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The Prairie Naturalist Volume 31, No.1 March 1999

The Prairie Naturalist

NEST SITE CHARACTERISTICS OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ J. R. Purvis, A. E. Gabbert, and L. D. Flake

FIELD EVALUATION OF RADIOTRANSMITTERS FOR NORTHERN POCKET GOPHERS ▪ G. W. Witmer and M. J. Pipas

DISTRlBllTiON OF A MOlJND-BUILDING ANT ON NATIVE AND RESTORED PRAIRIES IN NORTHEASTERN KANSAS ▪ J. Foster and W. D. Kettle

RESULTS OF A WILD TURKEY RELEASE IN KANSAS TALLGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ J. F. Cully, Jr., P. R. Lemons, II, and R. D. Applegate

BODY-SIZE AND AGE'-RELATED MASTICATORY RELATIONSHIPS IN TWO SPECIES OF BLARINA ▪ B. J. Verts, L. N. Carraway, and R. A. …

Notes And Correspondence: The Effects Of Data Gaps On The Calculated Monthly Mean Maximum And Minimum Temperatures In The Continental United States: A Spatial And Temporal Study, David E. Stooksbury, Craig D. Idso, Kenneth G. Hubbard

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Gaps in otherwise regularly scheduled observations are often referred to as missing data. This paper explores the spatial and temporal impacts that data gaps in the recorded daily maximum and minimum temperatures have on the calculated monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures. For this analysis 138 climate stations from the United States Historical Climatology Network Daily Temperature and Precipitation Data set were selected. The selected stations had no missing maximum or minimum temperature values during the period 1951–80. The monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures were calculated for each station for each month. For each month 1–10 consecutive days of …

Filter Strip Performance And Processes For Different Vegetation, Widths, And Contaminants, T. J. Schmitt, M. G. Dosskey, K. D. Hoagland

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Filter strips are widely prescribed to reduce contaminants in surface runoff from agricultural fields. Tbis study compared performance of different filter strip designs on several contaminants and evaluated the contribnting processes. Different vegetation types and widths were investigated using simulated runoff event on large plots (3 m X 7.5 or 15 m) having fine-textured soil and a 6 to 7% slope. Filter strips 7.5 and 15 m wide downslope greatly reduced concentrations of sediment in runoff (76-93%) and contaminants strongly associated with sediment (total P, 55-79%; permethrin, 27-83% [(3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl (±)-cis, trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylate ]). They had less effect on concentrations …

An Objective Method For Determining Principal Time Scales Of Coherent Eddy Structures Using Orthonormal Wavelets, Jozsef Szilagyi, Marc B. Parlange, Gabriel G. Katul, John D. Albertson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Streamflow Depletion Investigations In The Republican River Basin: Colorado, Nebraska, And Kansas, Jozsef Szilagyi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Global Rural Temperature Trends, Thomas C. Peterson, Kevin P. Gallo, Jay Lawrimore, Timothy W. Owen, Alex Huang, David A. Mckittrick

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Using rural/urban land surface classifications derived from maps and satellite observed nighttime surface lights, global mean land surface air temperature time series were created using data from all weather observing stations in a global temperature data base and from rural stations only. The global rural temperature time series and trends are very similar to those derived from the full data set. Therefore, the well-known global temperature time series from in situ stations is not significantly impacted by urban warming.

Satellite-Based Adjustments For The Urban Heat Island Temperature Bias, Kevin P. Gallo, Timothy W. Owen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Monthly and seasonal relationships between urban–rural differences in minimum, maximum, and average temperatures measured at surface-based observation stations were compared to satellite-derived Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer estimates of a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and surface radiant temperature.

A Revised Measurement Methodology For Conifer Needles Spectral Optical Properties: Evaluating The Influence Of Gaps Between Elements, Mark A. Mesarch, Elizabeth Walter-Shea, Gregory P. Asner, Elizabeth M. Middleton, Stephen Chan

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Gaps are unavoidable when compositing small or narrow plant parts (e.g., conifer needles, twigs, narrow leaves, and leaflets) on sample holders in preparation for measuring spectral optical properties. The Daughtry et al. (1989) (A new technique to measure the spectral properties of conifer needles. Remote Sens. Environ. 27:81-91.) method of measuring conifer needle optical properties utilizes a relatively large gap fraction (approximately 0.3-0.6) and needles painted black on one surface of the sample from which the gap fraction of the sample is indirectly determined. Following this protocol typically results in distortions in optical properties, including underestimates in transmittance (sometimes negative …

The Relative Importance Of Patch Area And Perimeter–Area Ratio To Grassland Breeding Birds, Christopher J. Helzer, Dennis E. Jelinski

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Habitat fragmentation has been implicated as a major cause of population decline in grassland birds. We tested the hypothesis that a combination of area and shape determines the use of grassland patches by breeding birds. We compared both species richness and individual species presence in 45 wet meadow grasslands in the floodplain of the central Platte River, Nebraska. Bird data were collected through the use of belt transects and supplemented by walking and listening outside transects. Our data supported our primary hypothesis that perimeter–area ratio, which reflects both the area and shape of a patch, is the strongest predictor of …

