Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sturgeon Chub Distributional Patterns And Habitat Use And Benthic Fish Assemblage Structure In Missouri River Tributaries Of South Dakota, Mitchell R. Magruder

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

Native species of the Missouri River drainage inhabiting benthic habitats dominate state and federal lists of species at risk. Sicklefin Chub Macrhybopsis meeki and Sturgeon Chub Macrhybopsis gelida are two native Missouri River benthic minnows that are currently under review for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to extensive population declines and local extirpations within their native range. Substantial alterations to the Missouri River threaten Macrhybopsis spp. and other benthic fishes; however, large, less impacted tributaries in South Dakota may act as refugia for native species. The extent of Sicklefin Chub and Sturgeon Chub populations is largely …

Nonbreeding Season Survival And Habitat Selection Of Northern Bobwhite In Northeastern Colorado, Joseph M. Wolske

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

Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have experienced range-wide population declines. Recent harvest data from northeastern Colorado suggests bobwhite populations have declined and populations can be sensitive to adult nonbreeding season survival. We monitored 157 bobwhites in northeastern Colorado, on the northern periphery of the species’ range, for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 nonbreeding seasons to estimate nonbreeding season survival and habitat selection. We used known-fate survival models to assess any variation in survival between the winter stages of early-winter, mid-winter, and late-winter, as well as sex, age class, and mass at the time of capture. Survival varied among winter stages, …

Collective Effect Of Landfills And Landscape Composition On Bird–Aircraft Collisions, Morgan Pfeiffer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Travis L. Devault

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ninety-three percent of all reported bird strikes occur below 1,067 m, which based on the typical approach and departure angles of aircraft is within 8–13 km of an airport. Concomitantly, the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization recommend that any feature that would attract hazardous wildlife to the approach and departure airspace be restricted. Thus, preventing the establishment of wildlife attractants, such as municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) within 8 km or 13 km extents (U.S. and international recommendations, respectively) of airports, has been recommended to mitigate the risk of bird–aircraft collisions (strikes). However, robust evidence linking …

Characterization Of Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus Albus) Spawning Habitat In The Lower Missouri River, Caroline M. Elliott, Aaron J. Delonay, Kimberly Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson

USGS Staff -- Published Research

Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish) globally have declined throughout their range due to river fragmentation, habitat loss, overfishing, and degradation of water quality. In North America, pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) populations have experienced poor to no recruitment, or substantial levels of hybridization with the closely related shovelnose sturgeon (S. platorynchus). The Lower Missouri River is the only portion of the species’ range where successful reproduction and recruitment of genetically pure pallid sturgeon have been documented. This paper documents spawning habitat and behavior on the Lower Missouri River, which comprises over 1,300 km of unfragmented river habitat. The …

Adult Bobcat (Lynx Rufus) Habitat Selection In A Longleaf Pine Savanna, Andrew R. Little, L. Mike Conner, Michael J. Chamberlain, Nathan P. Nibbelink, Robert J. Warren

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Background: Pine savannas are primarily managed with frequent prescribed fire (≤ 3 years) to promote diversity of flora and fauna, and to maintain open, park-like conditions needed by species such as the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis). However, a knowledge gap exists in our understanding of bobcat (Lynx rufus) habitat selection in longleaf pine savannas and research is warranted to direct our future management decisions.

Methods: We examined bobcat habitat selection in a pine savanna managed with frequent fires at two spatial scales (i.e., study area boundary [hereafter, landscape scale]) and annual area of use [95% …

An Evaluation Of Emergent Macrophytes And Use Among Groups Of Aquatic Taxa, Kristopher J. Stahr, Mark A. Kaemingk

