Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Long-Term Changes In Canada Goose Nest Success And Nest Densities At An Iowa Wetland Complex, Brenna N. Ness, Robert W. Klaver, Guy G. Zenner

The Prairie Naturalist

Giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) were extirpated from Iowa by the early 1900s due to unregulated hunting, egg gathering, and wetland drainage in the nineteenth century (Bishop 1978). Ef- forts to reintroduce Canada geese in Iowa began in 1964 (Bishop and Howing 1972) and involved releasing flightless adults and goslings at nearly 30 sites across the state (Zenner and LaGrange 1998a). In 1972, 13 flightless pairs were released at Rice Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA; Bishop 1978). By 1989, the breeding population of Canada geese at Rice Lake WMA had increased to 420 nesting adults (G. G. Zenner, Iowa …

Assessing Parturition Date Synchrony For North Dakota Ungulates, Eric S. Michel, Jonathan A. Jenks, William F. Jensen

The Prairie Naturalist

Reproductive parameters such as conception date, and therefore parturition date, influence offspring characteristics such as sex ratio and birth mass. For example, late-conceiving reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) produced more female than male offspring compared to those who conceived early (Holand et al. 2006). Females that conceive later and therefore give birth later also can produce lighter offspring compared to those who conceive early (Schwartz et al. 1994, Holand et al. 2006). Because birth mass is positively related to adult body mass (Michel et al. 2015), conception and parturition date likely affect adult phenotype. In turn, this may influence survival because heavy …

Notes: Examining The Potential Competitive Effects Of Ventenata Dubia On Annual And Perennial Grasses, Shawn Mckay, Lesley R. Morris, Christopher E. Morris, Elizabeth A. Leger

The Prairie Naturalist

Portions of the United States are becoming increasingly dominated by annual species, with cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski) as the most common and well-known invaders (Bansal et al. 2014). Other invasive annual species also are present and increasing in abundance, including ventenata (Ventenata dubia [Leers] Coss.), an invasive annual grass that has been expanding within the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, and Great Plains regions of the United States. Ventenata was first reported in North America in 1952 in Washington (Old and Callihan 1987) and has since spread to 7 western states in the USA (CA, …

Book Reviews: American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals Of The Great Plains. Dan Flores., Daniel S. Licht

The Prairie Naturalist

Before describing what Flores’ book is, I must state what it is not. It is not a technical book designed for scholarly readers. Sources are not fully cited, and the bibliography is of limited scope. Nor is it a comprehensive book of all the megafauna of the Great Plains. Although chapters are devoted to extant species such as American bison (Bison bison), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), and coyote (Canis latrans), there are only passing references to mule and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus and O. virginianus, respectively), elk (Cervus canadensis), and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Rather, Flores devotes chapters to grizzly bears …

Diel And Monthly Movement Rates By Migratory And Resident Female Pronghorn, Paul F. Jones, T. Andrew Hurly, Chelsea Jensen, Karl Zimmer, Andrew Jakes

The Prairie Naturalist

Animal movement patterns are variable, with certain species primarily being diurnal and others nocturnal. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are regarded as diurnal animals moving predominately during daylight hours. Anecdotal accounts, however, suggest that pronghorn move during the night but the extent, frequency, and importance of these nocturnal movement behaviors are unknown. To evaluate movements, we combined global positioning system relocation data from collared female pronghorn in the Northern Sagebrush Steppe between 2003 and 2007 with sunrise/sunset data within a geographical information system platform. We assessed whether mean and maximum movement rates were influenced by diel period (dawn, day, dusk, and night), …

The Pitfalls Of Data Analysis, Christopher N. Jacques

The Prairie Naturalist

Greetings GPNSS members! I hope summer finds you well and enjoying the Great Plains in some way, whether that be starting a new field season, a long-overdue break from the office, or planning your next family vacation. For me, transitioning away from the demands of the Spring 2017 semester to data analyses and preparation of my own manuscripts are particularly exciting (well, as exciting as “office life” can be!). Over the past month, I have initiated a number of grandiose summer objectives, most of which include analysis or in some instances, re-analysis of data to address concerns raised during peer-review. …