Iron-Mediated Remediation Of Rdx-Contaminated Water And Soil Under Controlled Eh/Ph, J. Singh, Steven Comfort, Patrick Shea

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Soil and water contaminated with hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) is a serious environmental problem at several active and abandoned munitions production facilities. Zero-valent iron (Fe⁰) can effectively remediate RDX-contaminated soil and water. The objective of this study was to manipulate Eh and pH for enhanced Fe⁰-mediated destruction of RDX. This was accomplished by monitoring RDX destruction under controlled Eh-pH conditions (Eh: −300 to +150 mV; pH: 2−10). Decreasing Eh and pH increased RDX destruction in aqueous solution. Treating 20 mg of RDX L-1 (90 μM) under a static Eh of −150 mV and pH 7 with 20 g …

Temperature Trends Of The U.S. Historical Climatology Network Based On Satellite-Designated Land Use/Land Cover, Kevin P. Gallo, Timothy W. Owen, David R. Easterling, Paul F. Jamason

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The 1221 weather observation stations that compose the U.S. Historical Climatology Network were designated as either urban, suburban, or rural based on data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (OLS).

The Nebraska Earth Science Education Network Electronic Communication Project, D. C. Gosselin, R. Feurer, S. Frack, A. Musson, L. Mayo, C. Karel, E. Schaefer, C. Snyder, J. Sarchett, M. L. Alfieri

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Geology Of Rock Creek Station State Historical Park, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Contents

Location and Facilities
Geology of the Park
Valley Floor of Rock Creek
While You Are in the Area

Characterization And Improvement Of Eos Land Products Using Measurements At Ameriflux Grassland And Wheat Sites In The Arm/Cart Region: Research Annual Performance Report For Period March 1, 1999- February 29, 2000., E. A. Walter-Shea, S. B. Verma

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

A Geomorphology-Based Semi-Distributed Watershed Model, J. Szilagyi, M. B. Parlange

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

1999 Nebraska Central Mixedgrass Prairie Rapid Ecological Assessment, Mike Bullerman

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

This document has been prepared in partial fulfillment of the 1999 Central Mixedgrass Prairie ecoregion [CMGP] Rapid Ecological Assessment [REA] contract between the Nebraska Chapter of The Nature Conservancy [TNC] and Michael J. Bullerman [“contractor”]. The contract provided for the survey of selected untilled landscapes within the Nebraska portion of the CMGP ecoregion, excluding the Sandhills. The objectives of this study were to:

1) Identify relatively intact CMGP landscapes within the state of Nebraska,

2) Determine the ecological condition, threats, unique features, and conservation potential of these landscapes,

3) Determine land use practices implemented by landowners,

4) Determine landowner attitudes …

1999 Wildlife Management Area Threatened And Endangered Species Inventory, Final Report, Robert F. Steinauer

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

This study was undertaken to determine the extent of threatened and endangered (T&E) species habitats and high-quality native plant communities on Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). The Nebraska Natural Heritage Program (NHP) is responsible for environmental reviews of state projects that may impact threatened and endangered (T&E) species in Nebraska, including proposed management actions on state Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). These environmental reviews require a significant amount of NHP staff time, and frequently find no adverse impacts associated with the proposed management actions. This survey was undertaken to improve Nebraska Game and Parks Commissions (NGPC) …

Inventory Of The Central Mixed-Grass Prairie Ecoregion Of Kansas And Nebraska, Hillary Loring, Mike Bullerman, Kelly Kindscher

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

An inventory of potential high quality mixed-grass prairie ranches and large properties within the Central Mixed-Grass Prairie Ecoregion of Kansas and Nebraska was conducted in the spring and summer of 1999. Emphasis during the inventory was placed on identification of relatively intact landscapes. Significant ranches within those untilled landscapes were visited. An interview of the owners or managers of those properties was coupled with a survey of the vegetation. Assessments of quality were based on species composition, continuity of ground cover, observations of livestock impact, and viability of the community types present.

The objectives of this study were to:

1) …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 30, No.4 December 1998

The Prairie Naturalist

FISH COMMUNITY AND WATER QUALITY CHANGES IN THE BIG SIOUX RIVER ▪ D. Dieterman, and C. R. Berry, Jr.

EFFECTS OF PARASITOIDS AND COMPETITION ON CLUTCH SIZE OF A GALLING MIDGE ▪ D. J. Kinateder and S. J. Stein

RESPONSE OF BREEDING SEASON BLUE-WINGED TEAL TO DECOY TRAPPING ▪ P. R. Garrettson

COMPARISON OF POINT-COUNT AND WADE-FLUSH METHODS FOR COUNTING DUCKS ▪ G. M. Linz, C. P McMurl, H. J. Homan, and D. L. Bergman

Reviewers 1998

Author Index - Volume 30

Subject Index - Volume 30

Announcements

Factors Affecting The Movements Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) In Lake Ogallala, Nebraska, Tadd M. Barrow

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

No abstract provided.