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Aquatic vegetation serves an important ecological role. Previous research on the interactions of macrophytes and aquatic organisms has focused primarily on submersed macrophytes due to their structural complexity and associated ecological impacts. However, the role of emergent vegetation is far less understood and often overlooked because they lack structural complexity. We evaluated 3 common emergent macrophytes and an open water habitat, and determined use among multiple aquatic taxa. Pelican Lake, Nebraska, USA, served as our study system because it is dominated by 3 emergent macrophytes: common cattail (Typha latifolia), softstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani), and common reed …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Regal Fritillary (Speyeria Idalia) Habitat Utilizing Biological Monitoring Data Along The Big Bend Of The Platte River, Ne, Andrew J. Caven, Kelsey C. King, Joshua D. Wiese, Emma M. Brinley Buckley

Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit -- Staff Publications

Speyeria idalia populations have declined as much as 95 percent over the last three decades. Here we critically evaluate prairie habitat components along the Platte River in central Nebraska that S. idalia populations require in an effort to better inform conservation efforts. We utilized S. idalia count data from biological monitoring transects where vegetation, soils, land management, and flooding frequency data were also collected to describe the habitat constituents associated with S. idalia presence. We utilize comparative statistics, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and random forest analysis to model S. idalia habitat on land owned and managed by a small conservation NGO. …

Comparison Of Acoustic Recorders And Field Observers For Monitoring Tundra Bird Communities, Skyler T. Vold, Colleen M. Handel, Lance B. Mcnew

USGS Staff -- Published Research

Acoustic recorders can be useful for studying bird populations but their efficiency and accuracy should be assessed in pertinent ecological settings before use. We investigated the utility of an acoustic recorder formonitoring abundance of tundra-breeding birds relative to point-count surveys in northwestern Alaska, USA, during 2014. Our objectives were to 1) compare numbers of birds and species detected by a field observer with those detected simultaneously by an acoustic recorder; 2) evaluate how detection probabilities for the observer and acoustic recorder varied with distance of birds from the survey point; and 3) evaluate whether avian guild-specific detection rates differed between …

Landscape Context Influences Nest Survival In A Midwest Grassland, Victoria L. Simonsen, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit -- Staff Publications

Although the management and restoration of habitat is the key method to conserve species of interest, local habitat management often fails to elicit desired responses in populations. Landscape features beyond the local habitat scale affect the population dynamics of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), but the mechanism behind this response is unknown. One possibility is that nest survival, which is primarily reduced by nest predation, is regulating pheasant responses to the landscape. We investigated the extent to which land use affected nest survival by studying 202 artificial nests on 12 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields in Nebraska, USA with …

Distribution And Occurrence Of Bat Species In North Dakota, Josiah J. Nelson, Paul R. Barnhart, Erin H. Gillam

The Prairie Naturalist

Prior to 2009, a detailed survey of occurrence and distribution of bats in North Dakota had not been conducted. Localized surveys, occurrence reports, and museum specimens provided the only records of bats in the state. Ongoing habitat loss, exploitation of natural resources, and the impending spread of white-nose syndrome to the western United States are major threats to bat populations of the region. The objective of this study was to document presence and distributions of bat species resident in North Dakota. From 2009 to 2012, multiple mist-netting and acoustic surveys were conducted to document species presence across North Dakota. A …

Habitat Characteristics Of Eastern Wild Turkey Nest And Ground-Roost Sites In 2 Longleaf Pine Forests, Mary M. Streich, Andrew R. Little, Michael J. Chamberlain, L. Mike Connor, Robert J. Warren

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Managing and restoring longleaf pine forests throughout the Southeast is a conservation priority. Prescribed fire is an integral part of these activities, as it is the primary means of controlling hardwood encroachment and maintaining native groundcover. Nest site and preflight brood groundroost site selection of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) has not been well studied in longleaf pine systems. Therefore, we determined habitat characteristics associated with wild turkey nests and ground-roosts in 2 longleaf pine forests in southwestern Georgia. We radio-tagged 45 female turkeys and evaluated habitat characteristics associated with 84 nests and 51 ground-roosts during the …

Impact Of Alternative Range Management Systems On Grasslands In The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska, Luis E. Ramirez

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

Land management strategies can directly and indirectly affect plant assemblages and their behavior. Little research has been performed in south central Nebraska to quantify the effect of fire and grazing interactions on species composition, vegetation structure, forage quality, and potential cost associated with land management.

