Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

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 …

Discontinuities: Predicting Invasions And Extinctions, Aaron Lotz

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

In this dissertation, I explore multiple tenets of the textural discontinuity hypothesis, which states that hierarchical landscape structures with scale-specific pattern entrain attributes of animals inhabiting the landscape. Landscapes form hierarchies that are structured by vegetative, geomorphological and contagious disturbance processes. The spatial and temporal patterns inherent in landscapes reflect numerous processes, interacting on distinct scales, which shape the assembly of animal communities. Analysis of body mass patterns and functional group distributions has been suggested as methods to provide insight about these underlying hierarchical processes. Scientists have posited that species at the edges of body mass aggregations may be exposed …

The Distribution And Life Cycle Of Alliaria Petiolate In Lincoln, Nebraska, Caleb Pharris

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard) is a biennial alien invasive plant species of the Brassicacea family. It is responsible for displacing native plant species throughout North America and its management has proven to be extremely difficult. Recently several populations of Alliaria petiolata have been discovered in southwestern Lincoln, Nebraska. The spread of Alliaria petiolata is a concern for natural resource managers and the general public. Due to the difficulty of its control, Alliaria petiolata is capable of creating monocultures which diminish the aesthetic value of an ecosystem. While most commonly found in the understory of hardwood forests, it is capable of …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending June 30, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 42 juvenile/adult samples and analyses of the remaining samples are underway.
• As of 7/07/11 all sample sets will have been collected for Veliger abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead; sampling continues for Growth of adult quagga mussels within Las Vegas Wash/Las Vegas Bay.
• The Interagency Quagga Mussel Meeting was held on 05/17/11; the next meeting is scheduled for 08/25/11.

Project 2

• Appendix 7, an addition to the Long-term Limnological and Aquatic …

Effects Of Species, Water, And Nitrogen On Competition Among Three Prairie Grasses, Jerry L. Weatherford, Randall W. Myster

The Prairie Naturalist

We conducted an experiment to investigate effects of species, water (W), and nitrogen (N) on competition among little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans). All biomass parameters and the root:shoot ratio of little bluestem were reduced by the presence off 1 of 2 other species, and its shoot biomass and total biomass were both increased by addition of N. Root and shoot biomass of sideoats grama were reduced by the presence of indiangrass and its total biomass was reduced by the presence of itself, whereas its shoot biomass was increased by addition of W at …

Assessing The Role Of Conspecific Attraction In Habitat Restoration For Henslow’S Sparrows In Iowa, Jennifer A. Vogel, Rolf R. Koford, David L. Otis

The Prairie Naturalist

The presence of conspecific individuals may provide important cues about habitat quality for territorial songbirds. We tested the ability of a conspecific song playback system to attract Henslow’s sparrows to previously unoccupied restored habitat. We successfully attracted Heslow’s sparrows to 3 of 7 treatment plots using conspecific song playbacks and we found no Henslow’s sparrows in control plots. The addition of social cues using playback systems in restored grassland habitats may aid conservation efforts of Henslow’s sparrows to available habitat.

Notes: River Otters Use Agricultural Field Along The Turtle Riveri In Eastern North Dakota As Crossover And Latrine Area, Maggie D. Triska, Steven C. Loughry, Thomas L. Sergass

The Prairie Naturalist

Recently, the Nearctic river otter (Lontra canadensis) has been re-colonizing portions of eastern North Dakota. The landscape in eastern North Dakota is dominated by agricultural fields and pastures, habitats which have received little research attention related to otter habitat use. During 2008, we searched shorelines to detect otter latrines, which is a common method for determining otter presence. Generally, latrines are locations along bodies of water where otters deposit scats, urine, and glandular secretions for olfactory communication, and groom, wrestle, and play, which may mat vegetation. In the northeastern United States, inland riverine system studies have shown latrines …

