Botany Commons^™

Influence Of Biocontrol Insects On Canada Thistle: Seed Production, Germinability, And Viability, Gary E. Larson, Tim A. Wittig, Kenneth F. Higgins, Brent Turnipseed, Dawn M. Gardner

The Prairie Naturalist

We conducted surveys of thistle-feeding insects on Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.] during the 2000 and 2001 growing seasons at Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge (LNWR), South Dakota, and analyzed their impact on thistle seed production, germination, and viability. Insects included Canada thistle stem weevil [Hadroplontus litura, formerly Ceurtorhynchus lilura, (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)], introduced at LNWR as a biocontrol agent, plus two seed head parasites, the thistle head weevil [Rhinocyllus conicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)] and the seed head fly [Terellia ruficauda (Diptera: Tephritidae)]. Infestation by these insects caused no significant reduction in per-head seed yield, with means ranging from 82.5 seeds per …

Christmas Bird Counts For North Dakota 2004, Robert N. Randall

The Prairie Naturalist

Christmas Bird Counts were made in 21 areas in North Dakota again in the year 2004. During the year a new count site was established in Pembina County and registered with the Audubon Society but an actual count was not made in the area this year. The location of the all areas in which counts were actually made is shown in Fig. 1. A relatively mild fall season leading up to the count period left much more open water than normal. Weather conditions during the count period varied widely with some areas reporting temperatures in the 40's and 50's of, …

Biological Notes On Ground-Nesting Digger Wasps From Western Nebraska, Robert W. Matthews, Janice R. Matthews

The Prairie Naturalist

Nine species of sphecid wasps nesting in sparsely vegetated sandy soils near Ogallala, Keith County, Nebraska were studied during June 2003. The first records of the nest and prey of Cerceris clypeata gnarina Banks and Tachysphex williamsi R. Bohart are presented. Two species of weevils, Baris striata Say and B. subsimilis Casey, were prey of C. clypeata gnarina, with 12 to 22 individuals stocked per cell. Because B. subsimilis is a biological control agent for thistle, this finding is a caution to researchers not to ignore the potential impact of predatory wasps on the community. The single nest of T …

Grazing Intensity Effects On Northern Plains Mixed-Grass Prairie, Wendi M. Rogers, Donald R. Kirby, Paul E. Nyren, Bob D. Patton, Edward S. Dekeyser

The Prairie Naturalist

We evaluated the effects of long-term (1988 to 2000) grazing on northern mixed-grass prairie at tI.e Central Grasslands Research Extension Center in south-central North Dakota. We did not detect a difference in herbaceous basal cover between grazing intensities following 12 consecutive years of season-long moderate (50% removal of annual above-ground standing crop) and heavy (80% removal of annual above-ground standing crop) grazing. However, both moderate and heavy grazing intensities reduced above-ground herbaceous standing crop, total root biomass, and soil organic carbon. Moderate grazing intensity maintained a greater amount of deep (10 to 20 cm) and total root biomass relative to …

The Prairie Naturalist: Volume 37, No. 2 June 2005

The Prairie Naturalist

BIOLOGICAL NOTES ON GROUND-NESTING DIGGER WASPS FROM WESTERN NEBRASKA R. W. Matthews, and J. R. Matthews 61

GRAZING INTENSITY EFFECTS ON NORTHERN PLAINS MIXED-GRASS PRAIRIE W. M. Rogers, D. R. Kirby, P. E. Nyren, B. D. Patton, and E. S. DeKeyser 73

INFLUENCE OF BIOCONTROL INSECTS ON CANADA THISTLE: SEED PRODUCTION.,GERMINABILITY, AND VIABILITY G. E. Larson, T. A. Wittig, K. F. Higgins, B. Turnipseed, and D. M Gardner 85

MAMMALS OF FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS: A 6O-YEAR FOLLOW-UP TO BRUMWELL (1951) c. R. Davis, F. B. Stangl, Jr., and L. W. Robbins 101

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA 2004 R. …

Mammals Of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: A 60-Year Followup To Brumwell (1951), Clay R. Davis, Frederick B. Stangl Jr., Lynn W. Robbins

The Prairie Naturalist

More than 60 years have elapsed since Brumwell's (1951) comprehensive assessment during 193911940 of resident terrestrial vertebrates from Fort Leavenworth Military Rooervation in northeastern Kansas. Subsequent studies have been accomplished for the amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Our study is the first to assess intervening changes in the mammalian composition of this diverse local fauna. Notable observations include: the decline or extirpation of the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata) and eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius); the return or recovery of locally extirpated gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), puma (Puma concolor), and …

