Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Raising Wood Ducks, Richard L. Nelson

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

Numbered among Nature's most colorful creatures, wood ducks willingly accept a helping hand from man in establishing new homes. These birds adapt well to suitable habitat, and you can play an important part in bringing the wood duck to locations where they do not now nest. For groups or individuals who are willing to expend the effort necessary to undertake a wood duck restoration project anti see it to completion, it is an exceptional gift from today's generation to those of decades and centuries to come. Many areas in Nebraska provide suitable wood duck habitat, but do not have a …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 6, Nos. 3 And 4. September-December 1974

The Prairie Naturalist

A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF KRAFT SLOUGH ▪ G. L. Krapu & H. F. Duebbert

CHRISTMAS BIRD·COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA - 1974 ▪ R. N. Randall

USE OF SMALL FENCES TO PROTECT GROUND BIRD NESTS FROM MAMMALIAN PREDATORS ▪ A. B. Sargeant & A. D. Kruse

BOOK REVIEW: Finding Birds in Minnesota ▪ E. M. Welter

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 6, No.2. June 1974

The Prairie Naturalist

WOOD DUCKS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ H. A. Doty

AERIAL FEEDING BY RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS NEAR FULLER'S LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA ▪ W. C. Royall, Jr. & O. E. Bray

ARBOREAL WOODCHUCKS? ▪ K. T. Killingbeck

IMAGES, CHOICE, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ▪ E. Smith

BREEDING STATUS OF THE LEAST BITTERN IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ C. L. Cink

NOTE: Maximum Sizes for Ambystomatid Salamanders ▪ D. W. Larson

The Dynamics Of Root Growth And The Partitioning Of Photosynthates In Cool Desert Shrubs, Osvaldo Alberto Fernandez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study addresses the nature of physiological and phenological evolutionary strategies of root growth dynamics and energy allocation followed by Atriplex confertifolia, Ceratoides lanata, and Artemisia tridentata growing in their natural cool desert environment.

Root observation chambers with inclined Plexiglass windows were installed in monospecific desert communities of Atriplex confertifolia, Ceratoides lanata and Artemisia tridentata. Soil temperature and water potential measurements taken immediately adjacent to the observation windows indicated a minimal disturbance was caused by the presence of these chambers. For the three species initiation of root growth was observed before initiation of shoot activity, furthermore, active root growth extended …

A Study Of The Radiation Quality Under Plant Canopies In The Wave Range 0.4 To 2.5 Microns, Nolasco G. Baldazo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The spectral distribution of the global radiation from 0.4 to 2.5 microns penetrating deciduous and coniferous canopies were measured during clear days between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. using a double-quartz monochromator.

In the visible region (0.4 to 0.7 micron) the average relative spectral transmissions under both canopies are about one percent beginning at 0.4 micron and decreasing to about half a percent at 0.67 micron. There is only a small peak in the green (0.55 micron) transmission under deciduous stands while there is none under coniferous canopies. The slightly higher transmission in the blue (0.4 micron) is attributed to …

Studies On The Causes Of Tree Distribution In A Forest Type In The Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Thomas A. Janszen

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vegetational composition and environmental parameters were analyzed in a forest type of the Dismal Swamp. A 0.5 ha forest stand was divided into 200 5 x 5 meter contiguous quadrats and the tree size classes were precisely mapped. Fifty soil samples were analyzed for texture, pH, and major nutrients. A topographic map was constructed with precision to 0.01 ft. Analysis of variance tests showed non-randomness to exist in soil texture and nutrient content while homogeneity tests showed non-randomness in distribution of some woody species. Factor analysis indicated no significant correlations between soil quality, topography, and woody species. Findings indicate that …

Observations On The Distribution And Composition Of Zooplankton In Portions Of The Intracoastal Waterway, Virginia, O. Clair Hillard Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Five stations were established in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, the Dismal Swamp Canal, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal and the North Landing River. Representative samples of zooplankton were taken from October 1971 to June 1972. A. total of 57 species were identified and discussions regarding seasonal distribution in relation to physical factors and circulation are presented.

The composition of the zooplankton was found to fluctuate greatly due to the variables characteristic of the study area. The combined effect of tidal flow with freshwater input in conjunction with drainage from the Great Dismal Swamp, results in isolated populations …

The Use Of Color Infrared Aerial Photography In Determining Salt Marsh Vegetation And Delimiting Man-Made Structures Of Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia, Robert E. Holman Lll

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Color infrared aerial photography was found to be superior to color aerial photography in an ecological study of Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia. The research was divided into three phases: 1) determination of the feasibility of correlating color infrared aerial photography with wetland species composition and zonation patterns, 2) determination of the accuracy of the aerial interpretation and problems related to the aerial method used, and 3) comparison of developed with undeveloped areas along Lynnhaven Bay's shoreline.