Calodium Hepaticum In White-Tailed Jackrabbits In South Dakota, Dustin J. Schaible, Charles D. Dieter, Regg D. Neiger, Michael B. Hildreth

The Prairie Naturalist

White-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii) are common on the prairie, and an important species in prairie food webs (Lim 1987). Although it has been suggested that jackrabbits have cyclic populations (Donoho 1972, Gross et al. 1974, Anderson and Shumar 1986), there is concern that a general downward trend exists in populations in the Northern Great Plains (Feldhamer et al. 2003). Disease incidence in white-tailed jackrabbits is poorly known (Feldhamer et al. 2003), but may be an important factor in population changes. Tularemia, a disease caused by bacteria (Francisella tularensis), occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere and can affect many mammals including hares, …

Resource Selection By Elk At Two Spatial Scales In The Black Hills, South Dakota, Mark A. Rumble, R. Scott Gamo

The Prairie Naturalist

Understanding resource selection by elk (Cervus elaphus) at multiple spatial scales may provide information that will help resolve the increasing number of resource conflicts involving elk. We quantified vegetation at 412 sites where the precise location of elk was known by direct observation and 509 random sites in the Black Hills of South Dakota during 1998– 2001. We obtained stand level variables from geographic information system coverages for a 250 m buffer around elk and random sites. We used classification and regression trees to simultaneously evaluate environmental thresholds of resources selected by feeding and bedded elk at the site and …

Multiple Bats Entangled On Cactus, Jon C. Pigage, Richard L. Bunn

The Prairie Naturalist

Accidental deaths of bats by entanglement on plants and barbed wire are common (McNicholl 1988, Norquay et al. 2010). It has been hypothesized these incidents involve miscalculations by bats on how close they fly to plants or barbed wire or when chasing insects highly concentrated around vegetation (Norquay et al. 2010). Once the bats hit the plants or barbed wire, they become entangled and or impaled while struggling to free themselves. The earliest reports involved little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and unidentified bats entangled on burdock, Arctium sp. (Lyon 1925, Little 1925). Additional reports of bats becoming entangled in plants …

First Record Of The Least Weasel In The Black Hills Of South Dakota, Tim R. Mullican

The Prairie Naturalist

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is a circumboreal species, occurring in North America from Alaska to the Appalachian Mountains (Jones et al. 1983). In the Great Plains, the least weasel recently expanded its range southward through Nebraska (Benedict et al. 2000) and Kansas (Choate et al. 1979, Bailey and Terman 1986) into Oklahoma (Clark and Clark 1988). Also, in recent decades, the least weasel has expanded from eastern and central Nebraska into western Nebraska (Benedict et al. 2000). In South Dakota, least weasels have been previously reported from the eastern 3/4 of the state (Jones et al. 1983, Higgins et …

Phragmites Australis In South Dakota: Historical Distribution And Environment, Carol A. Johnston, Kayla L. Miller

The Prairie Naturalist

Common reed, Phragmites australis, has long been a component of Northern Plains wetlands, but impending invasion by the non-native P. australis haplotype M may displace native haplotypes in the future. To increase understanding of historical Phragmites occurrence, we developed a geographic information system (GIS) protocol to improve the georeferencing of specimens from South Dakota herbaria, and mapped the distribution of Phragmites relative to geology, physiographic regions, and water bodies. There were 91 Phragmites herbarium specimens from South Dakota and adjacent Wyoming. Phragmites collections occurred in nearly all physiographic regions of the state, with concentrations occurring in the Prairie Coteau of …

Crustaceous Zooplankton Transfer Between A Floodplain Wetland And The Missouri River, Shannon J. Fisher