The Prairie Naturalist: The Journal Of The Great Plains Natural Science Society Volume 49 No. 1

The Prairie Naturalist

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 EDITOR’S NOTE

RESEARCH ARTICLES

3 Diel and Monthly Movement Rates by Migratory and Resident Female Pronghorn Paul F. Jones, T. Andrew Hurley, Chelsea Jensen, Karl Zimmer, and Andrew Jakes

13 Pheasant Response to Lead Ingestion Travis J. Runia and Alex J. Solem

NOTES

19 Examining the Potential Competitive Effects of Ventenata dubia on Annual and Perennial Grasses Shawn McKay, Lesley R. Morris, Christopher E. Morris, and Elizabeth A. Leger

23 Adult Red-Headed Woodpecker Interaction with Bullsnake After Arboreal Nest Depradation Brittany J. Yohannes and James L. Howitz

26 Breeding Trumpeter Swans in Northeastern North Dakota Mark …

Adult Red-Headed Woodpecker Interaction With Bullsnake After Arboreal Nest Depredation, Brittney J. Yohannes, James L. Howitz

The Prairie Naturalist

Nest success rates often are higher among cavity-nesting birds than those that nest in open cups or on the ground. Among cavity-nesting birds, woodpeckers have some of the highest rates of nest success. A review of woodpecker nesting ecology across species documented nest success ranging from 0.42 to 1.00 with a median of 0.80 (n = 84 populations), and that predation was low, ranging from 0.00 to 0.35 with a median of 0.13 (n = 33 populations). The constrained opening to a cavity nest limits predation to relatively small animals or those able to break open cavity walls. …

Use Of Satellite Trap Transmitters In Capturing Mountain Lions, Randy D. Johnson, Jonathan A. Jenks, Stephanie A. Tucker

The Prairie Naturalist

The use of safe and humane methods for the capture of wild animals is imperative in wildlife research, wildlife damage management, and feral animal control. When capturing animals successfully and humanely, several items must be addressed, including animal safety, personnel safety, non-target captures, and cost (Sikes et al. 2016). Additionally, public pressures against the use of traps have led to significant changes in trapping regulations across North America and beyond (Andelt et al. 1999, Darrow and Shivik 2008) and can place research projects at risk to loss of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval (Larkin et al. 2003). …

Breeding Trumpeter Swans In Northeast- Ern North Dakota, Mark R. Fisher, Matthew D. Sprenger, Chris R. Roed, David O. Lambeth

The Prairie Naturalist

The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) is North America’s largest waterfowl species and breeds in wetland habitats across the northern United States, Alaska and Canada. Summer observations by ornithologists, including those of John James Audubon in 1843, indicated a substantial number of trumpeter swans were breeding in North Dakota prior to European settlement. However, the species was extirpated by the late 1800s and there were no subsequent breeding records for over a century (Stewart 1975). Since 2007, 5 recent nesting records indicate that trumpeter swan has returned as a regular breeding species in North Dakota.

A continental range-wide breeding trumpeter swan …

Erratum

The Prairie Naturalist

In the June 2016 issue (48:1, page 56), the Editorial Staff inadvertently omitted corrections provided by the corresponding author prior to publication. In the second paragraph of the left column (i.e., 5 lines from the bottom), “is” should be replaced with “could be.” Similarly, in the right column (9 lines from the top), “In additional” should be replaced with “In addition.” On page 58, the following text should be placed after “institutions” in the Appendix caption: “University of Central Missouri (CMSU), Truman State University (TSU).” Lastly, within the appendix, all instances of MHP should be replaced with FHSM and “OF” …

Financial Assessment Of Agricultural Lands At Risk To Coastal Salt Marsh Migration In Relation To Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise In Dorchester County, Maryland, Jewell Porter