Wetland species composition and zonation patterns of major cones were correlated with aerial infrared photography and resulted in a high degree of accuracy. Problems with …

An Ecological Study Of The Craney Island Disposal Area In Hampton Roads, Virginia, David Wallace Laist

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A one year ecological study was conducted on the Craney Island Disposal Area in Hampton Roads, Virginia. This study attempted to identify the flora and fauna inhabiting the spoil deposits and trace the development of communities from the time of deposition through the initial stages of succession.

One hundred and ninety-two species were identified including 48 vascular plants, 66 insects, 48 birds, 18 species of algae, 4 crustaceans, and 8 vertebrates. The study area was divided into six zones based on substrate characteristics and species composition. The successional patterns and biotic interactions within each zone were discussed.

Oregon's Nutria Problem, Lee W. Kuhn, E. Paul Peloquin

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The nutria or coypu, Myocastor coypus, is a large semi-aquatic rodent that superficially resembles an overgrown muskrat or a stunted beaver. They were introduced into Oregon from about 1930 to the 1950s. At one time Oregon had more than 600 fur farmers raising these animals for fur; now there are none. Some animals escaped and many others were released into the wild when it became apparent that pelt values were nonexistent and production costs greatly exceeded profits. Being prolific and quite mobile the nutria quickly spread through much of western Oregon. By the 1960s damage to agricultural crops was …

Seasonal Changes In Water Quality And Primary Productivity In Doe Valley Lake, Edmond J. Bacon, Stuart E. Neff

KWRRI Research Reports

Primary productivity and water quality were studied in Doe Valley Lake, a 147-hectare impoundment on Doe Run, a spring-fed stream in Meade County, Kentucky, from 13 June 1969 to 31 July 1972. Doe Valley Lake is monomictic during most winter seasons, but it is dimictic during more severe winters because of its morphometry and location on the borderline climatic region for dimictic lakes (37° N latitude). Oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion is severe, and anaerobic conditions usually prevail by late June. A hypolimnetic areal deficit of 0.038 mg/cm²/day was calculated. Supersaturation of oxygen in the epilimnion was common, …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 6, No.1. March 1974

The Prairie Naturalist

AVIAN MORTALITY FROM COLLISIONS WITH OVERHEAD WIRES IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ G. L. Krapu

NOTES ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE OLIVE-BACKED POCKET MOUSE PEROGNATHUS FASCIATUS ON THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS ▪ J. E. Pefaur & R. S. Hoffman

NOTE: Swans Resting on the Surface of A Dry Lake ▪ D. S. Gilmer

Limnetic Zooplankton Dynamics In Beaver Reservoir Including An Inventory Of Copepod Species And An Evaluation Of Vertical Sampling Methods, Eugene H. Schmitz

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

There can be little doubt that the development of primary food sources (i.e. plankton) is an important factor contributing to fish production. Applegate and Mullan (1968) report that an exceptional sport fish harvest is generally associated with the development of new reservoirs, although the precise reasons for such interrelations are not known. Kramer and Smith (1962) demonstrated the tendency of bass fingerlings to feed on Cladocera in proportion to the latter's abundance, and Hodson (1966) reported the same basic pattern for largemouth and spotted bass fingerlings in Beaver Reservoir. Applegate and Mullan (1969) analyzed the digestive tract contents of larval …

Effects Of Mosquito Control Chemicals On Aquatic Fauna, J. L. Lancaster Jr., M. V. Meisch

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

No mosquito abatement districts have ever been organized in Arkansas. Mosquito control efforts have been largely adulticiding operations by either aerial application or ground thermal fogging machines. Practically no chemical applications have been directed at the larval stage in residual water in ditches and depressions from which adult populations arise. Some larviciding with ethyl parathion has been done in ricefields. Although the treatment is very effective in mosquito reduction, voluntary treatment has not been completely successful. Because relatively little insecticide has been used as a larvicide in Arkansas, it was possible to evaluate the effect of recommended larvicides on non-target …

Limnological, Ichthyological, And Parasitological Investigations On Arkansas Reservoris In Relation To Water Quality, John S. Carter, Carl E. Hoffman, Larry L. Olmsted, Raj V. Kilambi, Donald G. Cloutman, David A. Becker

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Lake Fort Smith, a 525 acre (212 ha) reservoir, was impounded in 1936 as a water supply for the city of Fort Smith. The reservoir is located on Clear Creek (Frog Bayou), a tributary of the Arkansas River, in the Boston Mountains 28 miles (45 km) northeast of the city of Fort Smith in Crawford County, Arkansas. A map and morphometric characteristics of Lake Fort Smith are given in Fig. 1 and Table I (Hoffman, 1951; Nelson, 1952). In 1956 Lake Shepherd Springs, a 750 acre (304 ha) impoundment, was created one mile upstream of Lake Fort Smith (Rorie, 1961). …

Rate Of Growth As A Method Of Assessing Water Quality, George L. Johnston

Masters Theses

A study of the Embarras River basin was conducted to determine if rate of growth could be used as an indicator of water quality. Six species of sucker were collected from five locations using hand seines and electrofishing gear from December 1970 to December 1971. Tests of eighteen water quality parameters were conducted from November 1970 to November 1971.