The Prairie Naturalist

Floodplain interactions are a critical riverine ecosystem function, including zooplankton transfer. Floodplain alternations have had an assumed impact on zooplankton productivity. I assessed floodplain wetland and main channel densities of crustaceous zooplankton, alluding to organism transfer in the Missouri River, North Dakota. Significant t-test differences (P < 0.05) were present between backwater and channel habitat zooplankton densities in 83, 75, 83, and 50% of the sample periods for cyclopoid copepods, copepod nauplii, Daphnia spp., and Bosmina spp. respectively, suggesting the presence of uncoupled zooplankton dynamics during portions of each annual cycle. Two relationships with increased flows were found, including a biologically significant decrease (P = 0.09) of backwater copepod nauplii numbers and a significant increase (P = 0.02) in the channel density of Daphnia spp. During the highest flow periods, fewer significant differences in zooplankton densities were present between the backwater and channel habitats, indicating moderate homogenization.

Habitat Selection By Female Swift Foxes (Vulpes Velox) During The Pup- Rearing Season, Indrani Sasmal, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy W. Grovenburg, Shubham Datta, Greg. M. Schroeder, Robert W. Klaver, Kevin M. Honness

The Prairie Naturalist

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) was historically distributed in western South Dakota including the region surrounding Badlands National Park (BNP). The species declined during the mid-1800s, largely due to habitat loss and poisoning targeted at wolves (Canis lupis) and coyotes (C. latrans). Only a small population of swift foxes near Ardmore, South Dakota persisted. In 2003, an introduction program was initiated at BNP with swift foxes translocated from Colorado and Wyoming. We report on habitat use by female swift foxes during the pup-rearing season (May–July) in 2009. Analyses of location data from 13 radiomarked female foxes indicated disproportional use (P < 0.001) of some habitats relative to their availability within swift fox home ranges. Swift foxes used grassland (ŵ = 1.01), sparse vegetation (ŵ = 1.43) and prairie dog towns (ŵ = 1.18) in proportion to their availability, whereas they were less likely to use woodland (ŵ = 0.00), shrubland (ŵ = 0.14), pasture/agricultural-land (ŵ = 0.25) and development (ŵ = 0.16) relative to availability. Swift foxes typically are located in habitats that provide greater visibility, such as shortgrass prairie and areas with sparse vegetation; which allow detection of approaching coyotes (e.g., primary predator of swift foxes).

Distribution Of Crayfish Species In Select North Dakota Streams, Cari-Ann Hayer, Terrance L. Velazquez, Mclain S. Johnson, Brian Graeb

The Prairie Naturalist

Crayfish have an integral role in aquatic ecosystems, serving as herbivores, predators, detritivores, and prey for fishes and other aquatic and terrestrial animals (Momot 1995, Taylor et al. 1996, Martin 1997). Many crayfish populations are currently declining as a result of habitat alteration (Taylor et al. 1996) and invasive predators (e.g., rusty crayfish Orconectes rusticus [Girard; Lodge et al. 2000]). Knowledge of crayfish distribution and biology in North America and specifically North Dakota is sparse or lacking (Taylor et al. 1996) and baseline information is necessary to identify effects of anthropogenic alterations. Early inventories documented 3 crayfish species in North …

Ecotourism In Costa Rica: Environmental Impacts And Management, Emily Mckeone

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Globally we are witnessing growing environmental destruction, particularly to the natural resource bases of underdeveloped countries. If ecotourism can generate profits for local economies, while protecting and conserving the natural resource base of that community, it could be a strong alternative for numerous countries. Evidence suggests that the ecotourism industry has been expanding at a rapid rate in recent decades (Dasenbrock 2002). It is important to understand the positive and negative ecological impacts of the industry as this rapid growth rate continues.

The main objective of this study is to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the ecotourism industry in …

Natural Selection And Age-Related Variation In Morphology Of A Colonial Bird, Mary Bomberger Brown

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

In May 1996, inclement weather led to the deaths of thousands of Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in Nebraska. Survivors had larger skeletons, shorter wings and tails, and less wing asymmetry than non-survivors. This population was followed for 10 years to study 1) whether natural selection events result in permanent microevolutionary changes, 2) if variation in climate affects the development of morphological traits, and 3) if morphological traits vary systematically with age.