I evaluate the effect of season-long continuous, patch-burning, and rotational grazing approaches on vegetation and ranching costs to determine their value as conservation tools. This study includes data collected between 2007 and 2009 from grasslands in south central Nebraska. I found that land management influence plant assemblages by shifting communities when grazing and/or fire are …

The Influence Of Habitat And Environment On Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) Nest Sites And Nest Success In Northern Lake Michigan, Mark A. Kaemingk, Alexander Clem, Tracy L. Galarowicz

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Information on smallmouth bass nesting ecology is lacking in northern Lake Michigan, despite available information for other Great Lakes ecosystems. Our objectives were to identify factors that influenced nesting sites and nest success in a smallmouth bass population in northern Lake Michigan. Temperature, substrate firmness, and lake bottom rugosity were measured and related to the number of smallmouth bass nests in four bays. We also investigated the role of temperature, effective fetch, and storms to explain nest success. Temperature appeared to be most important in explaining the number of nests and nest success; transects that experienced the greatest number of …

Exploring Spatial Distributions Of Larval Yellow Perch Perca Flavescens, Bluegill Lepomis Macrochirus, And Their Prey In Relation To Wind., Mark A. Kaemingk, Jeffrey C. Jolley, David W. Willis, Brian Ds Graeb

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The objectives of the present study were to determine if spatial differences existed between zooplankton, larval yellow perch Perca flavescens and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus (length, LT) in Pelican Lake (332 ha), NE, U.S.A. It was hypothesized that wind could act as a transport mechanism for larval fishes in this shallow lake, because strong winds are common at this geographic location. Potential spatial differences were explored, relating to zooplankton densities, size structure and densities of larval P. flavescens and L. macrochirus. Density differences (east v. west side of the lake) were detected for small- (two occasions), medium- (two occasions) and large-sized …

Diets Of Nesting Swainson's Hawks In Relation To Land Cover In Northwestern North Dakota, Robert K. Murphy

The Prairie Naturalist

Relationships between land use practices and types of prey used by Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) in the Northern Great Plains is of increasing interest as the quantity and quality of habitat in the region declines. I recorded 1,284 prey items at 18 Swainson' s hawk nesting areas throughout northwestern North Dakota during summer 1986-1987. After correcting for detectability biases and food needs of adults, I estimated (90% CI) 2,087-2,859 total prey individuals and 138.3-206.7 kg of prey biomass (x = 69.8 g/item) were consumed by adult and nestling Swainson's hawks during my study. Major prey (>10% overall …

Minimun Riparian Buffer Width For Maintaining Water Quality And Habitat Along Stevens Creek, Sammi Bray

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT Riparian buffer zones are important sites of biodiversity, sediment trapping, pollutant removal, and hydrologic regulation that have significant implications for both people and wildlife. Urbanization’s influence on and need for adequate water quality increases the need for careful planning in regards to riparian areas. Wildlife are key components in the ecosystem functions of riparian zones and require consideration in peri-urban planning as well. This study reviews relevant literature to determine the recommended minimum riparian buffer width for maintaining water quality and habitat along Stevens Creek in Lincoln, Nebraska. Only sources that listed a specific purpose related to water quality …

Waterfowl Habitat Management Handbook For The Lower Mississippi River Valley, Bronson K. Strickland, Richard M. Kaminski, Kevin Nelms, Adam Tullos, Andrew W. Ezell, Billy Hill, Kris Casscles Godwin, Joshua C. Chester, John D. Madsen