The fish were measured and scale samples taken. The rate of growth of the fish taken at the five stations was analyzed and compared using the single classification analysis of variance. Condition factors were also compared.

Although there was some difference …

Phytoplankton Distribution And Water Quality Indices For Lake Mead (Colorado River), Robert D. Staker, Robert W. Hoshaw, Lorne G. Everett

Publications (WR)

Phytoplankton samples were collected in Lake Mend 6 times from September 1910 to June 1971 for 8 stations at depths of 0. 3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 m. These samples were processed through a Millipore filter apparatus and 79 planktonic algae were identified. Algal divisions represented were Bacillariophyta, 42 species; Chlorophyta, 18 ; Cyanophyta, 9; Chrysophyta, 3; Cryptophyta, 3; Pyrrophyta, 2; and Euglenophyta, 2. Blue-green algae were dominant in late summer and fall; green algae, diatoms, and, cryptomonads in winter; and green algae in spring. The early summer flora was best represented by the Chlorophyta, Cryptophyta, and Chrysophyta. Palmer's …

The Water Quality And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Fauna Of Lake Charleston, Coles County, Illinois, Paul Barding

Masters Theses

The benthic macroinvertebrate fauna and 15 water quality parameters for five sites on Lake Charleston, Coles County, Illinois were examined for 26 weeks from March 14 through September 5, 1974. None of the water quality parameters studied showed sufficient deviations at any particular area on the lake to merit demarcated water quality zonation. The lake, with its continuous mixing and shallow depth, represented a fairly stable and continuous environment. The benthic macroinvertebrate fauna was determined as fairly diverse and some indication of seasonal variation was apparent. No significant compositional variation over different areas of the lake was found, also indicating …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 5, No.4. December 1973

The Prairie Naturalist

REESTABLISHMENT OF PRAIRIE IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ O. A. Stevens

THE AGE DISTRIBUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERIODICALS ▪ D. H. Johnson

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE ECOLOGY OF PLUMATELLA REPENS (L.) (BRYOZOA: PLUMATELLIDAE) IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. D. Stoaks

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA - 1973 ▪ R. N. Randall 61

NOTE: Red-bellied Woodpecker in Rolette, County, North Dakota ▪ D. T. Disrud 52

Index to Volume 5

A Detailed Investigation Of The Sociological, Economic, And Ecological Aspects Of Proposed Reservoir Sites In The Salt River Basin Of Kentucky, Stuart E. Neff, Louis A. Krumholz, John R. Baker, Daryl E. Jennings, Andrew C. Miller, Jerry S. Parsons, Vincent H. Resh, David S. White

KWRRI Research Reports

Samples of water, bottom fauna, and fishes were collected from 66 stations in the Salt River and one of its principal tributaries, the Beech Fork and its tributary, the Chaplin River, Kentucky. Precipitation ranged from 38.86 inches (1969) to 58.04 inches (1970), an increase of nearly 50 percent with marked fluctuations in discharge. Intensive comparisons of phosphates, sulfates, specific conductance, total alkalinity, total hardness, and turbidity showed the streams to be relatively clean and healthy. Nearly 300 different kinds of benthic organisms and other macroinvertebrates have been collected and identified from the basin. Detailed studies of caddisflies and stream drift …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 5, No.3. September 1973

The Prairie Naturalist

PRELIMINARY LIST OF NATURAL AREAS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ Harold A. Kantrud

BREEDING BIRD POPULATIONS OF RIVERINE FORESTS IN EASTERN MONTANA ▪ Roger L. Kroodsma

Enzyme And Tissue Alterations In Fishes: A Measure Of Water Quality, David E. Hinton, M. W. Kendall, J. C. Koenig

KWRRI Research Reports

A variety of freshwater fishes were studied by light and electron microscopy, enzyme histochemical and biochemical methods, The objective was to determine normal structure and function in specific target organs and to compare these to altered states in aquatic pollution. The basic question, "can fish tissues and enzymes serve as indicators of water quality?," was asked. Microscopic alteration in gill was indicative of copper toxicity at an exposure of 20 parts per billion, Gross and light microscopic alterations were indicative of a single exposure of channel catfish to 15 parts per million of methyl mercuric chloride (CH₃HgCl). Microscopic …

Inventory Of Lake Studies In Maine, Charles F. Wallace Jr., James M. Strunk

Maine Collection

Inventory of Lake Studies in Maine

By Charles F. Wallace, Jr. and James M. Strunk

State Planning Office, Water Resources Planning Division, July 1973.

