, Wayne A. Hubert

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Temporal patterns of daily arrival and departure of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) at roost sites were examined along the Platte River in Nebraska during spring 1990. Departure times were earliest and arrival times were latest during the beginning of the 8taging season (9-21 March). Date within the staging season was the primary variable associated with time of initial departure and arrival, but arrival and departure times were also influenced by climatic factors. Departure times correlated positively with fog and precipitation (P < 0.05) and negatively with air temperature (P < 0.05), whereas arrival times correlated positively with both cloud cover and air temperature (P < 0.05).

Distribution Of Sandhill Cranes In The North Platte River Valley: 1980 And 1989, Martin J. Folk, Thomas C. Tacha

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We observed the abundance, diurnal distribution, and habitat use of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in the North Platte River Valley (NPRV) in 1989 for comparisons to similar data from 1979 to 1980. Sandhill cranes traveled farther from nocturnal roosts to diurnal feeding sites and use of the NPRV was lower in 1989 as compared to 1979~80. Presence of cranes in corn stubble and pasture increased from 1980 to 1989, while presence in alfalfa and palustrine wetlands decreased. Plowing of corn stubble fields and drought conditions in 1989 may have influenced crane distribution, abundance, and habitat use.

The Ecology Of Native Grassland Macroinvertebrates And Feeding Ecology Of Sandhill Cranes, Craig A. Davis, Paul A. Vohs

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The ecology of native grassland macroinvertebrates along the Platte River in central Nebraska and their role in the feeding ecology of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) was examined on 3 native grasslands along the Platte River during late winter-early spring, 1989 and 1990. Four hundred forty-four soil samples from the study area were sorted for macroinvertebrates. Environmental factors such as soil moisture, water table depth, soil texture, and plant species composition were recorded from each soil collection site. Fifteen sandhill cranes, observed feeding for 40 minutes, were collected from 1 of the study areas. Maeroinvertebrates were collected from 4 …

Eumeces Septentrionalis (Prairie Skink): Piscivory., Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

The prairie skink is a North American lizard characterized by a diet that is primarily insectivorous (Breckenridge 1943. Amer. MidI. Nat. 29:591-606). Fish have not been previously recorded as a food item (reviewed in Somma and Cochran 1989. Great Basin Nat. 49:525-534). On 3 June 1990 between 0930 and 1030 h, six Eumeces septentrionalis (three gravid females, one male, and two juveniles) were captured from amongst riprap and beneath stone slabs on the earthen dam forming the windward shoreline of Burchard lake, Pawnee Co., Nebraska (T.12N., R.10E., Sec. 4). The three females and one juvenile were placed in the …

Agenda: Boundaries And Water: Allocation And Use Of A Shared Resource, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Boundaries and Water: Allocation and Use of a Shared Resource (Summer Conference, June 5-7)

Conference organizers and/or faculty included University of Colorado School of Law professors David H. Getches, Lawrence J. MacDonnell and Charles F. Wilkinson.

Boundaries and Water: Allocation and Use of a Shared Resource is the topic of the Center's annual summer program on water this June. Most of the major rivers in the western United States are shared between two or more states. Often tribal governments play an important role in water allocation and use decisions. International considerations also may be involved in some cases. These interjurisdictional issues extend to groundwater as well as surface water.

This conference will provide the …

Interstate Allocation Of The Platte River, J. David Aiken

Boundaries and Water: Allocation and Use of a Shared Resource (Summer Conference, June 5-7)

27 pages.

Contains references.

Soil Erosion, Agrichemicals And Water Quality: A Need For A New Conservation Ethic?, Christine Olsenius

Water Quality Control: Integrating Beneficial Use and Environmental Protection (Summer Conference, June 1-3)

24 pages.

Contains references.

State Water Planning To Protect Public Needs, David H. Getches

Water as a Public Resource: Emerging Rights and Obligations (Summer Conference, June 1-3)

44 pages.

Interstate Transfers Of Water: Opportunities And Obstables [Sic], A. Dan Tarlock

Western Water Law in Transition (Summer Conference, June 3-5)

34 pages.

Western Ground Water Law: Overview And Recent Developments, J. David Aiken

Western Water Law in Transition (Summer Conference, June 3-5)

27 pages.

Administering Water Rights: The Permit System, Lawrence J. Wolfe

Western Water Law in Transition (Summer Conference, June 3-5)

69 pages.

Contains references.

Constitutional Restraints On Protecting State Interests In Water Rights, Charles E. Corker

New Sources of Water for Energy Development and Growth: Interbasin Transfers: A Short Course (Summer Conference, June 7-10)

33 pages.

Contains references.