Sustainability and Social Justice

The increasing rate and effects of sea level rise is a major environmental concern in the Chesapeake Bay. This paper evaluates the impacts of rising sea level on coastal salt marshes and the surrounding agricultural lands at risk in Dorchester County, Maryland to build off existing environmental monitoring work performed by NOAA’s Sentinel Site Program. The results of the spatial analysis were used to estimate monetary benefits to incentivize farmers to protect these marshes by making their land available for marsh migration to occur. Looking at three scenarios of sea level rise and marsh migration, grain crops (corn, soybeans, and …

Influence Of Stream Permanence, Predation, And Invasive Species On Crayfish In The Ozark Highlands With An Emphasis On Species Of Greatest Conservation Need (Orconectes Marchandi, Orconectes Eupunctus And Cambarus Hubbsi), Allyson Noelle Yarra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to the ecological importance of crayfish and the increasing vulnerability of freshwater systems due to habitat loss, invasive species, and hydrologic alteration, understanding crayfish-environment relationships is crucial in the context of aquatic species conservation. I sought to examine the influence of hydrologic variation among intermittent and permanent streams on crayfish occupancy, abundance, predation risk, and potential vulnerability to invasive species effects. I conducted crayfish and environmental data sampling during two consecutive summers across 20 Ozark streams of differing permanence levels (10 intermittent, 10 permanent). In these same streams, I conducted fish and scat surveys over the course of four …

Ecological Importance Of Invader Source Population And Disturbance In Aquatic Invasions, Nicole Elizabeth Graham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are a global problem and their effects on recipient ecosystems may be mediated by disturbance and intraspecific variation. Crayfish can substantially influence stream structure and function, and invasive crayfish often have differential impacts than native crayfish in aquatic ecosystems. Since species traits often vary across a distribution, it is possible that invasive crayfish from different source populations may have distinct impacts on recipient ecosystem structure and function. In the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri, USA, invasive O. neglectus (the Ringed Crayfish) may be leading to the displacement of native O. eupunctus (the Coldwater Crayfish). The objective of …

Heterogeneity Of Avian Breeding Habitat On Grazing Lands Of The Northern Great Plains, Maggi S. Sliwinski

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

Native rangelands in the Great Plains are largely privately owned and used for beef production. Vegetation heterogeneity is important for maintaining biodiversity, but private land may be more homogenous than desired. My research had two components: 1) to examine whether a variety of grazing strategies created vegetation heterogeneity in a large, intact rangeland, and 2) to understand beef producers’ attitudes about vegetation heterogeneity.

First, I sampled vegetation structure, composition, and bird abundance at multiple plots on eleven management units in Cherry County, Nebraska. Units were managed with commonly used grazing strategies (e.g., short-duration grazing and season-long continuous grazing). I examined …

Living On The Edge: Assessing The Effects Of Catastrophic Fire On Plants Utilized By Two Endemic Subspecies Of Spring Mountains Butterflies, Charles Ryan Herrmann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the past few decades there has been an increase in catastrophic, high-intensity, large-scale wildfires globally due to the combination of climate warming with more than a century of fire suppression policy. One region that has been drastically affected is the Western United States, as there has been an increase in ‘mega-fires’ in the past few decades. The 2013 Carpenter 1 Fire in the Spring Mountains, Nevada was the largest fire in recorded history in these mountains, spreading out over 11,137 hectares. Catastrophic fire like the Carpenter 1 Fire can have potentially devastating effects on endemic species inhabiting refugia on …

Trap-Neuter-Return Programs And The Importance Of Associated Public Awareness, Nicolette Sliwa

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The focus of this paper is to describe a typical Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and highlight the major pros and cons surrounding this somewhat controversial method of managing the overwhelming free-roaming cat population. The effects of the species’ overabundance on the environment and human health are also discussed. Citing studies completed on TNR programs around the globe as well as mathematical models, the effectiveness of this method is compared to other, currently used alternatives. Finally, it has been suggested that the general awareness level a neighborhood possesses about the true goals of TNR programs has a potentially significant impact on the …

