Publications
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center staff publish results of their research in USGS series reports and in peer-reviewed journals. Publication links are below. Information on all USGS publications can be found at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 1907
Least tern and piping plover nesting at sand pits in Nebraska
Endangered Least Terns (Sterna antillarum) and threatened Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) nest at commercial sand and gravel mining operations (sand pits) along the Platte River system in Nebraska. Sandbar habitat has been disappearing since the early 1900's along the Platte River system, but numbers of sand pits have increased. We hypothesized that birds would more fully utilize sand pits whe
Authors
John G. Sidle, E.M. Kirsch
Dietary ecology of breeding recurvirostrids in hypersaline environments
Abstract has not been submitted
Authors
R.J. Cooper, D. A. Barnum
A sampler for quantifying the vertical distribution of macroinvertebrates in shallow wetlands
A sampler for quantifying the vertical distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates in wetlands is described. This device will facilitate quantitative sampling of macroinvertebrates in waterfowl ecology and related studies. Because it simultaneously collects benthic and pelagic invertebrates the sampler reduces bias associated with sampling macroinvertebrates that occupy the benthic-pelagic interfac
Authors
J. MacKay, N.H. Euliss
The importance of fluvial hydraulics to fish-habitat in low-gradient alluvial streams
1. A major cause of degradation and loss of stream fish is alteration of physical habitat within and adjacent to the channel. We describe a potentially efficient approach to fish restoration based upon the relationship between fluvial hydraulics, geomorphology, and those habitats important to fish.2. The aquatic habitat in a low-gradient, alluvial stream in the Ozark Plateaus physiographical provi
Authors
Charles F. Rabeni, Robert B. Jacobson
Geomorphic and hydraulic influences on the abundance and distribution of stream centrarchids in Ozark U.S.A. streams
Abstract has not been submitted
Authors
C.F. Rabeni, R. B. Jacobson
Effects of grazing on nesting by upland sandpipers in southcentral North Dakota
Grazing by livestock is often used to reduce litter, improve plant vigor, and alter plant species composition, but additional information is needed on the effects of these management practices on upland-nesting birds. Thus, we conducted an experimental study of the effect of grazing on nest density and nest success of upland sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda) in southcentral North Dakota from 1981
Authors
Bonnie S. Bowen, Arnold D. Kruse
Changes in chemical characteristics of water in selected wetlands in the Cottonwood Lake area, North Dakota, U.S.A., 1967-1989
No abstract available.
Authors
James W. LaBaugh, George A. Swanson
Human disturbances of waterfowl: An annotated bibliography
The expansion of outdoor recreation greatly increased the interaction between the public, waterfowl, and waterfowl habitat. The effects of these interactions on waterfowl habitats are visible and obvious, whereas the effects of interactions that disrupt the normal behavior of waterfowl are subtle and often overlooked, but perhaps no less harmful than destruction of habitat. Resource managers an
Authors
R.B. Dahlgren, C. E. Korschgen
Human disturbances of waterfowl: causes, effects, and management
Human disturbances of waterfowl can be intentional or unintentional. They may result from overt or directed activities or may be ancillary to activities not initially thought to be of concern to birds. Some of these disturbances are manifested by alertness, fright (obvious or inapparent), flight, swimming, disablement, or death. Therefore, persons responsible for waterfowl management areas should
Authors
C. E. Korschgen, R.B. Dahlgren
The timing of wing molt in tundra swans: energetic and non-energetic constraints
Date of wing molt initiation, based on the regression of tenth primary length on capture date, was calculated for breeding and nonbreeding Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus columbianus) on the Colville River Delta, Alaska. Breeding females initiated wing molt significantly later than breeding males and nonbreeding males and females; the molt of breeding females was correlated with the date on which
Authors
S.L. Earnst
An evaluation of regression methods to estimate nutritional condition of canvasbacks and other water birds
Regression equations that use mensural data to estimate body condition have been developed for several water birds. These equations often have been based on data that represent different sexes, age classes, or seasons, without being adequately tested for intergroup differences. We used proximate carcass analysis of 538 adult and juvenile canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria ) collected during fall mi
Authors
D. W. Sparling, J.A. Barzen, J.R. Lovvorn, J.R. Serie
A stochastic population model of mid-continental mallards
We developed a simulation model that integrates infonnation on factors affecting the population dynamics of mallards in the mid-continental region of the United States. In the model we vary age, body mass, and reproductive and molt status of simulated females. Females use several types of nesting and foraging habitat in 15 geographic areas. Deterministic and stochastic events cause mortality or at
Authors
Rolf R. Koford, J.R. Sauer, D. H. Johnson, J. D. Nichols, M. D. Samuel