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
The Restoration Rapid Assessment Tool: An Access/Visual Basic application
Managers of parks and natural areas are increasingly faced with difficult decisions concerning restoration of disturbed lands. Financial and workforce resources often limit these restoration efforts, and rarely can a manager afford to address all concerns within the region of interest. With limited resources, managers and scientists have to decide which areas will be targeted for restoration and t
Authors
Ron Hiebert, D. L. Larson, K. Thomas, N. Tancreto, D. Haines, A. Richey, T. Dow, L. Drees
Sustainable wetland management and support of ecosystem services
This article is a follow-up on a previous piece in the National Wetlands Newsletter in which we outlined problems associated with a static, local approach to wetland management versus an alternative that proposes a temporal and geomorphic approach (Euliss et al. 2009). We extend that concept by drawing on companion papers recently published in the journal Wetlands (Euliss et al. 2008, Smith et al.
Authors
Loren M. Smith, Ned H. Euliss, Douglas A. Wilcox, Mark M. Brinson
Historical range, current distribution, and conservation status of the Swift Fox, Vulpes velox, in North America
The Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) was once common in the shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies of the Great Plains of North America. The species' abundance declined and its distribution retracted following European settlement of the plains. By the late 1800s, the species had been largely extirpated from the northern portion of its historical range, and its populations were acutely depleted elsewhere. Swi
Authors
Marsha A. Sovada, Robert O. Woodward, Lawrence D. Igl
Role of invasive Melilotus officinalis in two native plant communities
This study examines the impact of the exotic nitrogen-fixing legume Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam. on native and exotic species cover in two Great Plains ecosystems in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Melilotus is still widely planted and its effects on native ecosystems are not well studied. Melilotus could have direct effects on native plants, such as through competition or facilitation. A
Authors
Laura C. Van Riper, Diane L. Larson
Problems with the claim of ecotype and taxon status of the wolf in the Great Lakes region
Koblmuller et al. (2009) analysed molecular genetic data of the wolf in the Great Lakes (GL) region of the USA and concluded that the animal was a unique ecotype of grey wolf and that genetic data supported the population as a discrete wolf taxon. However, some of the literature that the researchers used to support their position actually did not, and additional confusion arises from indefinite us
Authors
Matthew A. Cronin, L. David Mech
Status of greater sandhill cranes in the midcontinent population
No abstract available.
Authors
Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt
Countability of sandhill cranes in aerial surveys
No abstract available.
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, W Solberg, Courtney L. Amundson
Ecosystem Services Derived from Wetland Conservation Practices in the United States Prairie Pothole Region with an Emphasis on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs
Implementation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) has resulted in the restoration of approximately 2,200,000 ha (5,436,200 acres) of wetland and grassland habitats in the Prairie Pothole Region. These restored habitats are known to provide various ecosystem services; however, little work has been conducted to quantify
Authors
Robert A. Gleason, Murray K. Laubhan, Ned H. Euliss
Factors influencing predation on juvenile ungulates and natural selection implications
Juvenile ungulates are generally more vulnerable to predation than are adult ungulates other than senescent individuals, not only because of their relative youth, fragility, and inexperience, but also because of congenital factors. Linnell et al.'s (Wildl. Biol. 1: 209-223) extensive review of predation on juvenile ungulates concluded that research was needed to determine the predisposition of the
Authors
Shannon Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech
Elk calf survival and mortality following wolf restoration to Yellowstone National Park
We conducted a 3‐year study (May 2003–Apr 2006) of mortality of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) calves to determine the cause for the recruitment decline (i.e., 33 calves to 13 calves/100 adult F) following the restoration of wolves (Canis lupus). We captured, fit with radiotransmitters, and evaluated blood characteristics and disease antibody seroprevalence in 151 calves ≤6 days old (68
Authors
Shannon Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech, P.J. White
Demographic effects of canine parvovirus on a free-ranging wolf population over 30 years
We followed the course of canine parvovinis (CPV) antibody prevalence in a subpopulation of wolves (Canis 1upus) in northeastern Minnesota from 1973, when antibodies were first detected, through 2004. Annual early pup survival was reduced by 70%, and wolf population change was related to CPV antibody prevalence. In the greater Minnesota population of 3,000 wolves, pup survival was reduced by 40-60
Authors
L. D. Mech, S.M. Goyal, W. J. Paul, W.E. Newton
Impact of West Nile virus and other mortality factors on American white pelicans at breeding colonies in the northern plains of North America
American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are colonial-nesting birds and their breeding sites are concentrated in a few small areas, making this species especially vulnerable to factors that can influence productivity, such as disease, disturbance, predation, weather events and loss of nesting habitat. Nearly half of the American white pelican population breeds at four colonies in the no
Authors
M.A. Sovada, P.J. Pietz, K. A. Converse, King D. Tommy, Erik K. Hofmeister, P. Scherr, Hon S. Ip