Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Wetland Inundation Mapping And Wetland Restoration Planning: A Case Study Of Playa Wetlands, Nebraska, Yue Gu

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

There has been a variety of wetland monitoring projects implemented in playa wetlands in Nebraska over the last decades. But there is still a lack of continuous wetland monitoring on long-term and large-area dimension. Because inundation condition is one of the critical parameters to describe wetland hydrologic performance, this study aims to assess the inundation alteration in playa wetlands in Nebraska and evaluate the performance of wetland conservation and restoration practices. This study uses the Landsat data to create playa wetland inundation condition maps and analyze the variation trend of inundated playa wetlands over the past 30 years. The results …

Why Add Edible And Floral Plants To Riparian Forest Buffers?

Working Trees (USDA-NAC)

Why add edible and floral plants to riparian forest buffers?

Multifunctional riparian forest buffers (MRFBs) offer the opportunity to produce perennial crops of native fruits and nuts, as well as floral trees and shrubs.

Spatial Analysis Of Distributions And Habitat Conditions Of Fallopia Japonica (Japanese Knotweed) Invasive Species Applying Unmanned Helicopter Remote Sensing, Jiazhen Zhang

Great Lakes Center Masters Theses

Abstract:

Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) is a perennial herbaceous plant that is native to East Asia. It is considered as one of the worst invasive species worldwide because of its serious impact on biological diversity and human activities (Lowe et al., 2001). Once established, Japanese knotweed forms dense stands that shade and crowd out native plant species. The objectives of this research were to verify and confirm the distribution of Japanese knotweed as published online by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) – iMap and to identify the geographic areas of spreading and the local habitat conditions. In …

Book Reviews: Bumble Bees Of North America. Paul H. Williams, Robbin W. Thorp, Leif L. Richardson, And Sheila R. Colla., Samuel O’Dell

The Prairie Naturalist

Bumblebee identification is generally considered straight- forward, yet mistakes often are made due to the degree of similarity between the color patterns of different species. Bumble Bees of North America aims to improve the accuracy of identifications by both casual observers and professionals through the use of intuitive diagrams, descriptions, and the more technical dichotomous keys. In addition to providing the first complete field guide to North American bumblebees, the authors make efficient use of the reader’s attention by summarizing taxonomic history, favored food plants, and environmental issues concerning bumblebees.

Bumble Bees of North America is organized into three distinct …

Effects Of Short-Term Soil Conditioning By Cheatgrass And Western Wheatgrass, James J. O'Connor, Janet S. Prevey

The Prairie Naturalist

The exotic grass Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) is a ubiquitous invader in the western USA. Cheatgrass is a proficient competitor, frequently displacing native plants, forming monotypic stands and reducing biodiversity in ecosystems it invades. Our experiment tested whether short-term soil modification by cheatgrass and a predominant native grass, Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass), affected subsequent growth of both species. We compared productivity of cheatgrass and western wheatgrass by harvesting aboveground biomass of plants grown in either cheatgrass- or western wheatgrass-conditioned soils over two simulated growing seasons. Results indicated that cheatgrass soils do not inhibit the productivity of the native grass, but do …

North Shore: A Natural History Of Minnesota’S Superior Coast, Janet R. Koeugh

The Prairie Naturalist

Many readers of The Prairie Naturalist have lived along or visited Lake Superior’s coast. Like me, you have probably wondered about the geology and history of this beautiful and dramatic feature of northeastern Minnesota. Chel Anderson and Adelheid Fischer have written an accessible book that comprehensively describes the history and geology of the coast, surrounding highlands, and Lake Superior itself. In addition, the authors have provided fascinating subchapters on some of the most interesting species that are key elements of the region.

This rather large but beautiful book is arranged in five major chapters that cover the dominant geological units …

Remembering Paul B. Kannowski, Robert Seabloom

The Prairie Naturalist

I am saddened to report that Dr. Paul Kannowski passed away 3 September 2015, succumbing to cancer. He was 88. A native of Grand Forks, Paul attended the University of North Dakota for his B.S. and M.S. degrees, and the University of Michigan for his Ph.D. He joined the University of North Dakota Biology Department in 1957, retiring in 1990 after 33 years of service

Paul chaired UND’s Biology Department twice, totaling 13 years, considered to be a remarkable achievement by many of us who have been exposed to that task! His leadership was instrumental in the nearly exponential growth …

Variability In The Selection Patterns Of Pronghorn: Are They Really Native Prairie Obligates?, Paul F. Jones, Mike Grue, Mike Suitor, Darren J. Bender, Cormack Gates, Dale Eslinger, Julie Landry-Deboer

The Prairie Naturalist

In Canada, pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are primarily considered a native prairie obligate because of their reliance on open grassland vegetation communities, although an assessment of local ecological knowledge suggests that pronghorn in Alberta select a variety of habitat from native prairie to cultivated lands. The primary objective of our study was to assess whether pronghorn in Alberta and Saskatchewan are native prairie obligates. Specifically, we addressed the following questions: 1) do individual pronghorn show similar selection patterns for native prairie and, therefore, support the notion that they are prairie obligates; 2) do pronghorn show consistent resource selection patterns …

Remembering The Days Of Old: Data Exploration And Simple Statistics, Christopher N. Jacques

The Prairie Naturalist

Greetings GPNSS members! By the time you read this editorial, most of you will probably be enjoying spectacular seasonal changes in the outdoors this autumn and a hint of winter in the air (for those of us in the northern Great Plains region). I write this editorial during my favorite time of year, deer hunting in the Midwest. Temperatures are finally start- ing to resemble the fall and the Christmas Holiday season is just around the corner. Much like my children have images of Santa dancing in their heads on Christmas Eve, each fall I replay images of a trophy …

