Botany Commons^™

Patterns Of Bison Hair Use In Nests Of Tallgrass Prairie Birds, Bryan R. Coppedge

The Prairie Naturalist

I examined patterns of bison (Bison bison L.) hair use by passerine birds nesting in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Osage County, Oklahoma, 2002-2004. I collected and dissected 103 nests of 15 species into their constituent components. Nests were predominately composed of herbaceous material such as grass stems and leaves. Woody material and mud were rarely used. Bison hair was the most prominent zoological material used in nests, with lesser amounts and occurrence of arthropod silk, snake skin, feathers, jack rabbit (Lepus californicus Oray) fur, and man-made materials such as cellophane and string. At least one nest of 13 …

Observations Of Badgers Preying On Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Daniel S. Licht

The Prairie Naturalist

American badgers (Taxidea taxus) often visit black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies, most likely in search of prey (Lomolino and Smith 2004, Shaughnessy and Cifelli 2004). Badgers are well suited to hunting fossorial prey such as prairie dogs by excavating burrows and capturing individuals belowground (Lindzey 2003). However, the ecological literature is sparse regarding details of how badgers hunt and capture prairie dogs underground. Eads and Biggins (2008) documented three occurrences of a badger excavating prairie dogs. That badger (apparently the same individual) had a den within the prairie dog town where captures occurred. This note …

Monitoring Meadows With A Modified Robel Pole In The Northern Black Hills, South Dakota, Daniel W, Uresk, Daryl E. Mergen, Ted A. Benzon

The Prairie Naturalist

We used a modified Robel pole to measure vegetation for a study conducted in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota. Objectives were to determine the relationship between visual obstruction readings and clipped standing herbage, and develop guidelines for monitoring standing herbage. The relationship between visual obstruction readings and standing herbage was linear and regression coefficients were significant (P≤ 0.001). Herbage ranged from 140 to 3313 kg· ha-1 with a mean of 1386 kg· ha^-1 (SE = 320 kg· ha^-1) for 123 transects. Visual obstruction readings (VOR) ranged from 0.6 to 30.4 (number of 1.27 cm bands …

Mortality Of Cranes (Gruidae) Associated With Powerlines Over A Major Roost On The Platte River, Nebraska, Gregory D. Wright, Timothy J. Smith, Robert K. Murphy, Jeffery T. Runge, Robert R. Harms

The Prairie Naturalist

Two 69-kilovolt powerlines spanning the Platte River in south central Nebraska are suspected to cause substantial mortality to sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) and pose a threat to endangered whooping cranes (G. americana) that roost overnight on the river during spring and fall migrations. Most studies of crane collisions with powerlines in the region have focused on counts of carcasses away from night roosts on the river and none have accounted for potential biases in detecting carcasses. We found 61 carcasses of sandhill cranes below over-river segments of the two powerlines during 4 March to 7 April …

Noteworthy Winter Prey Of Short-Eared Owls In Southern Texas: A Case Study, Damon Williford, Marc C. Woodin, Mary Kay Skoruppa

The Prairie Naturalist

The winter range of North American short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) encompasses much of the United States, including southern Texas, where it is a common winter resident (Oberholser 1974, Rappole and Blacklock 1985). Winter food habits of short-eared owls are relatively weJl documented, but the majority of investigations have been conducted in eastern Canada and northeastern U.S. (Clark 1975, Holt 1993); midwestern U.S. (Colvin and Spaulding 1983); and British Columbia and Pacific northwestern U.S. (Bogiatto et al. 2001). The short-eared owl has a narrow trophic niche, generally preying on small mammals, with voles (Microtus spp.) and deer mice …

Bed Site Selection Of Fawn Pronghorn In Custer State Park, South Dakota, Chad P. Lehman, Jamin D. Hartland, Barbara J. Keller, Joshua J. Millspaugh, Gary C. Brundige

The Prairie Naturalist

We evaluated pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) fawn bedding site characteristics on a prairie and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) landscape interface in Custer State Park, South Dakota. We radio-marked 16 adult female pronghorn and collected bed site information from their fawns during 2007~2008. We compared bed site selection with random sites (n = 74) during 2 periods; the early hiding phase when fawns were 1 ~28 days of age (n = 23 bed sites) and the later group phase when fawns were 29~60 days of age (n = 52 bed sites). During the hiding phase fawns selected dry …

A Partial Inventory Of Islands In North Dakota: Potential For Breeding Waterfowl Management, Michael L. Szymanski

