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: 1913
Persistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields Persistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields
For nearly 40 years, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has implemented practices to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators on highly erodible cropland in the United States. However, an approximately 40,470 ha (10 million acres) decline in enrolled CRP land over the last decade has greatly reduced the program's environmental...
Authors
Mark W. Vandever, Kenneth Elgersma, Sarah K. Carter, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Timothy J. Assal, David S. Pilliod, David M. Mushet, Rich Iovanna
A field test of R package GPSeqClus: For establishing animal location clusters A field test of R package GPSeqClus: For establishing animal location clusters
The ability to track animals with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars opened an enormous potential for studying animal movements and behaviour in their natural environment. One such endeavour is to identify clusters of GPS locations as a way to estimate predator kill rate. Clapp et al. (2021) developed an R package (GPSeqClus) to assess a location dataset based on user-defined...
Authors
H. Dean Cluff, L. David Mech
Searching for the Achilles heel(s) for maintaining invertebrate biodiversity across complexes of depressional wetlands Searching for the Achilles heel(s) for maintaining invertebrate biodiversity across complexes of depressional wetlands
Wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide due to climate change and land-use conversion. Regional biodiversity of temporary wetlands is dependent on the existence of habitat complexes with variable hydroperiods. Because temperature and rainfall regimes are predicted to shift globally, together with land-use patterns, different scenarios of wetland loss are expected in...
Authors
Mateus M. Pires, Patricia E. Garcia, Leonardo Maltchik, Cristina Stenert, Luis B. Epele, Kyle McLean, Jamie M. Kneitel, Sophie Racey, Darold P. Batzer
Modeled production, oxidation, and transport processes of wetland methane emissions in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions Modeled production, oxidation, and transport processes of wetland methane emissions in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions
Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The eddy covariance method provides robust measurements of net ecosystem exchange of CH4, but interpreting its spatiotemporal variations is challenging due to the co-occurrence of CH4 production, oxidation, and transport dynamics. Here, we estimate these three processes using a data-model fusion approach across...
Authors
Masahito Ueyama, Sarah Knox, Kyle B. Delwiche, Sheel Bansal, William J. Riley, Dennis Baldocchi, Takashi Hirano, Gavin McNicol, Karina Schafer, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Benjamin Poulter, Robert B. Jackson, Kuang-Yu Chang, Jiquan Chen, Housen Chu, Ankur R. Desai, Sebastien Gogo, Hiroki Iwata, Minseok Kang, Ivan Mammarella, Matthias Peichl, Oliver Sonnentag, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Youngryel Ryu, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Mathias Goeckede, Adrien Jacotot, Mats B. Nilsson, Torsten Sachs
Identifying physical characteristics and functional traits of forbs preferred or highly visited by bees in the Prairie Pothole Region Identifying physical characteristics and functional traits of forbs preferred or highly visited by bees in the Prairie Pothole Region
Establishing and enhancing pollinator habitat to support declining bee populations is a national goal within the United States. Pollinator habitat is often created through incentive-based conservation programs, and the inclusion of cost-effective forbs within the habitat design is a critical component of such programs. U.S. Geological Survey research from 2015 to 2019 identified forb...
Authors
Stacy C. Simanonok, Clint R.V. Otto
Maximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands Maximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands
Key Takeaways Nutrient loads from croplands continue to negatively affect surface water quality, despite considerable investments in and adoption of agricultural conservation practices aimed at reducing nutrient losses. Numerous studies indicate that effective restoration and management of wetlands in and adjacent to cultivated croplands could reduce surface and subsurface nutrient loads...
Authors
Owen P. McKenna, Caryn D Ross, Joseph Prenger
Vulnerable waters are essential to watershed resilience Vulnerable waters are essential to watershed resilience
Watershed resilience is the ability of a watershed to maintain its characteristic system state while concurrently resisting, adapting to, and reorganizing after hydrological (for example, drought, flooding) or biogeochemical (for example, excessive nutrient) disturbances. Vulnerable waters include non-floodplain wetlands and headwater streams, abundant watershed components representing...
Authors
Charles R. Lane, Irena F. Creed, Heather E. Golden, Scott G. Leibowitz, David M. Mushet, Mark C. Rains, Qiusheng Wu, Ellen D’Amico, Laurie C. Alexander, Genevieve A. Ali, Nandita B. Basu, Micah G. Bennett, Jay R. Christensen, Matthew J. Cohen, Tim P. Covino, Ben DeVries, Ryan A. Hill, Kelsey G. Jencso, Megan W. Lang, Daniel L. McLaughlin, Donald O. Rosenberry, Jennifer Rover, Melanie K. Vanderhoof
Effect of repeated fire on annual brome invasion at Badlands National Park Effect of repeated fire on annual brome invasion at Badlands National Park
Prescribed fire is used to combat exotic plant species in mixed-grass prairie of Northern Great Plains parks. However, prescribed fires rarely occur at a frequency likely to maintain any gains against exotic species. The unusual circumstance of experimental plots being burned twice in 2 years provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effect of more frequent fire on invasive annual...
Authors
Amy Symstad
The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data
Nutrient pollution causing harmful algal blooms and eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic systems. Throughout North America, agricultural activities are the largest source of excess nutrients entering these systems. Agricultural intensification has also been a driver in the historical removal of depressional wetlands, contributing to increased hydrological connectivity across...
Authors
Caryn D Ross, Owen P. McKenna
Comparison of microscopy and metabarcoding to identify pollen used by the critically endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis Comparison of microscopy and metabarcoding to identify pollen used by the critically endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis
Taxonomic analysis of pollen collected by bees can provide insights into their host plant use, providing information about the plant species selected for targeted conservation strategies. The two main identification approaches used are morphological analysis of pollen samples affixed to microscope slides (i.e., microscopic palynology) and molecular analysis of samples. Both methods are...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Deborah Iwanowicz, Clayton D. Raines, Thomas J. Wood, Rufus Isaacs, Robert S. Cornman, Clint R.V. Otto
Wetland occupancy by duck broods in cropland-dominated landscapes of the United States Prairie Pothole Region Wetland occupancy by duck broods in cropland-dominated landscapes of the United States Prairie Pothole Region
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is globally important for breeding waterfowl but has been altered via wetland drainage and grassland conversion to accommodate agricultural land use. Thus, understanding the ecology of waterfowl in these highly modified landscapes is essential for their conservation. Brood occurrence is the cumulative outcome of key life-history events including pair...
Authors
Blake J Mitchell, Catrina V Terry, Kevin M Ringelman, Kaylan M Kemink, Michael J. Anteau, Adam K. Janke
Divergent responses of butterflies and bees to burning and grazing management in tallgrass prairies Divergent responses of butterflies and bees to burning and grazing management in tallgrass prairies
Butterflies and bees contribute significantly to grassland biodiversity and play important roles as pollinators and herbivores. Grassland conservation and management must be seen through the lens of insect conservation and management if these species are to thrive. In North America, grasslands are a product of climate and natural disturbances such as fire and grazing. These natural...
Authors
Julia B. Leone, Nora P. Pennarola, Jennifer Larson, Karen Oberhauser, Diane L. Larson