"Printed under Appropriation Number 4248.5 and financially assisted by planning grants from the United States Water Resources Council Title III funds."

Contents: Introduction / Investigating Agencies / Federal Agencies / State Agencies / Regional Planning Commissions and Economic Development Districts / Maine Colleges and Universities / Private / Other Private / Other / Appendices

A Comparative Limnological Survey Of Brackish-Water Lake And A Fresh-Water Lake At Mount Trashmore, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Gene Ramon Cocke

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 5, No.2. June 1973

The Prairie Naturalist

SOME ASPECTS OF MINK-WATERFOWL RELATIONSHIPS ON PRAIRIE WETLANDS ▪ Robert T. Eberhardt

SUMMER AND FALL FOODS OF MINK ON THE J. CLARK SALYER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ▪ Wayne F. Cowan and James R. Reilly

GIANT CANADA GEESE ▪ S. O. Kolstoe

SOME LICHENS OF BOG AND PAPER BIRCH FROM NORTH DAKOTA ▪ Dennis T. Disrud and Thomas D. Trana

A PALEOCENE FOSSIL LOCALITY IN SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN: THE SHORT CREEK SECTION ▪ Paul L. Broughton

NOTE: A new orchid for North Dakota ▪ Robert E. Stewart

Effects Of Exercise On Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity Of Catchable-Size Hatchery Rainbow Trout, Salmo Gairdneri, Gerlad T. Klar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Effects of exercise and the relative condition of exercised fish were viii evaluated for two strains of rainbow trout. Circular tanks fitted with a paddle were used to continuously exercise the fish and a stamina tunnel was used to evaluate the condition of exercised trout. Trout were exercised continuously at one fish-length per second and one-half fish length per second. Serum LDH activity in Shephard-of-the-Hills (Missouri) rainbow trout acclimated to 10 C increased two fold during the first four days of exercise. Serum LDH activity returned to control levels by the tenth day of exercise. Serum LDH activity in Shephard-of-the-Hills …

Autecological Life History Studies Of Two Geraniums, Geranium Richardsonii And Geranium Nervosum, Becky Lee Green

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two perennial species of wild geranium (Geranium nervosum Rydb. and G. richardsonii Fisch, and Trautv, [Geraniaceae]) which grow throughout the mountainous regions of western North America were studied to determine the factors influencing the life stage development and distribution of these plants. Attempts were also made to provide some information to assist in the taxonomy of this genus.

Geranium richardsonii is found in wet meadows and along streambanks throughout its distribution. Geranium nervosum frequents rocky hillsides and drier meadows throughout its range.

Seeds of G. nervosum had 65%, germination in the stratification pretreatment. Geranium richardsonii seeds required scarification to …

Habitat Selection By Large Wild Ungulates And Some Aspects Of The Energy Flow In A Sub-Tropical African Savanna Woodland Ecosystem, Stanley M. Hirst

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study of habitat selection by large wild ungulates was carried out on a 50 cm² area in the sub-tropical Lowveld region of eastern Transvaal province, South Africa. Estimations were made of herbaceous forage net productivity and ungulate secondary productivity on the same area.

Fourteen vegetation types, varying in composition and structure from open savanna to dense woodland, were delineated by association analysis. Structural and vegetational characteristics which were considered to influence ungulate distribution were measured within each vegetation type.

The study area supported resident populations of seven ungulate species during the wet season; drv season densities were higher …

Bromegrass Productivity In Relation To Precipitation, Shrub Canopy Cover And Soil Nitrogen Content, Lawrence G. Kline

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In seasons of above normal precipitation, populations of annual weedy species increase in great abundance in semi-arid desert plant communities. These increases in biomass tie up a considerable portion of the available nitrogen of such ecosystems and may depress subsequent annual grass germination.

A big sagebrush-annual bromegrass plant community was irrigated to simulate a spring growth period of abundant precipitation amenable to annual bromegras s productivity. Productivity and nitrogen content parameters were monitored throughout the spring and summer to evaluate the short and potential long term effects of this seasonal increase in "precipitation".

Irrigation increased annual bromegrass productivity almost 50 …

Trout Movements In A Small Mountain Stream, Thomas Mark Twedt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Five groups of 400 hatchery rainbow trout, (Salmo gairdneri), were stocked in a small, mountain stream at 3-week intervals from June to September, 1972. A fish trap captured any fish moving out of a 500 m study section.

Fish began moving at high levels during the first day of each stocking and continued at high rates for 5-8 days (Early Phase), after which movement decreased to low levels for 6-9 days (Late Phase). Early Phase fish moved primarily at night, possibly due to their disoriented state and high subjectivity to stream conditions. Fish moving during Late Phase did …