Estimating Seasonal Variation In Condition Of Yellow Perch, Emily Anne Powers

Biology Graduate Theses

Research has shown that Yellow Perch Perca flavescens, found throughout lakes and streams of North America, are good indicators of environmental health. Due to the correlation between fish condition and ecosystem health it is essential to reliably estimate condition to better manage our fisheries. Therefore, the study objectives were to measure the seasonal changes in adult Yellow Perch percent dry weight (PDW), and compare the reliability of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and morphometric-based estimates of condition. The seasonal fluctuations in average monthly PDW were measured over a two- year period and were sinusoidal in shape with peaks in August 2015 …

Managing For Wildlife Habitat On Rangelands In The Great Plains, Maggi Sliwinski, Mark E. Burbach, Larkin Powell, Walter H. Schacht

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Management Paper No.283 - Abalone Resource Of Western Australia Harvest Strategy 2106 - 2021, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for aquatic resources managed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries (the Department) are formal documents prepared to support the decision-making processes required to ensure the management of these resources are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and Section 9 of the Aquatic Resources Management Act, which will replace the FRMA once proclaimed.

The publication of these strategies is intended to make the decision-making considerations and processes for the management of specified aquatic resources publicly transparent and provide …

Redd Habitat Selection For Brook Trout In The Necktie River Bemidji, Mn, William Varela, Zachary Buckley

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The presence of quality suitable habitat is important for the success of naturally reproducing Brook Trout populations. Therefore, measuring redd habitat Brook Trout select for was the focus of this study. Brook Trout redds were observed during the spawning season of 2016. We identified a total of 18 redds in the Necktie River in late October and early November. Specific environmental variables associated with redd selection were measured: velocity, in-stream cover, canopy cover, bank overhang, river width, substrate type and size, temperature, and max-depth. The same environmental variables were measured for 30 randomly selected sites. Redds were distributed in riffles …

Response Of Amphibian And Invertebrate Communities To Wetland Mitigation In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Leah K. Swartz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wetlands play a critical role in supporting freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services, but human activities have resulted in large-scale loss and degradation of these habitats across the globe. To offset the decline of wetland area, mitigation wetlands are now frequently constructed, but their ability to replace the functions of natural habitats, including providing habitat for native fauna, remains uncertain. A recent highway reconstruction project in northwestern Wyoming caused impacts to and the destruction of multiple natural wetlands. To mitigate this loss, new wetlands were constructed along the highway corridor. To evaluate the performance of these created wetlands relative to reference …

Characterization Of Ecological Water Stress In The U.S. Great Lakes Region Using A Geospatial Modeling Approach, Sara Alian

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Anthropocentric water resources management affects aquatic habitats by changing streamflow regime. Understanding the impacts of water withdrawal from different sources and consumption by various economic sectors at different spatial and temporal scales is key to characterizing ecologically harmful streamflow disturbances. To this end, we developed a generic, integrative framework to characterize catchment scale water stress at annual and monthly time scales. The framework accounts for spatially cumulative consumptive and non-consumptive use impacts and associated changes in flow due to depletion and return flow along the stream network. Application of the framework to the U.S. Great Lakes Region indicates that a …

Modeling Sex-Specific Seasonal Habitat Selection For Elk (Cervus Elaphus) In Central Washington, Lewis Meyers

All Master's Theses

Elk (Cervus elaphus) are generalist herbivores, exploiting a variety of environments. I studied habitat selection and sexual segregation of the Colockum elk herd in central Washington. I used a resource selection probability function (RSPF) to evaluate habitat use by males and females during summer and winter seasons. I assisted Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in capturing and placing GPS collars on males, and used an existing GPS dataset from females to investigate the extent to which sexual segregation was occurring in the Colockum herd. During summer, males selected steep slopes on north, west and south …