The Prairie Naturalist

Islands can provide secure nesting habitat for ducks and other waterbirds, especially in agriculturally dominated landscapes. I inventoried natural and man-made islands in the portion of North Dakota covered by the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV). I mapped 1,305 islands in this area; up to 46% of which could provide enhanced nest success with management (e.g., predator removal or establishment of brushy cover). Management of islands for breeding ducks may be an important method for achieving desired reproductive rates in the PP JV as substantial areas of perennial grass cover are lost from federal conservation programs, primarily the Conservation Reserve …

Long Distance Molt Migration By A Giant Canada Goose From Eastern South Dakota, Bobby J. Anderson, Charles D. Dieter

The Prairie Naturalist

To reduce crop damage by resident giant Canada geese (Schaible et al. 2005), the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) initiated a program to reduce goose nesting success in eastern South Dakota. One management tool used by SDGFP personnel was the destruction of giant Canada goose nests. When a giant Canada goose has its nest destroyed, they are known to initiate a molt migration (Mykut 2002, Luukkonen et aI. 2008). We attached Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTT; model ST -19) to document and describe molt migrations of giant Canada geese following nest destruction. We captured 3 adult nesting …

Functional Transition In The Floral Receptacle Of The Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera): From Thermogenesis To Photosynthesis, R. E. Miller, J. R. Watling, Sharon A. Robinson

Sharon Robinson

The receptacle of the sacred lotus is the main source of heat during the thermogenic stage of floral development. Following anthesis, it enlarges, greens and becomes a fully functional photosynthetic organ. We investigated development of photosynthetic traits during this unusual functional transition. There were two distinct phases of pigment accumulation in receptacles. Lutein and photoprotective xanthophyll cycle pigments accumulated first with 64% and 95% of the maximum, respectively, present prior to anthesis. Lutein epoxide comprised 32% of total carotenoids in yellow receptacles, but declined with development. By contrast, more than 85% of maximum total chlorophyll, β-carotene and Rubisco were produced …

Genetic Structure Of East Antarctic Populations Of The Moss Ceratodon Purpureus, L. J. Clarke, D. J. Ayre, Sharon A. Robinson

Sharon Robinson

The capacity of the polar flora to adapt is of increasing concern given current and predicted environmental change in these regions. Previous genetic studies of Antarctic mosses have been of limited value due to a lack of variation in the markers or non-specificity of the methods used. We examined the power of five microsatellite loci developed for the cosmopolitan moss Ceratodon purpureus to detect genetically distinct clones and infer the distribution of clones within and among populations from the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica. Our microsatellite data suggest extraordinarily high levels of variation reported in RAPD studies were artificially elevated by …

Two Cys Or Not Two Cys? That Is The Question; Alternative Oxidase In The Thermogenic Plant Sacred Lotus, Nicole M. Grant, Yoshihiko Onda, Yusuke Kakizaki, Kkikukatsu Ito, Jennifer R. Watling, Sharon A. Robinson

Sharon Robinson

Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) regulates temperature in its floral chamber to 32°C to 35°C across ambient temperatures of 8°C to 40°C with heating achieved through high alternative pathway fluxes. In most alternative oxidase (AOX) isoforms, two cysteine residues, Cys1 and Cys2, are highly conserved and play a role in posttranslational regulation of AOX. Further control occurs via interaction of reduced Cys1 with α-keto acids, such as pyruvate. Here, we report on the in vitro regulation of AOX isolated from thermogenic receptacle tissues of sacred lotus. AOX protein was mostly present in the reduced form, and only a small fraction could …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Fall 2009, Tom Monaco, Scott R. Abella, Amber Lee, James E. Deacon

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

USDA working to manage invasive annual grasses, effects of heat and smoke on red brome soil seed bank, how burial depth and substrate affect germination of Sahara mustard and red brome, environmental effects of the southern Nevada groundwater project

The Prairie Naturalist. Volume 41, No. 3/4, September/December 2009, The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

THE PRAIRIE NATURALIST MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES. C. N. Jacques, T. W. Grovenburg, and J. A. Jenks

A PARTIAL INVENTORY OF ISLANDS IN NORTH DAKOTA: POTENTIAL FOR BREEDING WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT. M. L. Szymanski

BED SITE SELECTION OF FAWN PRONGHORN IN CUSTER STATE PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA. C. P. Lehman, J. D. Hartland, B. J. Keller, J. J. Millspaugh, and G. C. Brundige