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

To sustain waterfowl populations at levels of the 1970s, as prescribed by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (1986), private landowners must continue to provide habitat for wetland wildlife. Private landowners oversee the majority of wetlands remaining in the United States, so their cooperation is essential to any major conservation effort to restore and sustain waterfowl populations in the Mississippi Flyway. Many groups have worked together since the 1980s to develop waterfowl habitat on private lands.Much progress has been made, and this publication helps guide continuing efforts. This publication is for private landowners in the Lower Mississippi Flyway who want …

A Review Of Mitigation Measures For Reducing Wildlife Mortality On Roadways, David J. Glista, Travis L. Devault, J. Andrew Dewoody

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A growing literature in the field of road ecology suggests that vehicle/wildlife collisions are important to biologists and transportation officials alike. Roads can affect the quality and quantity of available wildlife habitat, most notably through fragmentation. Likewise, vehicular traffic on roads can be direct sources of wildlife mortality and in some instances, can be catastrophic to populations. Thus, connectivity of habitat and permeability of road systems are important factors to consider when developing road mortality mitigation systems. There are a variety of approaches that can be used to reduce the effects of roads and road mortality on wildlife populations. Here, …

Comparative Patterns Of Predation By Cougars And Recolonizing Wolves In Montana’S Madison Range, Todd C. Atwood, Eric M. Gese, Kyran E. Kunkel

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Numerous studies have documented how prey may use antipredator strategies to reduce the risk of predation from a single predator. However, when a recolonizing predator enters an already complex predator–prey system, specific antipredator behaviors may conflict and avoidance of one predator may enhance vulnerability to another. We studied the patterns of prey selection by recolonizing wolves (Canis lupus) and cougars (Puma concolor) in response to prey resource selection in the northern Madison Range, Montana, USA. Elk (Cervus elaphus) were the primary prey for wolves, and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) were the primary …

Emerging Near-Real Time Forage Monitoring Technology With Application To Large Herbivore Management In Mongolia, Dennis P. Sheehy, Jerry W. Stuth, Douglas E. Johnson, Jay Angerer, Douglas Tolleson

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Large herbivore livestock and wildlife in Mongolia depend almost entirely for substance on forage standing crop produced each year on natural pastureland. Consequently, both livestock and wildlife are continuously subject to environmental risk, especially drought and severe winter storms, while livestock are also subject to financial risk. As consumption-based livestock production changes to commercialized livestock production, steps taken by the livestock herder to avert both environmental and financial risk to livestock can increase environmental risk to large wild herbivores. A realistic and workable pastureland and risk management system will be critical for conservation of large herbivore habitat. New technologies are …

Integrating Northern Bobwhite And Grassland Bird Habitat Enhancement Practices On University Of Missouri Agriculture Experiment Stations: An Educational Model That Puts Knowledge Into Action Through Use Of Demonstrations, Tim Reinbott, Robert A. Pierce Ii, Bill White, Brad Jacobs, Nadia Navarrete-Tindall

11th Triennial National Wildlife and Fisheries Extension Specialists Conference (2006)

Over the past 50 years, advances in agricultural production negatively influenced habitats for bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) and grassland bird species. Farming systems, once beneficial for bobwhite, greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), Henslow’s sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), and many other wildlife species, provided a diversity of early successional habitats. With increases in farm size, intensive cultivation, chemical weed and insect pest control and more efficient harvest practices, many producers have been able to stay in business, but quality habitats for many species have been reduced.

Coyote Movements And Social Structure Along A Cryptic Population Genetic Subdivision, Benjamin N. Sacks, Brian R. Mitchell, Christen L. Williams, Holly B. Ernest

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A recent region-wide study determined that the central California coyote ( Canis latrans ) population was genetically subdivided according to habitat bioregions, supporting the hypothesis that coyotes exhibit a dispersal bias toward their natal habitat type. Here, we further investigated this hypothesis using radio-collared coyotes captured on a 150-km 2 study site on the border of (i.e. overlapping) two bioregions (Great Valley and Cascade Mountains). As predicted, most coyotes were assigned (based on a priori genetic criteria) to genetic clusters corresponding to one of these two bioregions. All of those assigned to the Great Valley genetic cluster were caught in …