Patterns in morphology exhibited by swallows following the selection event were studied by measuring yearling birds. Wing and middle tail lengths decreased, beak length and width increased, …

A Mark–Recapture Technique For Monitoring Feral Swine Populations, Matthew M. Reidy, Tyler A. Campbell, David G. Hewitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Techniques to monitor populations of feral swine (Sus scrofa) relative to damage control activities are needed on rangelands. Our objectives were to describe and assess a mark–recapture technique using tetracycline hydrochloride (TH) for monitoring feral swine populations. We established bait stations at study sites in southern and central Texas. During 1 d, we replaced normal soured corn bait with bait containing TH and counted the number of feral swine that consumed bait with observers. We conducted feral swine removal using box-style traps and helicopters, at which time we collected teeth for TH analysis. In southern Texas, we estimated …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending March 30, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 13 juvenile/adult samples and analyses of the remaining samples are underway.
• Both research projects are well underway with 14 sample sets collected for Veliger abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead and 12 samples collected for Growth of adult quagga mussels within Las Vegas Wash/Las Vegas Bay.

Project 2

• Annual summary sheets are under development for the topics listed within the Limnological and Aquatic Resource Monitoring and Research Plan for Lakes Mead …

Factors Affecting Space Use Overlap By White-Tailed Deer In An Urban Landscape, W. David Walter, Jeff Beringer, Lonnie P. Hansen, Justin W. Fischer, Joshua J. Millspaugh, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Variation in the size and overlap of space use by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has broad implications for managing deer–human conflicts and disease spread and transmission in urban landscapes. Understanding which factors affect overlap of home range by various segments (i.e., age, sex) of an urban deer population has implications to direct contact between deer on disease epidemiology. We assessed size of home range and overlap of space use using the volume of intersection index (VI) for deer in an urban landscape by sex, age, season, and time of day. We found mean space use was larger for …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending January 31, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 21 adult/juvenile samples and analyses of the remaining samples are underway. A manuscript describing the I-MAP and its history, current recommended monitoring, and recommended future monitoring and a separate manuscript describing the I-MAP’s monitoring protocol were accepted for publication in the journal Aquatic Invasions. Two other manuscripts describing other aspects of the I-MAP program were published in Lake and Reservoir Management.

Project 2

• Annual summary sheets are under development for the topics listed within …

Integrating Info-Gap Decision Theory With Robust Population Management: A Case Study Using The Mountain Plover, Max Post Van Der Burg, Andrew J. Tyre

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Wildlife managers often make decisions under considerable uncertainty. In the most extreme case, a complete lack of data leads to uncertainty that is unquantifiable.Information-gap decision theory deals with assessing management decisions under extreme uncertainty, but it is not widely used in wildlife management. So too, robust population management methods were developed to deal with uncertainties in multiple-model parameters.However, the two methods have not, as yet, been used in tandem to assess population management decisions. We provide a novel combination of the robust population management approach for matrix models with the information-gap decision theory framework for making conservation decisions under extreme …

Confronting Socially Generated Uncertainty In Adaptive Management, Andrew J. Tyre, Sarah Michaels

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

As more and more organizations with responsibility for natural resource management adopt adaptive management as the rubric in which they wish to operate, it becomes increasingly important to consider the sources of uncertainty inherent in their endeavors. Without recognizing that uncertainty originates both in the natural world and in human undertakings, efforts to manage adaptively at the least will prove frustrating and at the worst will prove damaging to the very natural resources that are the management targets. There will be more surprises and those surprises potentially may prove at the very least unwanted and at the worst devastating. We …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Adaptive Management Approaches: Is There A Formula For Success?, Jamie E. Mcfadden, Tim L. Hiller, Andrew J. Tyre

