Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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: 1934

Nutritional condition of Northern Yellowstone Elk Nutritional condition of Northern Yellowstone Elk

We estimated nutritional condition for 96 female northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) during mid- to late winter 2000, 2001, and 2002. Neither year nor capture location significantly influenced any measure of condition (body fat, body mass, and longissimus dorsi thickness; P ≥ 0.14). Overall, age = 8.9 years ± 0.4 SE, body fat = 9.5% ± 0.4, body mass = 235.1 kg ± 2.2, and...
Authors
R.C. Cook, J.G. Cook, L.D. Mech

The wetland continuum: A conceptual framework for interpreting biological studies The wetland continuum: A conceptual framework for interpreting biological studies

We describe a conceptual model, the wetland continuum, which allows wetland managers, scientists, and ecologists to consider simultaneously the influence of climate and hydrologic setting on wetland biological communities. Although multidimensional, the wetland continuum is most easily represented as a two-dimensional gradient, with ground water and atmospheric water constituting the...
Authors
N.H. Euliss, J. W. LaBaugh, L.H. Fredrickson, D.M. Mushet, Murray K. Laubhan, G.A. Swanson, T. C. Winter, D.O. Rosenberry, R.D. Nelson

Less waste corn, more land in soybeans, and the switch to genetically modified crops: Trends with important implications to wildlife management Less waste corn, more land in soybeans, and the switch to genetically modified crops: Trends with important implications to wildlife management

American agriculture has provided abundant high-energy foods for migratory and resident wildlife populations since the onset of modern wildlife management. Responding to anecdotal evidence that corn residues are declining in cropland, we remeasured waste corn postharvest in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) of Nebraska during 1997 and 1998 to compare with 1978. Post-harvest waste...
Authors
Gary L. Krapu, D.A. Brandt, R. R. Cox

Mechanism and active variety of allelochemicals Mechanism and active variety of allelochemicals

This article summarizes allelochemicals' active variety, its potential causes and function mechanisms. Allelochemicals' activity varies with temperature, photoperiod, water and soils during natural processes, with its initial concentration, compound structure and mixed degree during functional processes, with plant accessions, tissues and maturity within-species, and with research...
Authors
S.-L. Peng, J. Wen, Q.-F. Guo

The flora of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota The flora of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota

The 92 ha Cottonwood Lake Study Area is located in south-central North Dakota along the eastern edge of a glacial stagnation moraine known as the Missouri Coteau. The study area has been the focus of biologic and hydrologic research since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchased the site in 1963. We studied the plant communities of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area from 1992 to 2001...
Authors
D.M. Mushet, N.H. Euliss, S.P. Lane, C.M. Goldade

Effects of management practices on grassland birds: Merlin Effects of management practices on grassland birds: Merlin

Information on the habitat requirements and effects of habitat management on grassland birds were summarized from information in more than 5,500 published and unpublished papers. A range map is provided to indicate the breeding, year-round, and nonbreeding ranges in the United States and southern Canada. Although birds frequently are observed outside the breeding range indicated, the...
Authors
Paul M. Konrad

Secondary invasion following the reduction of Coronilla varia (Crownvetch) in sand prairie Secondary invasion following the reduction of Coronilla varia (Crownvetch) in sand prairie

I investigated the effect of Coronilla varia invasion and subsequent reduction on the plant community and soil nitrogen availability in a degraded Illinois sand prairie. The presence of C. varia significantly increased soil nitrogen availability and significantly decreased native species richness and cover, but neither helped nor hindered a common non-native grass, Poa pratensis. One...
Authors
Amy J. Symstad

Is climate change affecting wolf populations in the high Arctic? Is climate change affecting wolf populations in the high Arctic?

Global climate change may affect wolves in Canada's High Arctic (80° N) acting through three trophic levels (vegetation, herbivores, and wolves). A wolf pack dependent on muskoxen and arctic hares in the Eureka area of Ellesmere Island denned and produced pups most years from at least 1986 through 1997. However when summer snow covered vegetation in 1997 and 2000 for the first time since...
Authors
L.D. Mech

Tracking of white-tailed deer migration by Global Positioning System Tracking of white-tailed deer migration by Global Positioning System

We used global positioning system (GPS) radiocollars on female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to document details of onsets of migrations, rates of travel, patterns of travel, durations of migrations, and distances traveled by 8 deer in spring and 4 deer in autumn in northeastern Minnesota in 1998, 1999, and 2001. In spring, deer migrated 23–45 km during 31–356 h, deviating a...
Authors
M.E. Nelson, L.D. Mech, P.F. Frame

Unusual behavior by Bison, Bison bison, toward Elk, Cervus elaphus, and wolves, Canis lupus Unusual behavior by Bison, Bison bison, toward Elk, Cervus elaphus, and wolves, Canis lupus

Incidents are described of Bison (Bison bison) in Yellowstone National Park mauling and possibly killing a young Elk (Cervus elaphus) calf, chasing wolves (Canis lupus) off Elk they had just killed or were killing, and keeping the wolves away for extended periods. During one of the latter cases, the Bison knocked a wolf-wounded Elk down. Bison were also seen approaching wolves that were...
Authors
L.D. Mech, R.T. McIntyre, D.W. Smith

Impacts of water development on aquatic macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and plants in wetlands of a semi-arid landscape Impacts of water development on aquatic macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and plants in wetlands of a semi-arid landscape

We compared the macroinvertebrate and amphibian communities of 12 excavated and 12 natural wetlands in western North Dakota, USA, to assess the effects of artificially lengthened hydroperiods on the biotic communities of wetlands in this semi-arid region. Excavated wetlands were much deeper and captured greater volumes of water than natural wetlands. Most excavated wetlands maintained...
Authors
Ned H. Euliss, David M. Mushet
Was this page helpful?