Burbot Growth Rates In A Northern Mesotrophic Lake, Samuel J. Peterson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Burbot Lota lota has a circumpolar distribution throughout cold-water areas and is the only freshwater member of the family Gadidae. There are currently very few management techniques applied to Burbot throughout their northern extent. Growth is an indicator of fish health, biomass, and habitat quality; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the growth rate of Burbot in Lake Bemidji. Burbot (n = 45) were collected along three sites on Lake Bemidji for years 2015-2017. Age was determined from sagittal otoliths, the marginal zones of which were opaque from December to May and translucent from June to November. …

Effects Of Catch-And-Release Angling On Egg Densities In Largemouth Bass Nests, Tyler Robinson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Predation during early life stages of Centrarchidae offspring are a major cause of decreased reproductive success. For five-weeks Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides defend their broods from invaders such as Yellow Perch Perca flavescens and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. The focus of this study was to determine if predation upon Largemouth Bass broods increased as removal time from the nest via catch-and-release angling increased. Sampling was conducted on the Whitefish Chain, MN from 7 May - 7 June 2016, where a total of 29 nests were located and sampled. Three treatment groups were used; immediate catch-and-release, three-minute, and a seven- minute …

Swift Foxes In Southwestern South Dakota: Assessing The Current Status Of A Reintroduced Population, Sarah Ann Nevison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) were reintroduced into Badlands National Park between 2003 and 2006 after being nearly extirpated from South Dakota in the early 1900’s. Genetic analysis provided strong evidence that the reintroduction was successful, but viability analysis indicated the population may be in jeopardy with a high probability of extinction. Recently, the population has declined due to various biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., recent weather patterns, effects of plague [Yersinia pestis], and increased coyote [Canis latrans] numbers). No information on the status of swift foxes has been collected since 2009. Between 2014 and 2016, the objectives of this study …

Habitat Use By Wintering Passerines In Fire-Managed Forests Along The U.S. Gulf Coast, Justin Michael Michaud

Online Theses and Dissertations

Coastal habitats are being impacted by land development, fragmentation, and disturbance related to climate change. The remaining natural areas need to use planned management that may, in some cases, include the use of prescribed fire to maintain habitat quality. Numerous species of passerines, including some with declining populations, use the Gulf Coast as a wintering area, and some depend on habitats managed by fire. To provide information for land managers, I studied the winter bird community at Naval Live Oaks in Gulf Islands National Seashore with two primary objectives: (1) to describe the distribution, abundance, and diversity of the non-breeding …

Short-Term Effects Of Nutrients On A Barrier Island Grassland Community, Ashley Moulton

Theses and Dissertations

Increased nutrient availability globally has the potential to affect community functional composition of plants in nutrient limited environments, such as coastal grassland systems. Stability of these systems are threatened worldwide by urbanization, as well as effects of sea level rise and increased frequency and intensity of storms, and atmospheric N deposition, associated with climate change. Annual net primary productivity (ANPP), species composition, and functional traits (community weighted specific leaf area (CWSLA), leaf area index (LAI), growth form and photosynthetic pathway) were measured across four treatments to assess multiple resource limitation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and functional community response …

Assessment Of A Channel Catfish Population In A Large Open River System, A. J. Blank, M. J. Hamel, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Mark A. Pegg

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Estimates of dynamic rate functions for riverine channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), populations are limited. The open nature and inherent difficulty in sampling riverine environments and the propensity for dispersal of channel catfish impede estimation of population variables. However, contemporary population models (i.e. robust design models) can incorporate the open nature of these systems. The purpose of this study was to determine channel catfish population abundance, survival and size structure and to characterize growth in the lower Platte River, Nebraska, USA. Annual survival estimates of adult channel catfish were 13%–49%, and channel catfish abundance estimates ranged from 8,281 to 24,261 …