PATTERNS OF BISON HAIR USE IN NESTS OF TALL GRASS PRAIRIE BIRDS B. R. Coppedge

MORTALITY OF CRANES (GRUIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH POWERLINES OVER A MAJOR ROOST ON THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER, NEBRASKA. G. D. Wright, T. J. Smith, R. K. …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Summer 2009, Kevin E. Oliver, Dianne N. Bangle, E. Cayenne Engel, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Scott R. Abella

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

BLM and wildfire protection in the Mojave, studies of the sticky ringstem flowering phenology in Lake Mead NRA, restoration work within gypsum soils, post-fire response synthesis for Mojave and Sonoran deserts

Seedlings’ Substrate Preferences In A Minnesota Old Growth Thuja-Betula Forest, Stephen C. Rossiter

Environmental Studies Honors Papers

Northeastern Minnesota’s logging history has altered the forests enough to cause concern about the reproduction of Thuja occidentalis and Betula alleghaniensis. I studied a rare old growth example of an already rare mesic Thuja-Betula forest and asked how well those species were regenerating in that mostly unaltered ecosystem. In managed forests, a lack of suitable substrate is thought to be limiting their seedling establishment so I asked which substrates the seedlings preferred in the old forest. To answer both questions, I measured the seedling densities of all canopy tree species across height classes and substrate types within twenty 100m2 plots. …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Spring 2009, Russell Scofield, Michele Slaton Ph.D, Alexis Suazo, Donovan J. Craig

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

California desert managers group, vegetation monitoring in Death Valley, undergraduate research symposium at UNLV, response of Sahara mustard to water and disturbance, JFS update

Impacts Of Plant Size, Density, Herbivory, And Desease On Native Platte Thistle (Cirsium Canescens), Deidra Jacobsen

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract. Based on prior field observations, we hypothesized that individual and interacting effects of plant size, density, insect herbivory, and especially fungal disease, influenced seedling and juvenile plant growth in native Platte thistle populations (Cirsium canescens Nutt.). We worked at Arapaho Prairie in the Nebraska Sandhills (May - August 2007), monitoring plant growth, insect damage, and fungal infection within different density thistle patches. In the main experiment, we sprayed half of test plants in different density patches with fungicide (Fungonil© Bonide, containing chlorothalonil) and half with a water control. Fungal infection rates were very low, so we found no difference …

Evaluating Hazelnut Cultivars For Yield, Quality And Disease Resistance, Sam Tobin

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT This long term study focuses on testing various hazelnut cultivars for yield, nut quality and disease resistance. There are various cultivars that are being tested for these desired traits but only the Grand Traverse and Skinner will be applicable for the results of this localized study. The desired traits of commercial nut production are best matched by these two cultivars. Results from previous harvests will be used to draw trends to recommend commercially functional cultivars in Eastern Nebraska.

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 41, No. 1/2 March/June 2009, The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DUCK USE OF IMPOUNDED AND NATURAL WETLANDS IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. J. E. Austin and D. A. Buhl

THIRD REPORT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2004-2005 D. Svingen and R. E. Martin

EFFECT OF DROUGHT AND AGRICULTURE ON RING-NECKED PHEASANT ABUNDANCE, NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. C. J. Randel 55

COMMON RAVEN NESTS IN NORTH DAKOTA AFTER 1OO-YEAR HIATUS. M. P. Nenneman, T. A. Grant, and R. E. Martin

Suggestions for Contributors

Editorial Policy

Understanding The Tolerance Of Antarctic Mosses To Climate Change, Sharon A. Robinson, L J. Clarke

Sharon Robinson

Climate change is expected to affect the high latitudes first and most severely, rendering Antarctica one of the most significant baseline environments for the study of global climate change. Despite this, there have been few long-term studies of the response of Antarctic vegetation to climate change. The Windmill Islands region supports some of the most extensive and best developed vegetation on continental Antarctica, with lush, green mossbeds along many of the lakes and melt streams close to Casey station. Over the past 12 years my University of Wollongong colleagues and I have studied the mosses of this region to better …

Dispersal And Establishment Both Limit Colonization During Primary Succession On A Glacier Foreland, Chad C. Jones, Roger Del Moral

Botany Faculty Publications

Plant colonization can be limited by lack of seeds or by factors that reduce establishment. The role of seed limitation in community assembly is being increasingly recognized, but in early primary succession, establishment failure is still considered more important. We studied the factors limiting colonization on the foreland of Coleman Glacier, Washington, USA to determine the importance of seed and establishment limitation during primary succession. We also evaluated the effects of seed predation, drought and existing vegetation on establishment. We planted seeds of seven species into plots of four different ages and found evidence that both seed and establishment limitation …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2009, Scott R. Abella, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Alice C. Newton

