Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 37, No.4 December 2005

The Prairie Naturalist

AVIAN COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO CONSTRUCTION OF A NATURALISTIC GOLF COURSE IN TALL GRASS PRAIRIE IN KANSAS ▪ R. J. Robel, S. L. Bye, K. E. Kemp, and S. J. Thien

SECOND REPORT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2002-2003 ▪ D. Svingen, and R. E. Martin

RECENT RECORDS OF FORMERLY EXTIRPATED CARNIVORES IN NEBRASKA ▪ J. D. Hoffman, and H. H. Genoways

PLAINS HARVEST MOUSE IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. W. Seabloom, and T. L. Shaffer

Book Reviews

A Primer on Prairie Ecology ▪ M. A. Cunningham

Range Wars: Have Prairie Dogs Lost the Battle for the West? ▪ …

Maximum Size Of Fish Caught With Standard Gears And Recreational Angling, Kevin L. Pope, Gene R. Wilde, Daryl L. Bauer

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

We correlated maximum lengths of freshwater fishes captured during 10 years with standard gears (i.e., gill nets, boat electrofishers and trap nets) and angling from Nebraska water bodies to determine which methodology provided better estimates of maximum size of fishes produced within a given water body. In general, maximum length of fishes captured with standard gears was smaller than maximum length of fishes captured with angling. Although significant (based on sequential Bonferroni adjustment) correlation was found in only one of nine sport fishes assessed, all correlations were positive indicating a general trend between maximum size of fishes captured with these …

Guide To Nebraska’S Wetlands And Their Conservation Needs: Second Edition, 2005, Ted Lagrange

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

Wetlands — a source of great interest, and at times conflict. Wetlands represent different things to different people. At times they’re viewed as shallow, muddy nuisances while at other times they’re viewed as wonderful, varied and productive assets. This is because wetlands take on many roles as part of a complex and dynamic system. Understanding wetlands and wetland issues requires understanding the complex and varying roles that wetlands can play. To aid in this understanding, this guide defines wetlands, discusses their importance and dynamics, identifies threats and losses, describes conservation programs, and takes an in-depth look at Nebraska’s regional wetland …

The Prairie Naturalist. Volume 37, No.3, September 2005

The Prairie Naturalist

LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION AND GREATER PRAIRlE CHICKEN LEK ATTENDANCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT ▪ N. D. Niemuth

HELMINTHIC PARASITES IN RING-NECKED PHEASANT FROM SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS ▪ R. J. Robel, T. L. Walker, Jr., R. K. Ridley, K. E. Kemp, and R. D. Applegate

SEASONAL MIGRATION AND HOME RANGES OF FEMALE ELK IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND WYOMING ▪. L. Benkobi, M. A. Rumble, C. H. Stubblefield, R. S. Garno, and J. J. Millspaugh

RING-NECKED PHEASANT SURVIVE WITH BROKEN WINGS ▪ R. D. Applegate, and L. Scott

FIRST NEBRASKA NEST RECORD FOR HENSLOW'S SPARROW ▪ D. H. Kim

RANGE EXTENSION …

Analyses Of High Resolution Hyperspectral Imagery For Characterization Of Ponderosa Pine Woodlands, Cullen R. Robbins

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Bessey Unit of the Nebraska National Forest is a planted ponderosa pine forest located in the Nebraska Sand Hills. Planted in the early 20th Century, it provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of ponderosa pine establishment on the surrounding grassland ecosystem and the effects of increasing pine density on the forest ecosystem. It has been hypothesized that there are key levels of canopy cover at which shifts in ecosystem function occur. The goal of this research was to use remotely sensed data to develop a reliable method for estimating canopy cover. More specifically, canopy cover was estimated …

