Douglas Johnson
Douglas Johnson is a Research Statistician (Emeritus) for the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 310
Aerial surveys adjusted by ground surveys to estimate area occupied by black-tailed prairie dog colonies
Aerial surveys using line-intercept methods are one approach to estimate the extent of prairie dog colonies in a large geographic area. Although black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) construct conspicuous mounds at burrow openings, aerial observers have difficulty discriminating between areas with burrows occupied by prairie dogs (colonies) versus areas of uninhabited burrows (uninhabit
Authors
John G. Sidle, David J. Augustine, Douglas H. Johnson, Sterling D. Miller, Jack F. Cully, Richard P. Reading
Geographic distribution of the mid-continent population of sandhill cranes and related management applications
The Mid-continent Population (MCP) of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) is widely hunted in North America and is separated into the Gulf Coast Subpopulation and Western Subpopulation for management purposes. Effective harvest management of the MCP requires detailed knowledge of breeding distribution of subspecies and subpopulations, chronology of their use of fall staging areas and wintering groun
Authors
Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt, Kenneth L. Jones, Douglas H. Johnson
Conservation of greater sage-grouse- a synthesis of current trends and future management
Recent analyses of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations indicate substantial declines in many areas but relatively stable populations in other portions of the species? range. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats neces-sary to support sage-grouse are being burned by large wildfires, invaded by nonnative plants, and developed for energy resources (gas, oil, and wind). Managemen
Authors
John W. Connelly, Steven T. Knick, Clait E. Braun, William L. Baker, Erik A. Beever, Thomas J. Christiansen, Kevin E. Doherty, Edward O. Garton, Christian A. Hagen, Steven E. Hanser, Douglas H. Johnson, Matthias Leu, Richard F. Miller, David E. Naugle, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, David A. Pyke, Kerry P. Reese, Michael A. Schroeder, San J. Stiver, Brett L. Walker, Michael J. Wisdorn
Influences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007
The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), endemic to western North Amer-ica, is of great conservation interest. Its popula-tions are tracked by spring counts of males at lek sites. We explored the relations between trends of Greater Sage-Grouse lek counts from 1997 to 2007 and a variety of natural and anthropogenic fea-tures. We found that trends were correlated with several habitat fea
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, Matthew J. Holloran, John W. Connelly, Steven E. Hanser, Courtney L. Amundson, Steven T. Knick
Conserving migratory land birds in the New World: Do we know enough?
Migratory bird needs must be met during four phases of the year: breeding season, fall migration, wintering, and spring migration; thus, management may be needed during all four phases. The bulk of research and management has focused on the breeding season, although several issues remain unsettled, including the spatial extent of habitat influences on fitness and the importance of habitat on the b
Authors
John Faaborg, Richard T. Holmes, A.D. Anders, K.L. Bildstein, K.M. Dugger, S.A. Gauthreaux, P. Heglund, K.A. Hobson, A.E. Jahn, D. H. Johnson, S.C. Latta, D.J. Levey, P.P. Marra, C.L. Merkord, E. Nol, S.I. Rothstein, T.W. Sherry, Sillett T. Scott, F. R. Thompson, N. Warnock
Influence of trees in the landscape on parasitism rates of grassland passerine nests in Southeastern North Dakota
Woody vegetation has been linked to increased rates of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism for some grassland hosts. In northern North Dakota, however, studies reported that parasitism of grassland passerine nests was lower in landscapes with trees than in those without trees. We looked for evidence of this pattern elsewhere, using data from two studies conducted on the Sheyenne Natio
Authors
Pamela J. Pietz, Deborah A. Buhl, Jill A. Shaffer, Maiken Winter, Douglas H. Johnson
Area sensitivity in North American grassland birds: Patterns and processes
Grassland birds have declined more than other bird groups in North America in the past 35-40 years (Vickery and Herkert 2001, Sauer et al. 2008), prompting a wide variety of research aimed at understanding these declines, as well as conservation programs trying to reverse the declines (Askins et al. 2007). Area sensitivity, whereby the pattern of a species’ occurrence and density increases with pa
Authors
C. A. Ribic, Rolf R. Koford, J.R. Herkert, D. H. Johnson, N.D. Niemuth, D.E. Naugle, Kristel K. Bakker, D. W. Sample, R.B. Renfrew
Feeding ecology of arctic-nesting sandpipers during spring migration through the prairie pothole region
