Weed Science Commons^™

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 …

Relationships Of Exotic Plant Invasions With Biological Soil Crust, Desert Pavement, And Soil Carbon In The Eastern Mojave Desert, Adria Decorte

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In a matter of 50 years, exotic annual plants have become widespread in the Mojave Desert, contributing to drastic landscape changes such as those caused by recent fires. Invasions by exotics threaten native Mojave Desert plant communities by altering community functions (e.g. fire regimes) and by reducing plant diversity. Because it is not practical, or even possible, to eradicate these exotics, developing effective prevention techniques is the key to controlling these invasions.

This thesis used a greenhouse experiment, a field experiment, and a correlational field study to examine the affect soil surface types have on the establishment of three exotic …

The Value Of Break Crops In Weed Management, Wayne Parker, Ian Pritchard, Abul Hashem

Bulletins 4000 -

This publication discusses the effect on weed management of the inclusion of break crops (lupin, field pea, chickpea, faba bean, lentil and canola) in the cropping rotation compared to a rotation of continuous cereals.

Including break crops in the cropping rotation allows weed management options unavailable or not suited in wheat. For example, growing field peas allows crop-topping/ desiccation for weed seed set control, crop topping cannot be used in wheat without severe yield loss. Problem weeds can be targeted through break crops, for example, grass weeds are generally more easily controlled in break crops than in cereals. Most weed …

Review Of 620 Wild Plants Of North America: Fully Illustrated. By Tom Reaume., Mark J. Leoschke

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Beautifully and profusely illustrated with the author's black-and-white drawings, the 12-year project that became this book shows his love for plants. Tom Reaume focuses on a representative selection of primarily native vascular plants of the Great Plains of Canada and the northern United States found in forests, lakes, prairies, rivers, and wetlands. The book appears to be designed as a supplement for an introductory course in plant taxonomy.

This book is a useful reference for those interested in the flora of the northern Great Plains and adjacent regions. I highly recommend it for college and university libraries where botany and …

Review Of The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide To Seed And Seedling Identification In The Upper Midwest. By Dave Williams., H. L. Hillhouse

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

This book will please both practitioners of prairie restoration and more general prairie enthusiasts. It includes 72 grass and forb species, and the focus is clearly on species often found in tallgrass prairie plantings in the upper Midwest. The grasses and forbs are presented separately here, and for each group a morphological key is provided to divide the species into "Key Characteristic Groups." Because these groups are based on morphological similarity, species within a group are often-but not always-closely related.

Short and highly portable, the book covers the most common species in plantings. The only thing that would have delighted …

Do Invasive Riparian Woody Plants Affect Hydrology And Ecosystem Processes?, Julie Huddle, Tala Awada, Derrel Martin, Xinhua Zhou, Sue Ellen Pegg, Scott Josiah

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

© 2011 Copyright by the Center for Greot Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Spring 2011, Scott R. Abella, Ross Guida, S. D. Smith, Christopher L. Roberts, Haroon Stephen, William J. Smith, Zhongwei Liu, James S. Holland, Aurore Giguet

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Red brome distribution in the eastern Mojave Desert, A look at the UNLV xeric gardens and Marjorie Barrick museum, Summary of recent science synthesis efforts

Crop Updates 2011 - Weeds, Grant Thompson, Abul Hashem, Catherine Borger, Peter Newman, Mike Ashworth, Glen Riethmuller, David Minkey, Harmohinder Dhammu, David Nicholson, Michael Walsh, Ray Harrington, Nicholas Woods

Crop Updates

This session covers twelve papers from different authors:

1. Herbicides for selective spot spraying application on winter weeds in chemical fallow, Grant Thompson, Landmark/Crop Circle Consulting, Geraldton

2. Management of emerging weeds within the Western Australian wheatbelt, Abul Hashem and Catherine Borger Department of Agriculture and Food

3. Integrated Weed Management (IWM) – it’s all about early sowing of a big crop, Peter Newman, Department of Agriculture and Food

4. Increased water rates improve the performance of trifluralin in minimum tillage systems, Catherine Borger1, Mike Ashworth2, Glen Riethmuller1, David Minkey2, Abul …

Crop Updates 2011 - Farming Systems, Janette Drew, Rob Grima, Bob French, Raj Malik, Mark Seymour, Christine Zaicou-Kunesch, Glenn Mcdonald, Brendon Nicholas, Dennis Van Gool, James Fisher, Peter Tozer, Doug Abrecht, Michael Robertson, Cameron Weeks, Michael O'Conner, Peter Newman, Mike Clarke, Andrew Blake, Gordon Macaulay, Vijay Jayasena, Syed M. Nasar-Abbas, Larisa Cato, Robert Loughman, Ken Quail

Crop Updates

This session covers twelve papers from different authors:

1. Fallowing 50% of the farm each year – does it pay? Janette Drew and Rob Grima

Department of Agriculture and Food

2. How crop sequences affect the productivity and resilience of cropping systems in two Western Australian environments, Bob French, Raj Malik, Mark Seymour, Department of Agriculture and Food

3. When is continuous wheat or barley sustainable? Christine Zaicou-Kunesch and Rob Grima Department of Agriculture and Food

4. Identifying constraints to bridging the yield gap, Glenn McDonald, Department of Agriculture and Food

5. Land constraints limiting wheat yields in …

Western Australia's Biosecurity, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Department Of Environment And Conservation, Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia, Forest Products Commission, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Biosecurity is the protection of the economy, environment and human health from the negative impacts of pests, weeds and diseases, including the management of invasive species if they become established (definition adopted by AusBIOSEC).

This requires steps to prevent the entry of harmful organisms, as well as the timely and efficient management of them if they do enter.

