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Book Chapters

Browse more than 5,500 book chapters authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.

Filter Total Items: 6063

Subspecies composition of sandhill crane harvest in North Dakota, 1968-94

North Dakota is a major fall staging area for the Midcontinent Population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis), which is composed of three subspecies: the greater (G. c. tabida), Canadian (G. c. rowani), and lesser (G. c. canadensis). The number of cranes killed by hunters in North Dakota averaged 6,793 during 1990-94 seasons, ranking second highest among crane-hunting states. The distribution o
Authors
W. L. Kendall, D. H. Johnson, S. C. Kohn

Survival and fates of staging juvenile, female mallards in the Vermont / Quebec border region

We alternately marked 80 juvenile, female mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), half with transmitters and bands and half with only bands in 1990 and 1991. Survival of radio-marked ducks was monitored daily and then summarized weekly for the periods 31 August - 6 December, 1990 (weeks 5-18) and 11 September - 6 December, 1991) (weeks 6-18). The pattern of survival throughout the staging period did not
Authors
J. R. Longcore, D.G. McAuley, C. M. Bunck

The Baltic Macoma: abundance and distribution of an important winter food of diving ducks in Chesapeake Bay

Poor water quality and widespread depletion of wild celery (Vallisneria americana) and other submerged aquatic plants important as waterfowl foods has resulted in the continued dependence of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) on Baltic clams (Macoma balthica) as their primary winter food. Despite this dependence, no information exists regarding the distribution and abundance of Baltic clams, and ch
Authors
Dennis G. Jorde, G. M. Haramis

The ecology of parasites in a salt marsh ecosystem

No abstract available at this time
Authors
K. D. Lafferty

The effect of disturbance on the reproduction and management of captive cranes

No abstract available.
Authors
C.M. Mirande, J. W. Carpenter, A.M. Burke

The effects of pollutants on wildlife

In this chapter, selected sources of information which address the effects of pollutants on wildlife are reviewed. Although naturally occurring plant and animal toxins also affect wildlife, the focus of this review is xenobiotic toxicants. Xenobiotic substances are chemicals introduced into the environment in the form of pesticides, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other by-prod
Authors
K.E. Wesenberg

The highest global concentrations and increased abundance of oceanic plastic debris in the North Pacific: Evidence from seabirds

Plastic pollution has risen dramatically with an increase in production of plastic resin during the past few decades. Plastic production in the United States increased from 2.9 million tons in I960 to 47.9 million tons in 1985 (Society of the Plastics Industry 1986). This has been paralleled by a significant increase in the concentration of plastic particles in oceanic surface waters of the North
Authors
Martin D. Robards, Patrick J. Gould

The name of Lawrence's flycatcher

If Lawrence's flycatcher of Grenada, Trinidad, and northern South America is placed in the genus Lathrotriccus with the species euleri, it should be L. flaviventris (Lawrence) or L. euleriflaviventris, depending on rank. If it remains in the genus Empidonax, the specific name should be bolivianus Allen.
Authors
R.C. Banks

The value of small preserves

No abstract available at this time
Authors
M.W. Schwartz, P. van Mantgem

Use of ultralight aircraft for introducing migratory crane populations

Objectives were to determine if captive-reared cranes could be led behind an ultralight aircraft (UL) along a migration route and, if after release on a wintering area, they would integrate with wild cranes and migrate north in spring to their natal area without assistance. Greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) were used as the research surrogate for whooping cranes (Grus americana).
Authors
Kent R. Clegg, J. C. Lewis, D. H. Ellis