Habitat Management Approaches For Reducing Wildlife Use Of Airfields, Scott C. Barras, Thomas W. Seamans

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife-aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose safety risks to aircraft and cost civil aviation over $390 million annually in the USA We reviewed published studies to summarize findings on habitat management techniques that have shown potential for wildlife strike reduction. Habitat components that may attract wildlife to airports include food, cover, water, and loafing areas. Although maintaining tall herbaceous vegetation on airfields may reduce the attractiveness of loafing and feeding sites for some species of birds such as gulls, this strategy may also increase cover and food resources for other hazardous species. Thus, optimum vegetation height management strategies require further research …

Decline Of The Red-Winged Blackbird Population In Ohio Correlated To Changes In Agriculture (1965-1996), Bradley F. Blackwell, Richard A. Dolbeer

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Based on North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data since 1966, Ohio has traditionally hosted 1 of the highest breeding season densities of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) of any U.S. state or Canadian province. However, from 1966 through 1996, breeding populations of red-winged blackbirds in Ohio showed a marked decline (x̅ % change/yr in birds per route = -3.9), with breeding population indices decreasing by over 53%. Because the red-winged blackbird successfully adapted to habitats created by agricultural expansion over the last century and became a recognized pest of crops such as corn (Zea mays), …

Characteristics Of Nest Sites Of Northern Bobwhites In Western Oklahoma, Darrell E. Townsend Ii, Ronald E. Masters, Robert L. Lochmiller, David M. Leslie Jr., Stephen J. Demaso, Alan D. Peoples

USGS Staff -- Published Research

Previous authors have described nesting habitat of the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) throughout its range, but few have compared structural or compositional differences of vegetation between nest sites and random non-use sites, and successful and non-successful nests. From 1996-1998, we compared cover and structure of 85 plant species from 80 nest sites of northern bobwhite in western Oklahoma. Nest sites were consistently associated with greater structural complexity than what was available at random. Bobwhites selected nest sites with a greater coverage of grass (ca. 50%) and woody (ca. 20-30%) vegetation with a relatively low percentage of bare ground, …

The Use Of Gis To Delineate Potential Urban Deer Habitat, David M. Kocka, Frederick M. Garst

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

Overabundant deer herds in urban environments often require new and creative approaches to properly evaluate the situation and gain support for population management. To determine potential white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) habitat for the Harrisonburg, Virginia, Deer Task Force, a geographic information systems (GIS) map was created that reflected current land use in the city. Data were compiled using 2m resolution Digital Ortho Quarter Quads. Using this backdrop, land use zones were digitized on-screen. Wooded (13%), Agricultural (20%), and Open Areas (14%) land use types accounted for nearly half the city's land area and represent a conservative estimate of …

Feral Hogs In The Rolling Plains Of Texas: Perspectives, Problems, And Potential, Douglas R. Tolleson, William E. Pinchak, Dale Rollins, Leland J. Hunt

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) have expanded their territory in Texas and are now found in all but the extreme western portions of the state. Perhaps the most dramatic expansion has occurred in the Rolling Plains of northwest Texas. Perspectives on feral hogs range from definitely for to adamantly against. Problems encountered with feral hogs include: (1) damage to crops and livestock, or facilities and equipment, (2) transmission of disease to humans and livestock, or (3) interaction with native wildlife including competition for available resources, depredation and destruction of habitat. The feral hog is also an animal with economic …

Converted Railroad Corridors As Avian Habitat In Southeast Nebraska, Kevin L. Poague

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

No abstract provided.

Limnological And Habitat Influences On Wetland Bird Communities In The Nebraska Sandhills, Timothy A. Cramer

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

No abstract provided.

Logistic Regression Models Of Habitat Use By Three Cyprinids In The Platte River, Nebraska, Shyi-Liang Yu

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

No abstract provided.