An Additional Record Of The Ornate Box Turtle From Western South Dakota, Steven G. Platt, Jennifer I. Stover, Edward J. Stover Iii

The Prairie Naturalist

On June 11, 2003, one of us (EJS) found an ornate box turtle crossing BIA Highway 2, approximately 7.2 km north of Sharps Comer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Shannon County, South Dakota. The air temperature at the time of collection was approximately 30°C and the substrate was moist from light rain the previous day. The turtle was an adult female with a straight-line carapace length of 118 mm. Other straight-line measurements were: maximum carapace width = 100 mm; plastron length = 122 mm; maximum plastron width = 82 mm; and maximum shell depth = 64 mm. We …

The Quintessential Companion For North American Birders: Review Of The Birdwatcher's Companion To North American Birdlife By Christopher W. Leahy, Lawrence Igl

The Prairie Naturalist

The Birdwatcher's Companion was revised in 2004 under a new title, The Birdwatcher's Companion to North American Birdlire, and by a new publisher, Princeton University Press. This substantial work builds on Leahy's previous edition published in 1982. Hailed by the publisher as the quintessential, alphabetically arranged guide to North American birdlife, the new edition of The Birdwatcher's Companion is over 100 pages longer than the first edition, but, overall, the style and format have not changed much between the two editions. The Companion begins with a brief chapter in which the author describes how to use the book, how it …

Factors Influencing Persistence Of White-Footed Mice, Brock R. Mcmillan, Glennis A. Kaufman, Donald W. Kaufman

The Prairie Naturalist

We examined factors that potentially influenced persistence of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) during 1981 to 1988 at Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas. We predicted that both abiotic (e.g., precipitation and temperature) and biotic (e.g., availability of food and density of conspecifics) factors would influence persisten~e of individuals at the study site. Persistence of individual white-footed mice on the study site differed among years and seasons. White-footed mice that were first captured in summer or in autumn persisted longer than those first captured in spring. Young females (less than 20 g) had greater persistence than young males, whereas …

Lack Of Brown-Headed Cowbird Nest Parasitism In A Short Grass Region, Stephen L. Winter, Jack F. Cully Jr.

The Prairie Naturalist

While conducting field work in Morton County, southwestern Kansas and Baca County, southeastern Colorado, during the period 27 May to 2 July 1997, we found 36 nests of seven bird species. Nests were not searched for systematically, but were found coincidentally as data were collected along transects during research investigating the breeding bird and plant communities of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies and noncolonized shortgrass prairie (Winter 1999).

Low densities of the brown-headed cowbird in our study region, which is characterized by a semi-arid climate, might be a consequence of host populations that exhibit extreme temporal and …

Comparison Of Microclimate At Grassland Bird Nests With Different Substrates, Kimberly M. Suedkamp Wells, Samuel D. Fuhlendore

The Prairie Naturalist

We compared the effects of two different nest placement strategies (shrubs vs. bunchgrasses) on microclimate conditions for grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) and lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) in Oklahoma. We predicted that the intensity and duration of extreme temperatures (greater than 39° C) and their variability would be reduced at shrub nests compared to bunchgrass nests. A verage maximum temperatures were similar at nests of grasshopper sparrow and lark sparrow, but confidence intervals were more variable and included biologically detrimental temperatures at grasshopper sparrow nests compared to lark sparrow nests. The proportion of time greater than 39° …

The Sooner State Bird Atlas: Review Of Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas, Dan L. Reinking, Editor, Timothy J. O'Connell

The Prairie Naturalist

In Oklahoma, forest meets prairie, prairie meets mesa, and throughout, our native ecosystems are shaped by human land use. Across this shifting mosaic of habitats, animals find food, raise young, and disperse to find other members of their species. Management for these species is best informed when it springs from a common baseline of knowledge about distributions across the entire management area. For birds, that baseline can be effectively established with a breeding bird atlas. ... In sum, the Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas presents timely information on a fascinating statewide avifauna in a clear and attractive package. The text is …

Daphnia Lumholtzi, An Exotic Zooplankton, Invading A Nebraska Reservoir, Brian C. Peterson, Nicolas J. Fryda, Keith D. Koupal, Wyatt Hoback

