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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: 1930

Environmental factors that influence prescribed burning in the Northern Plains Environmental factors that influence prescribed burning in the Northern Plains

Several environmental conditions were recorded and analyzed for 192 prescribed burns in the Northern Great Plains. The purpose of these burns was to improve wildlife habitat and manipulate native prairie vegetation. All of the fires occurred in grassland and shrubsteppe vegetation types. Fuels were predominantly grasses and forbs intermixed with patches of shrubs. Nearly all of the fuels...
Authors
A.D. Kruse, K.F. Higgins, J.L. Piehl

Ferruginous hawk populations and habitat use in North Dakota Ferruginous hawk populations and habitat use in North Dakota

Ferruginous hawks (Buteo regalis) were studied in central North Dakota on a 1,259-km2 intensive study block and on a surrounding study area (16,519 km2) from 1977 to 1979. A total of 629 occupied nests was examined. Highest nest densities (0.08 nest/km2) were in the Missouri Coteau in 1979. Few nests were found on the more intensively cultivated Drift Plain. We estimated the breeding...
Authors
David S. Gilmer, Robert E. Stewart

Avian use of forest habitats in the Pembina Hills of northeastern North Dakota Avian use of forest habitats in the Pembina Hills of northeastern North Dakota

North Dakota has the least extensive total area of forested habitats of any of the 50 United States. Although occurring in limited area, forest communities add considerably to the total ecological diversity of the State. The forests of the Pembina Hills region in northeastern North Dakota are one of only three areas large enough to be considered of commercial value. During 1981 we...
Authors
Craig A. Faanes, Jonathan M. Andrew

[Book review] Ducks, geese and swans of North America [Book review] Ducks, geese and swans of North America

This is the 3rd edition of the classic work "The Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America," which was first published in December 1942. The original edition was authored by Francis C. Kortright with color plates by T. M. Shortt. An authoritative reference on North American waterfowl for many years, the book had become outdated as a result of major advances in the field of waterfowl...
Authors
Gary L. Krapu

[Book review] Waterfowl ecology and management: Selected readings [Book review] Waterfowl ecology and management: Selected readings

This book is a compilation of papers from the extensive and varied published literature on the ecology and management of waterfowl. The 125 technical papers reprinted in this book are arranged in eight major sections and are from 21 journals, government reports, several books, and proceedings of symposia and annual conferences. The most frequent sources of papers are The Journal of...
Authors
Gary L. Krapu

The effect of variable spring water conditions on mallard reproduction The effect of variable spring water conditions on mallard reproduction

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) breeding densities in the prairie pothole habitat of eastern North Dakota during 1961-1980 varied from 2.28 birds/km2 in 1977 to 9.47 birds/km2 in 1963 and were correlated with pond abundance (r = 0.543, P 0.05). The number of basins used by pairs declined with drought, as did home-range size. Nesting activity also varied with the number of ponds holding...
Authors
Gary L. Krapu, A.T. Klett, Dennis G. Jorde

Water storage capacity of natural wetland depressions in the Devils Lake basin of North Dakota Water storage capacity of natural wetland depressions in the Devils Lake basin of North Dakota

Photogrammetric mapping techniques were used to derive the water storage capacities of natural wetland depressions other than lakes in the Devils Lake Basin of North Dakota. Results from sample quarter-section areas were expanded to the entire basin. Depressions in the Devils Lake Basin have a maximum storage capacity of nearly 811,000 cubic dekameters (657,000 acre-feet). The...
Authors
A.P. Ludden, D.L. Frink, Douglas H. Johnson

Age-class determination of canvasbacks Age-class determination of canvasbacks

A technique was developed to distinguish yearling from adult canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) in the field during spring on the basis of white flecking on the distal ends of selected wing feathers. Covert feathers from adults had well-defined vermiculation patterns whereas feathers from yearlings lacked such markings. These age-related characters were confirmed by paired comparisons of...
Authors
Jerome R. Serie, David L. Trauger, Harold A. Doty, David E. Sharp
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