Selective Breeding For High Endurance Running Increases Hindlimb Symmetry, Theodore Garland Jr., Patricia W. Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Comparative studies provide correlational evidence of morphological adaptations for high locomotor performance, such as the classical indicators of cursoriality in mammals, long limbs and high metatarsal/femur ratios. More recently, enlarged femoral condyles have been suggested as an adaptation for high endurance running in the genus Homo. Asymmetry of locomotor appendages should adversely affect locomotor abilities, but this has not been studied in a rigorous evolutionary context. We used experimental evolution to test for morphological adaptations associated with high voluntary wheel running in selectively bred lines of mice. Surprisingly, the classical indicators of cursoriality had not evolved in concert with …

Risk And Consequence Analysis Focused On Biota Transfers Potentially Associated With Surface Water Diversions Between The Missouri River And Red River Basins, Greg Linder, Ed Little, Lynne Johnson, Chad Vishy, Bruce Peacock, Heather Goeddecke

Publications of the US Geological Survey

Section 1 provides a brief overview of the project, including a cursory summary of the history of the “Garrison Diversion” and how that history relates to this work focused on the analysis of risks and consequences potentially associated with interbasin biota transfers. The present study was initiated under the auspices of the Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA) of 2000, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive study of the water quality and quantity needs of the Red River Valley and the options for meeting those needs. As such, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) requested technical support …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 11 June 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 …

2002 Licensed Angler Survey: Summarized Results, Keith L. Hurley, Kristin L. Duppong-Hurley

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

On October 22, 2002, 5000 six-page surveys (Appendix 3) were sent to a stratified-random sample of Nebraska anglers drawn from the 2001 licensed anglers database. The database included all anglers who purchased a fishing license in 2001 as well as all lifetime fishing permit holders who purchased their license before or during 2001. The database did not include those possessing a free permit, such as veteran’s or senior citizen permits. The survey subsample (2.6% of the 2001-licensed angler database) was stratified such that the proportions of surveys in the subsample (4366 residents and 634 non-residents) matched the proportions of resident/non-resident …

Adoption Of Riparian Forest Buffers On Private Lands In Nebraska, Usa, Peter Skelton, Scott J. Josiah, James W. King, James R. Brandle, Glenn A. Helmers, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Pesticide and nutrient runoff from agricultural fields is a socio-environmental problem in the Midwestern United States. Riparian forest buffers (RFBs) are a proven conservation practice that effectively manage this problem, though adoption rates are low. A mail survey was conducted to determine differences between adopter and nonadopter characteristics and attitudes with regard to the use of RFBs. Data were collected from 48 RFB adopters and 261 RFB nonadopters in two Nebraska watersheds. Inferential and multivaririate statistics were used to identify differences between adapter status and producer status groups. About half (50.8%) the respondents were nonproducers. Nonproducers are agricultural landowners not …

Nebraska Catfish Anglers: Descriptions And Insights Derived From The 2002 Nebraska Licensed Angler Survey, Keith Hurley, Kristin Duppong-Hurley

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

Analyses in this report will refer to number of different groups. Catfish seeking anglers are defined as any angler who has spend at least 1 trip during 2002 in pursuit of a catfish species (channel, blue, flathead, or bullhead). This is the most general group included in the analyses and is also the least avid group of anglers in regards to their relationship to catfish angling. Catfish anglers are defined as those respondents who identified a catfish species as the species they most prefer to target. Catfish anglers represent a smaller group of respondents with a higher avidity for catfish …

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 …

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). …

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 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Continued Range Expansion By 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 was restricted to …

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 …

Optimizing Allocation Of Monitoring Effort Under Economic And Observational Constraints, Scott A. Field, Andrew J. Tyre, Hugh P. Possingham

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Efforts to design monitoring regimes capable of detecting population trends can be thwarted by observational and economic constraints inherent to most biological surveys. Ensuring that limited resources are allocated efficiently requires evaluation of statistical power for alternative survey designs. We simulated the process of data collection on a landscape, where we initiated declines over 3 sample periods in species of varying prevalence and detectability. Changing occupancy levels were estimated using a technique that accounted for effects of false-negative errors on survey data. Declines were identified within a frequentist statistical framework, but the significance level was set at an optimal level …