The Prairie Naturalist

A limnological assessment project by the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission collected weekly vertical zooplankton tows during May through September 2002 at Harlan County Reservoir in Nebraska. Beginning on 5 August 2002, the exotic Daphnia lumholtzi (Cladocera: Daphniidae) appeared at a density of 0.04 1.1 in one of fifteen standardized sampling stations. By 6 September 2002, D. lumholtzi was found in all fifteen stations at an average density of 2.17 ± 3.10 1.1 with a site maximum density of 11.43 1.1 • Length measurements of D. lumholtzi ranged from 0.80 mm to 5.66 …

Electrocution Of An Adult White-Tailed Deer, Christopher S. Deperno, Benjamin J. Bigalke, Jonathan A. Jenks, Brian S. Haroldson, Robert G. Osborn

The Prairie Naturalist

On 16 May 2002, an adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) died after becoming entangled in an electric fence in southeast Minnesota. The deer (#393) was captured 30 January 2000 as part of a cooperative, long-term deer mortality study being conducted in southern Minnesota (Bigalke et al. 2002, Brinkman 2003, Brinkman et al. 2002). Although fence entanglements occur, they do not account for significant losses in white-tailed deer populations (Matschke et al. 1984). Nixon et al. (1991) documented mortality of two fawns with broken cervical vertebrae that had collided with fences, but did not distinguish the type of …

Continued Range Expansion Ny The Cave Myotis, Shauna R. Marquardt, Jerry R. Choate, Stanley D. Roth Jr.

The Prairie Naturalist

The cave myotis (Myotis velifer) is a cavernicolous bat that ranges northward from Honduras to the southern Great Plains and southwestern United States. Its known range in the United States includes the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and small, southern portions of Nevada and California (Fitch et al. 1981, Hayward 1970). The cave Myotis inhabits caves, mines, and buildings, depending on time of year and specific roost requirements (Fitch et al. 1981, Hayward 1970, Kunz 1973, Sparks and Choate 2000). Before European settlement of areas within the range of the cave Myotis, it likely …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 37, No. 1, March 2005

The Prairie Naturalist

LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN USE OF HARVESTED CORN FIELDS DURING FALL AND WINTER IN SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS, G. C. Salter, R. J. Robel, and K. E. Kemp 1

DAPHNIA LUMHOLTZI, AN EXOTIC ZOOPLANKTON, INVADING A NEBRASKA RESERVOIR B. C. Peterson, N. J. Fryda, K. D. Koupal, and W. W. Hoback 11

COMPARISON OF MICROCLIMATE AT GRASSLAND BIRD NESTS WITH DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES, K. M. Suedkamp Wells and S. D. Fuhlendorf 21

FACTORS INFLUENCING PERSISTENCE OF WHITEFOOTED MICE, B. R. McMillan, G. A. Kaufman, and D. W. Kaufman 29

NOTES

RECORDS OF THE EASTERN RED BAT ON THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO, …

Records Of The Eastern Red Bat On The Northern Front Range Of Colorado, Daniel J. Neubaum

The Prairie Naturalist

Although common in deciduous forest throughout the Midwest and east-central states, the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is rare in Colorado (Armstrong et al. 1994, Fitzgerald et al. 1994). However, this species has the potential to extend its range because belts of eastern deciduous forest habitat have expanded across western prairies and reached the Front Range of Colorado over the last 100 years (Knopf 1986). The eastern red bat ranges from Canada southward across the United States to northeastern New Mexico with most records occurring east of the Continental Divide (Hall 1981, Shump and Shump 1982, Cryan 2003). …

Lesser Prairie-Chicken Use Of Harvested Corn Fields During Fall And Winter In Southwestern Kansas, Gregory C. Salter, Robert J. Robel, Kenneth E. Kemp

The Prairie Naturalist

The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has declined in numbers in Kansas primarily due to the conversion of sand sagebrush (Artemisia .filifolia) prairie to cropland. The lesser prairie-chicken in Finney County, Kansas exists primarily in large fragments of sand sagebrush prairie, and it forages during fall and winter on waste grain in harvested com (Zea mays) fields adjacent to prairie fragments. We used radio-telemetry to monitor lesser prairie chicken locations and found no significant relationship between numbers of bird locations and amounts of waste grain on the ground in harvested com fields. Even the harvested …

2004 Plant Community Field Surveys In Western Nebraska (Final Report), Robert F. Steinauer

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

These surveys were undertaken to update information on native plant communities and wildlife habitats in western Nebraska to facilitate the development of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s (NGPC) Comprehensive Wildlife Plan. The specific intent of the project was to identify, map, and give quality rankings to large blocks of privately-owned native plant communities within the survey area. In 2004, the surveys focused on Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Hitchcock, and Perkins counties in southwestern Nebraska, and Sioux, Dawes, Box Butte, Morrill and eastern Banner and Scotts Bluff counties in the Panhandle.