Notes: Woodpecker Forage Availability In Habi- Tat Disturbances Of The Black Hills, Brian E. Dickerson, Angie K. Ambourn, Mark A. Rumble, Kurt K. Allen, Chad P. Lehman

The Prairie Naturalist

Habitat disturbance events are critical to ecological systems in which some bird species have become specialized. The vegetation community, reduced competition, ability to avoid predators, nest-site characteristics, and forage opportunities within a disturbed ecosystem are all aspects that make it desirable for selection by particular species (Svärdson 1949, Cody 1981, Martin 1998). Specifically, avian species rely on the forest conditions created by fire, insects, and disease (Brawn et al. 2001, Hunter et al. 2001, Devictor et al. 2008). In the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) of South Dakota,two major types of natural disturbances include wildfires and mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus …

Estimating Herbaceous Biomass Of Grassland Vegetation Using The Reference Unit Method, Eric D. Boyda, Jack L. Bulter, Lan Xu

The Prairie Naturalist

Aboveground net primary production provides valuable information on wildlife habitat, fire fuel loads, and forage availability. Aboveground net primary production in herbaceous plant communities is typically measured by clipping aboveground biomass. However, the high costs associated with physically harvesting plant biomass may prevent collecting sufficient data to account for natural spatial and temporal variability of vegetation at a landscape scale. Various double-sampling techniques have been developed to increase sample size while reducing cost. We applied a biomass estimation technique previously developed for estimating shrub biomass using representative samples or “reference units” to estimate herbaceous grassland biomass. Our reference units consisted …

Identification Of Morphemes And The Effect Of Memory Load On Second Language Learning, James A. Hebert

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Olfactory Enrichment In California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus), Mystera M. Samuelson

Dissertations

In the wild, California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are exposed to a wide array of sensory information at all times. However, it is impossible for captive environments to provide this level of complexity. Therefore unique procedures and practices are necessary for the maintenance of physiological and psychological health in captive animals (Wells, 2009). This project aims to explore the behavioral effect of scent added to the environment, with the goal of improving the welfare of captive sea lions by introducing two scent types: 1.) Natural scents, found in their native environment, and 2.) Non-natural scents, not found in …

Improving The Resilience Of Mixed-Farm Systems To Pending Climate Change In Far Western Nepal: Endline Survey Report, D. Layne Coppock

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

This report presents general findings from an endline survey carried out during May 2015 in Jugada, Budhiganga, Attichaur and Gudukhati Village Development Committees (VDCs) in Bajura District. A total of 320 households were surveyed, a total of 80 per VDC. Two of the VDCs—Jugada and Budhiganga—received capacity-building interventions for 16 months concerning climate-change adaptation, poverty reduction, and other aspects of well-being, while two VDCs—Attichaur and Gudkhati—were their "paired controls," respectively, that did not receive interventions. The interventions were largely delivered as informal educational or training modules.

Sage-Grouse Nests In An Active Conifer Mastication Site, Charles P. Sandford, David K. Dahlgren, Terry A. Messmer

The Prairie Naturalist

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) have experienced long-term range-wide population declines and now may occupy less than 50% of their historic range (Schroeder et al. 2004). Conifer encroachment into sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat was identified as a major conservation threat by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as the agency reviewed the listing status of the species for possible protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (USFWS 2013).

Conifer encroachment into sagebrush habitats negatively impacts sage-grouse at landscape scales (Doherty et al. 2008, Casazza et al. 2011, Baruch-Mordo et al. 2013). Sage-grouse will utilize …

North Shore: A Natural History Of Minnesota’S Superior Coast, Janet R. Keough

The Prairie Naturalist

Many readers of The Prairie Naturalist have lived along or visited Lake Superior’s coast. Like me, you have probably wondered about the geology and history of this beautiful and dramatic feature of northeastern Minnesota. Chel Anderson and Adelheid Fischer have written an accessible book that comprehensively describes the history and geology of the coast, surrounding highlands, and Lake Superior itself. In addition, the authors have provided fascinating subchapters on some of the most interesting species that are key elements of the region.

This rather large but beautiful book is arranged in five major chapters that cover the dominant geological units …

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 …

West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery, Jason R. How, F J. Webster, K. L. Travaille, Kim Nardi, A. V. Harry

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery (WCDSCMF) and contains information relevant to assist the assessment of this fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing.

West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (Area 2: Peel-Harvey Estuary) & Peel-Harvey Estuary Blue Swimmer Crab Recreational Fishery, Danielle Johnston, K. A. Smith, J. I. Brown, K. L. Travaille, Fiona Crowe, R. K. Oliver, E. A. Fisher

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (WCEMF) Area 2 (Peel-Harvey Estuary) and the Peel-Harvey Estuary Blue Swimmer Crab Recreational Fishery in Western Australia and contains information relevant to assist with the assessment of these fisheries against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing.

Increased Taxonomic And Functional Similarity Does Not Increase The Trophic Similarity Of Communities, Thomas K. Pool, Julien Cucherousset, Stéphanie Boulêtreau, Sébastien Villéger, Angela L. Strecker, Gaël Grenouillet

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aim: Despite a long-standing research interest in the association between the biodiversity (i.e. taxonomic and functional composition) and trophic structure of communities, our understanding of the relationship remains limited. Community assembly theory predicts that niche partitioning will result in communities with a diverse array of functional traits, which in turn may facilitate a correspondingly diverse array of trophic interactions that define the trophic niche of those communities. The aim of our study is to test this prediction.

Methods: We built a database composed of functional traits and stable isotope values (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) for …