Ecological Evaluation For The West Ash Creek Potential Research Natural Area, Pine Ridge Ranger Unit, Nebraska National Forest, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

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

The West Ash Creek Potential Research Natural Area is located within pastures 6, 7, and 11 of the Pine Ridge Unit of the Nebraska National Forest ca 18 mi. (30 km) southwest of Chadron, Nebraska. The area consists of ca 1020 acres of mostly successional pine forest burned in a 1985 wildfire, with unburned forest, some grassland, and riparian canyon bottoms. The area is within the Pine Ridge ecosystem of the White River watershed in northwestern Nebraska. The area has remained ungrazed nearly continuously since 1986.

This document was prepared to provide the Forest Service with information to determine the …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 30, No. 3 September 1998

The Prairie Naturalist

GROWTH OF SPOTIED BASS IN KANSAS STREAMS AND IMPOUNDMENTS ▪ J. S. Tillma and C. S. Guy

SIZE SELECTION OF RAINBOW SMELT BY SMALL MESH GILL NETS ▪ C. E. Freiburger and W. G. Duffy

ABUNDANCE AND HABITAT AFFINITIES OF Cyclotracheius substriatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) ON NORTHERN SHORTGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ N. E. Mcintyre 157

THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF CANDLE ANEMONE ▪ B. Molano-Flores and S. D. Hendrix

NOTES

Noteworthy Records of Bats from Southern Colorado ▪ E. W. Valdez

Eggshell Removal by Duck Hens Following

Partial Nest Depredation by Striped Skunk ▪ S. Lariviere and L. R. Walton

New Records of …

Birds And Agroecological Relationships In Organic And Non-Organic Farmland, Nancy A. Beecher

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

No abstract provided.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 30, No.2 June 1998

The Prairie Naturalist

REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF SHARP-TAILED GROUSE IN CENTRAL MONTANA ▪ K. R. Bousquet and J. J. Rotella

EFFECTS OF DROUGHT ON RECLAIMED GRASSLANDS IN WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ D. R. Kirby, L. M. Stewart, K. D. Krabbenhoft, and D. J. Nilson

MALE COMMON NIGHTHAWK USE OF GRAVEL ROADS AT NIGHT ▪ R. G. Poulin, L. D. Todd, and R. M. Brigham

RESTORATION AND STATUS OF THE RUFFED GROUSE IN KANSAS ▪ R. D. Rodgers, R. W. Wells, K. E. Church, R. L. Whiteaker, M. T. McFadden, D. S. Lekie, R. A. Bergquist, H. J. Abel, and R. D. Applegate

PITFALL TRAPPING …

Form, Function, And Evolution In Skulls And Teeth Of Bats, Patricia W. Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Bats provide a model system for tracking change from the primitive mammalian tooth pattern to patterns indicating the more-derived food habits of carnivory, nectarivory, frugivory, and sanguinivory. Whereas microchiropteran bats show all these transitions, megachiropterans illustrate an alternative pattern concerned only with frugivory and nectarivory. In microchiropterans, it is likely that carnivory nectarivory, frugivory, and sanguinivory are all derived from a dilambdodont insectivorous tooth pattern. Megachiropterans are troublesome because they appear as nectarivores or frugivores without a clear relationship to ancestral taxa.

The nature of the food item and how teeth respond to that item evolutionarily is an issue I …

Amphibians And Reptiles [Of The Sand Hills], Patricia W. Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Of the 60 species of amphibians and reptiles presently known from Nebraska, 27 are found in the Sand Hills and one more is marginal to the east. Fourteen species of the 60 are essentially state wide in distribution, including the Sand Hills, and eight species of reptiles are strongly influenced by the Sand Hills (Lynch, 1985). Of 12 species that occur widely over the moister eastern part of the state, only four extend into the Sand Hills, and one occurs only under the wet conditions along the rivers of the eastern Sand Hills.

Amphibians: Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum); …

Landowner And Tourist Attitudes Toward Elk Management In The Pine Ridge Region Of Northwestern Nebraska, R. Daniel Crank

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

No abstract provided.

Mammals [Of The Sand Hills], Patricia W. Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Of approximately 81 species of mammals present in Nebraska today, 55 occur in the Sand Hills, with an additional three species that are associated only with the Niobrara River. Nebraska as a whole is truly a crossroads for mammals because two-thirds of the species reach their distributional limits in the state (Jones, 1964). Most of these mammals are widespread species or are specific to the grasslands as a whole and are not affected by this sandy zone. Jones (1964) wrote that “only a few mammals are restricted to this area. Mostly it serves to filter western species moving east and, …

Influence Of Buffer Strip Width And Composition In Reduction Of Agricultural Non-Point Source Contaminants, Tim Schmitt

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

No abstract provided.

Inventory For Endangered, Threatened And Rare Plant And Animal Species Within The Floodplain Corridor Of The Middle Loup River Basin In Nebraska, Michael I. Fritz, Gerry Steinauer

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

This survey was conducted by Nebraska Natural Heritage Program of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission with funding received from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Grand Island office. This agreement was entered into on April 16, 1996. The objective of the agreement was to conduct a survey of a portion of the Loup River basin floodplain corridor for rare plant communities and plant and animal species. This is the final report of that survey. This report includes not only data collected directly as a result of field survey work associated with the project but also previous …