We evaluated food habits of 4 species of spring-migrant calidrid sandpipers in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North Dakota. Sandpipers foraged in several wetland classes and fed primarily on aquatic dipterans, mostly larvae, and the midge family Chironomidae was the primary food eaten. Larger sandpiper species foraged in deeper water and took larger larvae than did smaller sandpipers. The div
Authors
J.L. Eldridge, G.L. Krapu, D. H. Johnson
A sampling design framework for monitoring secretive marshbirds
A framework for a sampling plan for monitoring marshbird populations in the contiguous 48 states is proposed here. The sampling universe is the breeding habitat (i.e. wetlands) potentially used by marshbirds. Selection protocols would be implemented within each of large geographical strata, such as Bird Conservation Regions. Site selection will be done using a two-stage cluster sample. Primary sam
Authors
D. H. Johnson, J.P. Gibbs, M. Herzog, S. Lor, N.D. Niemuth, C. A. Ribic, M. Seamans, T.L. Shaffer, W.G. Shriver, S.V. Stehman, W.L. Thompson
Factors associated with arrival densities of grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) and baird's sparrow (A. bairdii) in the upper great plains
Although critical to habitat and population management, the proximate cues that birds use to establish territories are largely unknown. Understanding these cues is important for birds, such as many grassland birds, that exhibit high annual variability in population density and make new habitat-selection decisions annually. Identifying the actual cues used is difficult in the field, but the factors
Authors
M.A. Ahlering, D. H. Johnson, John Faaborg
Countability of sandhill cranes in aerial surveys
No abstract available.
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, W Solberg, Courtney L. Amundson
Ways of learning: Observational studies versus experiments
Manipulative experimentation that features random assignment of treatments, replication, and controls is an effective way to determine causal relationships. Wildlife ecologists, however, often must take a more passive approach to investigating causality. Their observational studies lack one or more of the 3 cornerstones of experimentation: controls, randomization, and replication. Although an obse
Authors
T.L. Shaffer, D. H. Johnson
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 310
Aerial surveys adjusted by ground surveys to estimate area occupied by black-tailed prairie dog colonies
Aerial surveys using line-intercept methods are one approach to estimate the extent of prairie dog colonies in a large geographic area. Although black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) construct conspicuous mounds at burrow openings, aerial observers have difficulty discriminating between areas with burrows occupied by prairie dogs (colonies) versus areas of uninhabited burrows (uninhabit
Authors
John G. Sidle, David J. Augustine, Douglas H. Johnson, Sterling D. Miller, Jack F. Cully, Richard P. Reading
Geographic distribution of the mid-continent population of sandhill cranes and related management applications
The Mid-continent Population (MCP) of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) is widely hunted in North America and is separated into the Gulf Coast Subpopulation and Western Subpopulation for management purposes. Effective harvest management of the MCP requires detailed knowledge of breeding distribution of subspecies and subpopulations, chronology of their use of fall staging areas and wintering groun
Authors
Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt, Kenneth L. Jones, Douglas H. Johnson
Conservation of greater sage-grouse- a synthesis of current trends and future management
Recent analyses of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations indicate substantial declines in many areas but relatively stable populations in other portions of the species? range. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats neces-sary to support sage-grouse are being burned by large wildfires, invaded by nonnative plants, and developed for energy resources (gas, oil, and wind). Managemen
Authors
John W. Connelly, Steven T. Knick, Clait E. Braun, William L. Baker, Erik A. Beever, Thomas J. Christiansen, Kevin E. Doherty, Edward O. Garton, Christian A. Hagen, Steven E. Hanser, Douglas H. Johnson, Matthias Leu, Richard F. Miller, David E. Naugle, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, David A. Pyke, Kerry P. Reese, Michael A. Schroeder, San J. Stiver, Brett L. Walker, Michael J. Wisdorn
Influences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007
The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), endemic to western North Amer-ica, is of great conservation interest. Its popula-tions are tracked by spring counts of males at lek sites. We explored the relations between trends of Greater Sage-Grouse lek counts from 1997 to 2007 and a variety of natural and anthropogenic fea-tures. We found that trends were correlated with several habitat fea
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, Matthew J. Holloran, John W. Connelly, Steven E. Hanser, Courtney L. Amundson, Steven T. Knick
Conserving migratory land birds in the New World: Do we know enough?