Biosecurity threats range from catastrophic diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, which causes rapid and widespread animal deaths, to more subtle and slower spreading problems such as invasive weeds, mussels that foul vessel hulls and fungus-induced dieback disease of trees. These …

Revegetating Burned Arid Lands: Identifying Successful Native Species Using Trait And Competition Analysis: Final Report, Scott R. Abella

Fire Science

Species selection can make the difference between successful revegetation projects and costly failures. Candidate native species for revegetating burned arid lands in the southwestern United States must meet at least two criteria. These species must: (1) be competitive in postfire environments typically dominated by exotic grasses, and (2) be able to become established reliably by seeding or planting. In response to Manager’s Request Task 3 (reestablishment of native vegetation after fires on arid lands) in the 2006 JFS announcement for proposals, this research tackled the problem of selecting native species with the greatest chance of revegetation success by conducting synergistic …

Invasive Species And Climate Change, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

ISSUE

Climate change interacts with and can often amplify the negative impacts of invasive species. These interactions are not fully appreciated or understood. They can result in threats to critical ecosystem functions on which our food system and other essential provisions and services depend as well as increase threats to human health. The Invasive Species Advisory Committee to the National Invasive Species Council recognizes the Administration’s commitment to dealing proactively with global climate change. However, unless we recognize and act on the impact of climate change and its interaction with ecosystems and invasive species, we will fall further behind in …

Reporting Results Of Data Analysis, Preparing Scientific Manuscripts, And Website Development Efforts, Christopher N. Jacques

The Prairie Naturalist

Preparation of scientific manuscripts and use and presentation of statistics have been topics of several commentaries from previous journal Editors-in-Chief, and have been submitted as invited papers, so I would like to share my perspective as the current Editor-in-Chief (Editor) of The Prairie Naturalist (Journal). Because there is not complete consensus among the experts about when hypothesis testing versus information theoretic methods, or Bayesian versus frequentist methods are suitable, previous Editors have avoided presenting their perspectives (Thompson 2010). I also will avoid presenting my perspective as Editor. I will, however, present my perspective on several of these approaches and then …

Cropland Nesting By Long-Billed Curlews In Southern Alberta, James H. Devries, Steven O. Rimer, Elizabeth M. Walsh

The Prairie Naturalist

Long-billed curlews (Numenius americanus) are described primarily as a grassland nesting species. However, no studies to date have quantified nest habitat selection among available habitats. During a study of waterfowl nest habitat selection and success in landscapes ranging from cropland to grassland-dominated, we found 9 curlew nests of which 8 were located in active cropland within cropland-dominated landscapes. Cropland nests occurred in fall-seeded winter wheat and spring-seeded barley and nests were clumped in distribution. Four cropland nests and 1 nest in native grass pasture hatched young. Further research is needed to characterize nesting habitat selection and reproductive success …

Review Of Weeds Of The Midwestern United States & Central Canada, Edited By Charles T. Bryson And Michael S. Defelice, James Stubbendieck

The Prairie Naturalist

This volume is the culmination of work by more than 40 weed scientists and botanists. Its stated purpose is to help identifY the great diversity of weedy and invasive plants that interface with agriculture, industry, and natural ecosystems in central North America. The geographic range covered by this book extends from southeastern Saskatchewan to eastern Kansas, northern Kentucky, northwestern Pennsylvania, and southwestern Quebec. This is a welcome edition because a current book on unwanted plants has not been available for the eastern two-thirds of this region. The book is arranged taxonomically by family and alphabetically by species within each family. …

Summer Activity Pattern And Home Range Of Northern Pocket Gophers In An Alfalfa Field, Jon C. Pigage, Helen K. Pigage

The Prairie Naturalist

AIlocation of time for feeding, resting and reproduction in subterranean animals is difficult to determine. Although pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.) are among the most widely studied subterranean rodents, there are conflicting reports on activity measurement in these animals. Activity studies have included opening gopher burrows (Tryon 1947), laboratory studies of activity (Vaughan and Hansen 1961), telemetry studies (Anderson and McMahon 1981, Bandoli 1987, and Cameron et al. 1988), and subcutaneously implanted radioactive gold wires (Gettinger 1984). The diversity of techniques reflects the difficulty of generalizing results from different species of pocket gophers in natural and artificial environments. Patton and …

Review Of Grouse Of The Plains And Mountains - The South Dakota Story, By Lester D. Flake, John W. Connelly, Thomas R. Kirschenmann, And Andrew J. Lindbloom., Brent E. Jamison

The Prairie Naturalist

Grouse are a fascinating group of birds that offer elaborate breeding displays for birders in the spring, provide sporting opportunities for hunters in the fall, and serve as indicators of grassland health. Though the authors claim that the book targets those who enjoy the outdoors, bird watching, and upland game bird hunting, there is ample reason for ecologists, ornithologists, and grouse researchers to reference this book as well. The book contains general information of interest to a broad audience, but often moves beyond the introductory information to greater detail. Many details are supported by peer-reviewed literature. This book strikes a …

Current Distribution Of Rare Fishes In Eastern Wyoming Prairie Streams, Christina E. Barrineau, Elizabeth A. Bear, Anna C. Senecal

The Prairie Naturalist

Distributions of native fishes have declined throughout the Great Plains region. Over 50% of native fishes within the Missouri River drainage in Wyoming have experienced declines in distributions. Thus, the primary goal of our study was to assess current distribution of rare native fishes in eastern Wyoming prairie streams. Of the 10 rare fishes sampled, goldeye (Hiodon alosoides), western silvery minnow (Hybognathus argyritis), plains minnow (H. hankinsoni), and Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile) have experienced declines in distribution over the last decade. Plains topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus) appears to be expanding to areas outside …