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
Control of one invasive plant species allows exotic grasses to become dominant in northern Great Plains grasslands
Decline of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in the northern Great Plains of the US is generally viewed as a success story for biological control, but quality of the vegetation that survived the infestation is key to recovery of ecosystem function. In addition, effects of other invasive species, notably cool-season exotic grasses, must be taken into account. Objectives of this study were (1) to evalu
Authors
D. L. Larson, J.L. Larson
Repeated use of an abandoned vehicle by nesting Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura)
Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) lay their eggs on an existing substrate in the dark recesses of a variety of natural sites (Kirk and Mossman 1998). Although an important requirement of Turkey Vulture nest-site selection is isolation from human disturbances (Kirk and Mossman 1998), their nests have been reported in abandoned buildings since at least the early 1800s (Nuttall 1832). Depopulation of
Authors
L.D. Igl, S.L. Peterson
Seeding method influences warm-season grass abundance and distribution but not local diversity in grassland restoration
Ecological theory predicts that the arrangement of seedlings in newly restored communities may influence future species diversity and composition. We test the prediction that smaller distances between neighboring seeds in drill seeded grassland plantings would result in lower species diversity, greater weed abundance, and larger conspecific patch sizes than otherwise similar broadcast seeded plant
Authors
Kathryn A. Yurkonis, Brian J. Wilsey, Kirk A. Moloney, Pauline Drobney, Diane L. Larson
Systematic status of wild Canis in North-central Texas
Skulls of wild Canis collected 2003–2004 in north-central Texas are morphometrically similar to a series taken there and in nearby areas in 1964–1971, which was considered to represent a population of Coyotes (C. latrans) modified through introgression from Red Wolves (C. rufus). A few of the new specimens closely resemble small examples of Red Wolves. Such affinity is supported by authoritative e
Authors
L. David Mech, Ronald M. Nowak
Problems with studying wolf predation on small prey in summer via global positioning system collars
We attempted to study predation on various-sized prey by a male and female wolf (Canis lupus) with global positioning system (GPS) collars programmed to acquire locations every 10 min in the Superior National Forest of Minnesota. During May to August 2007, we investigated 147 clusters of locations (31% of the total) and found evidence of predation on a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fa
Authors
Vicente Palacios, L. David Mech
Prolonged intensive dominance behavior between gray wolves, Canis lupus
Dominance is one of the most pervasive and important behaviors among wolves in a pack, yet its significance in free-ranging packs has been little studied. Insights into a behavior can often be gained by examining unusual examples of it. In the High Arctic near Eureka, Nunavut, Canada, we videotaped and described an unusually prolonged and intensive behavioral bout between an adult male Gray Wolf (
Authors
L. David Mech, H. Dean Cluff
Proportion of calves and adult muskoxen, Ovibos moschatus killed by gray wolves, Canis lupus, in July on Ellesmere Island
Generally Gray Wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) tend to focus predation on young-of-the-year ungulates during summer, and I hypothesized that wolves preying on Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus Zimmerman, 1780) in summer would follow that trend. Over 23 July periods observing wolves on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, I found that packs of 2-12 adult wolves killed seven calves, one yearling, and five adul
Authors
L. David Mech
Restricting wolves risks escape
Implementing the proposal set forth by Licht and colleagues (BioScience 60: 147–153) requires restricting wolves to tiny "islands," areas that are magnitudes smaller than the ranges of most wolf populations. Wolves naturally have large ranges; restricting their spatial needs increases the risk of wolves escaping, exacerbating public relations and political and legal problems.
These problems would
Authors
L. David Mech, Warren Ballard, Ed Bangs, Bob Ream
The dirt on sediments
In the wetland science field, sediment deposition is often thought of as being beneficial especially when one thinks of coastal estuarine systems. For example, sediments deposited from streams and rivers are necessary to naturally build and maintain tidal marshes. These sediments come from eroded upland soils in the interior of the continent. When these sediments are diverted from natural coastal
Authors
Loren M. Smith, Ned H. "Chip" Euliss
The need for simultaneous evaluation of ecosystem services and land use change
We are living in a period of massive global change. This rate of change may be almost without precedent in geologic history (1). Even the most remote areas of the planet are influenced by human activities. Modern landscapes have been highly modified to accommodate a growing human population that the United Nations has forecast to peak at 9.1 billion by 2050. Over this past century, reliance on ser
Authors
Ned H. Euliss, Loren M. Smith, Shu-Guang Liu, Min Feng, David M. Mushet, Roger F. Auch, Thomas R. Loveland
Factors associated with hunter success for ducks on state-owned lands in Illinois, USA
Factors that influence hunter success for waterfowl are subject to varying levels of control by managers. The relative influence of these factors is poorly understood, but such information may be valuable to guide management actions intended to promote successful hunting and communicate management decisions to constituents. We used bag-check data to investigate factors influencing hunter success f
Authors
Joshua D. Stafford, Aaron T. Pearse, Christopher S. Hine, Aaron P. Yetter, Michelle M. Horath
Nitrogen-limitation and invasive sweetclover impacts vary between two Great Plains plant communities
Yellow sweetclover is an exotic herbaceous legume common in the Great Plains of the US. Although woody legumes have been shown to affect ecosystem processes through nitrogen (N) fixation (i.e., they can be considered "transformers" sensu Richardson et al. (2000)), the same has not been shown for short-lived herbaceous species. The objectives of this study were to (1) quantify the effects of yellow
Authors
Laura C. Van Riper, Diane L. Larson, Jennifer L. Larson