Migratory bird needs must be met during four phases of the year: breeding season, fall migration, wintering, and spring migration; thus, management may be needed during all four phases. The bulk of research and management has focused on the breeding season, although several issues remain unsettled, including the spatial extent of habitat influences on fitness and the importance of habitat on the b
Authors
John Faaborg, Richard T. Holmes, A.D. Anders, K.L. Bildstein, K.M. Dugger, S.A. Gauthreaux, P. Heglund, K.A. Hobson, A.E. Jahn, D. H. Johnson, S.C. Latta, D.J. Levey, P.P. Marra, C.L. Merkord, E. Nol, S.I. Rothstein, T.W. Sherry, Sillett T. Scott, F. R. Thompson, N. Warnock
Influence of trees in the landscape on parasitism rates of grassland passerine nests in Southeastern North Dakota
Woody vegetation has been linked to increased rates of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism for some grassland hosts. In northern North Dakota, however, studies reported that parasitism of grassland passerine nests was lower in landscapes with trees than in those without trees. We looked for evidence of this pattern elsewhere, using data from two studies conducted on the Sheyenne Natio
Authors
Pamela J. Pietz, Deborah A. Buhl, Jill A. Shaffer, Maiken Winter, Douglas H. Johnson
Area sensitivity in North American grassland birds: Patterns and processes
Grassland birds have declined more than other bird groups in North America in the past 35-40 years (Vickery and Herkert 2001, Sauer et al. 2008), prompting a wide variety of research aimed at understanding these declines, as well as conservation programs trying to reverse the declines (Askins et al. 2007). Area sensitivity, whereby the pattern of a species’ occurrence and density increases with pa
Authors
C. A. Ribic, Rolf R. Koford, J.R. Herkert, D. H. Johnson, N.D. Niemuth, D.E. Naugle, Kristel K. Bakker, D. W. Sample, R.B. Renfrew
Feeding ecology of arctic-nesting sandpipers during spring migration through the prairie pothole region
We evaluated food habits of 4 species of spring-migrant calidrid sandpipers in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North Dakota. Sandpipers foraged in several wetland classes and fed primarily on aquatic dipterans, mostly larvae, and the midge family Chironomidae was the primary food eaten. Larger sandpiper species foraged in deeper water and took larger larvae than did smaller sandpipers. The div
Authors
J.L. Eldridge, G.L. Krapu, D. H. Johnson
A sampling design framework for monitoring secretive marshbirds
A framework for a sampling plan for monitoring marshbird populations in the contiguous 48 states is proposed here. The sampling universe is the breeding habitat (i.e. wetlands) potentially used by marshbirds. Selection protocols would be implemented within each of large geographical strata, such as Bird Conservation Regions. Site selection will be done using a two-stage cluster sample. Primary sam
Authors
D. H. Johnson, J.P. Gibbs, M. Herzog, S. Lor, N.D. Niemuth, C. A. Ribic, M. Seamans, T.L. Shaffer, W.G. Shriver, S.V. Stehman, W.L. Thompson
Factors associated with arrival densities of grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) and baird's sparrow (A. bairdii) in the upper great plains
Although critical to habitat and population management, the proximate cues that birds use to establish territories are largely unknown. Understanding these cues is important for birds, such as many grassland birds, that exhibit high annual variability in population density and make new habitat-selection decisions annually. Identifying the actual cues used is difficult in the field, but the factors
Authors
M.A. Ahlering, D. H. Johnson, John Faaborg
Countability of sandhill cranes in aerial surveys
No abstract available.
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, W Solberg, Courtney L. Amundson
Ways of learning: Observational studies versus experiments
Manipulative experimentation that features random assignment of treatments, replication, and controls is an effective way to determine causal relationships. Wildlife ecologists, however, often must take a more passive approach to investigating causality. Their observational studies lack one or more of the 3 cornerstones of experimentation: controls, randomization, and replication. Although an obse
Authors
T.L. Shaffer, D. H. Johnson