First Record Of An Adult Male Evening Bat From Kansas, Clay R. Davis, Justin G. Boyles

The Prairie Naturalist

The evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) occurs throughout the eastern and southeastern United States and into extreme northeastern Mexico, approximately 42° to 18° N latitude (Watkins and Shump 1981). Although records of females are common, records of adult male evening bats are rare in the northern portion of the species range (Watkins 1969, Watkins 1972). Jones et al. (1967) suggested that adult males might not accompany females to at least some parts of the parturient range. As part of a larger study (Davis 2003) we surveyed bats on Fort Leavenworth Military Reservation (FLMR), Leavenworth County, Kansas in July 2002 …

Plant Community Field Surveys In Eastern Nebraska Project Final Report, Alicia Admiraal

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This project was completed as part of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s (NGPC) State Wildlife Comprehensive Conservation Plan. As part of this project, inventory and assessment of native plant communities and at-risk habitats throughout the state of Nebraska is necessary. This report describes the field inventories of native grasslands and other plant communities conducted during the 2004 field season for the Elkhorn River valley in Madison, Stanton and Dodge counties, and the Platte River valley between the towns of Columbus and Schuyler, in Platte and Colfax counties. Funding for the project was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife …

2005 Plant Community Field Surveys In Western Nebraska, Robert F. Steinauer

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

These surveys were undertaken to provide biological data for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s (NGPC) Nebraska Natural Legacy Action Plan. The specific intent was to identify, map, and give quality rankings to large blocks of privately-owned native plant communities within the survey area. In 2005, the surveys focused on Keith, Deuel, Cheyenne, Kimball, Banner, and Scotts Bluff counties, Sioux, Dawes and Sheridan counties north of the Pine Ridge, and Garden County south of the North Platte River.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 36, No.4 December 2004

The Prairie Naturalist

ROADSIDE BIAS IN POINT COUNT SURVEYS AT ARROWWOOD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, NORTH DAKOTA ▪ J. S. Dieni and P. Scherr

HISTORY OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE IN THE DAKOTAS: DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION TRENDS ▪ . J. T. Smith, L. D. Flake, K. F. Higgins, and G. D. Kobriger

PATCH USE BY A MONOPHAGOUS HERBIVORE IN FRAGMENTED PRAIRIE LANDSCAPES ▪ . M. J. St. Pierre and S. D. Hendrix

SNOWSHOE HARE OCCURRENCE AND WINTER HABITAT ON THE MISSOURI COTEAU IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. K. Murphy 243

HIGH ABUNDANCE OF NESTING LONG-EARED OWLS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. K. Murphy, L. J. Rosenfield, …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 36, No.3 September 2004

The Prairie Naturalist

OVERLAND MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT USE OF MALLARD BROODS DEPARTING OVERWATER NESTING STRUCTURES ▪ J. D. Stafford, L. D. Flake, and P. W. Mammenga

NEST SITE CHARACTERISTICS OF EASTERN WILD TURKEY IN NORTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ R. D. Shields and L. D. Flake

WHITE-TAILED DEER INFECTEUWITH STAPHYLOCOCCUS HYICUS IN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ T. J. Zimmerman, J. A. Jenks, and A. E. Pillatzki

CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS TYPE A IN A FREE-RANGING FAWN? ▪ T. J. Brinkman, J. A. Jenks, C. S. DePerno, and B. S. Haroldson

BUFFLEHEAD BREEDING ACTIVITY IN SOUTH-CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA ▪ G. A. Knutsen and J. C. King

POTENTIAL MULTIPLE …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 36, No.2 June 2004

The Prairie Naturalist

PREDICTING NEONATAL AGE OF WHITE-TAILED DEER IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS . . T. J. Brinkman, K. L. Monteith, J. A. Jenks, and C. S. DePemo