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Chronology of forest structure and use in the Spring Mountains, Soil-Tech’s restoration work balancing construction with nature, species performance and treatment effectiveness for revegetation projects, and strategic research areas for Mojave conservation and management

Effect Of Drought And Agriculture On Ring-Necked Pheasant Abundance, Nebraska Panhandle, Charles J. Randel Iii

The Prairie Naturalist

The objectives of my study were to detennine the effects of drought (e.g., Palmer Modified Drought Severity Index; PMDI, Bridges et at. 2001) and/or agricultural practices (e.g., conversion) on RNP abundance in the Nebraska Panhandle (NP).

My RNP survey data were found to be correlated negatively to drought condition (PMDI) in January, February, and April. This was supported by Snyder (1984) and Riley (1995), both of whom reported that decreased precipitation in spring affected RNP production in the western Great Plains and Iowa, respectively. Late winter and early spring drought affect subsoil moisture and decrease primary production (Kiesselbach et al. …

The Prairie Naturalist Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Christopher N. Jacques, Troy W. Grovenburg, Jonathan Jenks

The Prairie Naturalist

These guidelines present The Prairie Naturalist (PNAT) policies and procedures for submitting scientific manuscripts for consideration for publication. In January 2009, a change in Editorial staff occurred and these guidelines address the ongoing transition and update the online "Suggestions for Contributors" guidelines provided on the PNAT website (http://www.fhsu.edu/biology/pn/prairienat.htm); these instructions supersede all previous guidelines. Tables and appendices are included for common word expressions with superfluous wording, examples of correct format and style guidelines for tables accompanying manuscripts, guidance in properly preparing Research Articles and Notes, citing literature, and mandatory abbreviations for tables, figures and parenthetical expressions.

Third Report Of The North Dakota Bird Records Committee: 2004-2005, Dan Svingen, Ron E. Martin

The Prairie Naturalist

Since 1979, North Dakota's bird records committee has collected, evaluated, and archived documentations of rare bird occurrences in the state. In 2004 and 2005, this committee resolved 189 rare bird records. On the basis of these record reviews, six species were ad~ed to the North Dakota state bird list: mottled duck (Anas fulvigula), yellow-billed loon (Cavia adamsii), white-tailed kite (Elanus leucurus), little stint (Calidris minuta), glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens), and great black-backed gull (Larus marinus). Four species were added to the list of nesting species within the state: snowy …

Common Raven Nests In North Dakota After 100-Year Hiatus, Melvin P. Nenneman, Todd A. Grant, Ron E. Martin

The Prairie Naturalist

Our observations represent the first documented nesting by the common raven in North Dakota since the late 1800's. Houston (1977) suggested that the expansion of the American crow onto the Canadian prairies was limited by the scarcity of trees for nest sites, which also might have limited the extent of the common raven. Aspen woodland has increased substantially in and around J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge since European settlement, due primarily to fire suppression and extirpation of large herbivores (Grant and Murphy 2005). Thus, plausibly these increases in woodland habitat might be providing nest sites necessary for the common …

Factors Associated With Duck Use Of Impounded And Natural Wetlands In Western South Dakota, Jane E. Austin, Deborah A. Buhl

The Prairie Naturalist

Many wetlands in the northern Great Plains west of the Missouri River are stock ponds, created by impoundment of natural drainages or excavation of existing wetlands to provide water for livestock or improve habitat for waterfowl. We evaluated factors influencing use of wetlands by breeding duck pairs and broods relative to modification, water regime, size, and hydrological location on United States Forest Service lands within the Grand River National Grassland in northern South Dakota (2003 and 2004). Responses for both indicated pairs and broods were related positively to wet area, total wetland area within 4 km, emergent edge cover, and …

Brood Parasitism In A North American Population Of White-Faced Ibis, Mark E. Clark

The Prairie Naturalist

In 2007 while monitoring reproductive success among various overwater nesting birds at J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota, I observed parasitism of a white-faced ibis nest by a cattle egret. I located a nest on 23 May 2007 that contained four white-faced ibis eggs and one cattle egret egg. The nest was located in the middle of a small colony of nesting white-faced ibis (approximately 35 pairs) and black-crowned night herons (approximately 30 pairs). On 3 June 2007 all of the eggs were still present in the nest, but two of the white-faced ibis eggs began hatching …