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
Sampling designs for carnivore scent-station surveys Sampling designs for carnivore scent-station surveys
Scent stations usually are deployed in clusters to expedite data collection and increase the number of stations that can be operated for a given cost. Presumed benefits of cluster sampling may not be realized, however, unless cluster sizes are chosen with respect to sampling variation within and among clusters. To encourage and facilitate the use of efficient designs and reporting...
Authors
G.A. Sargeant, Douglas H. Johnson, W. E. Berg
New nesting dates for some breeding birds in North Dakota New nesting dates for some breeding birds in North Dakota
Abstract has not been submitted
Authors
L.D. Igl, H.A. Kantrud
Life history, diversity and distribution: A study of Japanese pteridophytes Life history, diversity and distribution: A study of Japanese pteridophytes
Many studies address the relationships between diversity or distribution and attributes of the physical environment. However, how these relationships are connected to variation in life history is poorly understood. This is particularly true in the case of pteridophytes. Japanese ferns and their allies comprise one of the best-known pteridophyte floras in the world. We analyzed ca 600...
Authors
Q. Guo, Masako Kato, R. E. Ricklefs
Nutria (Myocastor coypus) Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
No abstract available.
Authors
Dixie L. Bounds, Mark H. Sherfy, Theodore A. Mollett
Fire history of Granite Mountain, Lower Buffalo Wilderness, Arkansas: a report for the National Park Service, Buffalo National River Fire history of Granite Mountain, Lower Buffalo Wilderness, Arkansas: a report for the National Park Service, Buffalo National River
No abstract available.
Authors
R.P. Guyette, M.C. Staumbaugh
Wolf-prey relations Wolf-prey relations
As I (L.D. MECH) watched from a small ski plane while fifteen wolves surrounded a moose on snowy Isle Royale, I had no idea this encounter would typify observations I would make during 40 more years of studying wolf-prey relations. My usual routine while observing wolves hunting was to have my pilot keep circling broadly over the scene so I could watch the wolves’ attacks without...
Authors
L. David Mech, Rolf O. Peterson
Incidence of Mink, Mustela vison, and River Otter, Lutra canadensis, in a highly urbanized area Incidence of Mink, Mustela vison, and River Otter, Lutra canadensis, in a highly urbanized area
Mink (Mustela vison) frequently inhabited or traversed a residential, business, and industrial part of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, with little water or natural vegetation. At least one River Otter (Lutra canadensis) also resided on a small pond on a golf course in the area for several winter months.
Authors
L. David Mech
Effects of ungulates and prairie dogs on seed banks and vegetation in a North American mixed-grass prairie Effects of ungulates and prairie dogs on seed banks and vegetation in a North American mixed-grass prairie
The relationship between vegetation cover and soil seed banks was studied in five different ungulate herbivore-prairie dog treatment combinations at three northern mixed-grass prairie sites in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. There were distinct differences in both the seed bank composition and the aboveground vegetation between the off-prairie dog colony treatments and the on...
Authors
J. T. Fahnestock, D.L. Larson, G. E. Plumb, J.K. Detling
A natural history survey of fens and palustrine wetlands in intermittent drainages of the Little Missouri Grassland A natural history survey of fens and palustrine wetlands in intermittent drainages of the Little Missouri Grassland
No abstract available.
Authors
N.H. Euliss, R.R. Tramontano, D.M. Mushet
Body size and condition of male mallard during mid-winter in North Dakota, USA Body size and condition of male mallard during mid-winter in North Dakota, USA
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) may winter in northern areas if they have access to adequate food and open water. We compared individual body size (indexed by first principal component scores from three morphometric measurements) and body condition (body mass adjusted for body size) of male Mallard wintering in North Dakota, USA during 1996-99 with a baseline reference group of Mallard from...
Authors
R.E. Olsen, R. R. Cox
Temporal species richness-biomass relationships along successional gradients Temporal species richness-biomass relationships along successional gradients
Diversity-biomass relationships are frequently reported to be hump-shaped over space at a given time. However, it is not yet clear how diversity and biomass change simultaneously and how they are related to each other over time (e.g. in succession) at one locality. This study develops a temporal model based on the projected changes of various community variables in a generalized...
Authors
Q. Guo
Wolves: Behavior, ecology, and conservation Wolves: Behavior, ecology, and conservation
Wolves are some of the world's most charismatic and controversial animals, capturing the imaginations of their friends and foes alike. Highly intelligent and adaptable, they hunt and play together in close-knit packs, sometimes roaming over hundreds of square miles in search of food. Once teetering on the brink of extinction across much of the United States and Europe, wolves have made a