DUCK NESTING ON ROTATIONAL AND CONTINUOUS GRAZED PASTURES IN NORTH DAKOTA . R. K. Murphy, D. J. Schindler, and R. D. Crawford

MORPHOLOGY OF LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS IN KANSAS ▪ C. A. Hagen, J. C. Pitman, R. J. Robel, and R. D. Applegate

DAILY AND SEASONAL BEHAVIOR OF BISON ON AN OKLAHOMA TALLGRASS PRAIRIE . E. J. Maichak, K. L. Schuler, and M. E. Payton

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA 2003 ▪ R. N. …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 36, No.1 March 2004

The Prairie Naturalist

DUCK NESTING SUCCESS IN NORTH DAKOTA ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAYS ▪ J. Walker, S. S. Stephens, M. S. Lindberg, and J. 1. Rotella

DID TALLGRASS PRAIRIE EXTEND INTO PENNSYLVANIA? ▪ D. C. Laughlin

INFLUENCE OF PREY ABUNDANCE ON RAPTORS IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ A. W. Reed, G. A. Kaufman, D. A. Rintoul, and D. W. Kaufman

AMERICAN BITTERN NESTING IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA ▪ L. C. Carroll and F. A. de Szalay

THE FLORA OF THE COTTONWOOD LAKE STUDY AREA, STUTSMAN COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA ▪ . D. M. Mushet, N. H. Euliss Jr., S. P. Lane, and C. M. Goldade …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 35, No.4 December 2003

The Prairie Naturalist

HOME RANGE AND MOVEMENTS OF EASTERN AND RIO GRANDE WILD TURKEY FEMALES IN NORTHEASTERN

SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ C. P. Lehman, L. D. Flake, and A. P. Leif

THE BAT FAUNA OF SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA . J. E. Lane, C. L. Buck, and R. M. Brigham

FIRST REPORT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA RARE BIRD COMMITTEE ▪ D. Svingen and R. E. Martin

BREEDING CHRONOLOGY OF DABBLING DUCKS IN MINNEDOSA, MANITOBA ▪ A. M. Wells and H. H. Prince

A LIVE COLLECTION OF A PISTOLGRIP FROM NEBRASKA ▪ S. C. Schainost

NEW NESTING DATES FOR SOME BREEDING BIRDS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ …

Integrated Weed Management Plan For The Lower Las Vegas Wash, Elizabeth Bickmore

Publications (WR)

The Las Vegas Wash (Wash) is the primary drainage for the metropolitan Las Vegas Valley, eventually finding its way into the Colorado River watershed system. Pursuant to the recommendations of the Water Quality Citizens Advisory Committee, the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee (LVWCC) was formed in 1998 to develop a comprehensive plan for the long-term stabilization and management of the Wash. Consisting of representatives from 28 government agencies, businesses, environmental groups and citizens, the LVWCC formulated the Las Vegas Wash Comprehensive Adaptive Management Plan (CAMP) and designated the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) as the lead agency for the implementation …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 35, No.3 September 2003

The Prairie Naturalist

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS IN GRASSLANDS: THEIR HABITATS, HOSTS, AND RESPONSE TO MANAGEMENT ▪ J. A. Shaffer, C. M. Goldade, M. F. Dinkins, D. H. Johnson, L. D. Igl, and B. R. Euliss

LlGUMIA SUBROSTRATA (BIVALVIA: UNIONIDAE) IN MINNESOTA AND ITS STATUS IN THE UPPER MIDWEST ▪ B. E. Sietman, D. E. Kelner, R. A. Hart, and M. Davis

GUIDELINES FOR FINDING NESTS OF PASSERINE BIRDS IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ M. Winter, S. E. Hawks, J. A. Shaffer, and D. H. Johnson

RESPONSE OF THE LEAST SHREW TO PREY OLFACTORY CUES ▪ F. Punzo and C. Gonzalez

Book Reviews

North Dakota's Butterflies …

Vascular Plant Surveys Of The Winnebago And Omaha Indian Reservations, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

During the summer of 2000 the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) undertook a vascular plant survey of the Winnebago and Omaha Indian reservations in northeast Nebraska. All funding for the project was provided by the NGPC. The primary objective of the project was to identify all native and exotic plant species growing on the reservations and to identify traditional uses of these plants by the Winnebago, Omaha and HoChunk people. Secondary objectives of the project include: 1) identify rare plant populations, 2) identify high-quality examples of native plant communities and 3) document threats to rare plant populations and native …