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Within the field of natural-resources management, the application of adaptive management is appropriate for complex problems high in uncertainty. Adaptive management is becoming an increasingly popular management-decision tool within the scientific community and has developed into two primary schools of thought: the Resilience-Experimentalist School (with high emphasis on stakeholder involvement, resilience, and highly complex models) and the Decision-Theoretic School (which results in relatively simple models through emphasizing stakeholder involvement for identifying management objectives). Because of these differences, adaptive management plans implemented under each of these schools may yield varying levels of success. We evaluated peer-reviewed literature focused on incorporation of …

Temperature Increase Effects On Sagebrush Ecosystem Forbs: Exprimental Evidence And Range Manager Perspectives, Hilary Louise Whitcomb

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Pituophis Catenifer Deserticola (Great Basin Gophersnake) Predation, Steven J. Wamback, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A variety of taxa have been observed to· prey upon Pituophis catenifer, including mammals, birds-of prey, and other snakes. Here, we describe an unusual two-day observation of predation on a mature Great Basin gophersnake by a brown trout (Salmo trutta).

The observation took place in Jones Canyon, Utah, USA, on the grounds of the Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery (JHNFH). Jones Creek' emanates from springs at the head of Jones Canyon on hatchery grounds, and flows north to south 6.4 km to the Green River, approximately paralleling the Utah-Colorado border. The stream runs for about 0.3 km …

The Need To Quantify Ecosystem Services Provided By Birds, Daniel G. Wenny, Travis L. Devault, Matthew D. Johnson, Dave Kelly, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Diana F. Tomback, Christopher J. Whelan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

What are the birds worth--what is their actual dollar value to human society? To most of us in the ornithological community, birds are invaluable. But in these times we need more specific rationales to convince policy makers and business leaders to include bird conservation in land-use and development decisions. Over the past two decades, awareness of our dependence on a variety of ecosystem services (natural ecological processes that benefit human society) and of their importance and prevalence has progressed toward the goal of making conservation a mainstream value. Building strategies for the protection of ecosystem services into conservation and land-use …

Rodents And Other Vertebrate Invaders In The United States, Michael W. Fall, Michael L. Avery, Tyler A. Campbell, Peter J. Egan, Richard M. Engeman, David Pimentel, William C. Pitt, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents

Introduction

Assessing impacts of rodents and other vertebrate invaders

Accounts of some important vertebrate invaders
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Roof rat (Rattus rattus)
Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans)
House mouse (Mus Musculus)
Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Gambian giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)
Feral swine (Sus scofa)
Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus)
Rock pigeon (Columba livia)
House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis)
Burmese python (Python …

Regulated Commercial Harvest To Manage Overabundant White-Tailed Deer: An Idea To Consider?, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Charles W. Anderson, Timothy R. Van Deelen, David Drake, W. David Walter, Stephen Vantassel, Scott E. Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Declines in hunter recruitment coupled with dramatic growth in numbers of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have challenged our ability to manage deer populations through regulated hunting. We review the efficacy of current regulated hunting methods and explain how they are unable to reduce deer numbers sufficiently in some environments. Regulated commercial harvest would provide an additional tool to help state wildlife agencies manage overabundant populations of white-tailed deer. We outline potential means to govern regulated commercial deer harvest and explain how it is compatible with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. We identified several benefits, including reduced …

The Effects Of Invasion By Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris Arundinacea) On Avian Communities And Nesting Success In Minnesota Wetlands, Emily J. Hutchins

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Invasive plants are a primary contributor to loss of biodiversity worldwide. In southern Minnesota, many wetlands have been invaded by reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). The current perception among ecologists and resource managers is that these wetlands are of little value to wildlife, yet little is known about the effects on birds of the widespread conversion of diverse wetlands to apparent monocultures of P. arundinacea. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of P. arundinaceamediated changes in the wetland plant community on avian communities and nesting success. During 2006 and 2007, I studied four diverse sedge wetlands paired …