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
An empirical Bayes approach to analyzing recurring animal surveys An empirical Bayes approach to analyzing recurring animal surveys
Recurring estimates of the size of animal populations are often required by biologists of wildlife managers. Because of cost or other constraints, estimates frequently lack the accuracy desired but cannot readily be improved by additional sampling. This report proposes a statistical method employing empirical Bayes (EB) estimators as alternatives to those customarily used to estimate...
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson
Estimating carcass fat and protein in northern pintails during the nonbreeding season Estimating carcass fat and protein in northern pintails during the nonbreeding season
I used northern pintails (Anas acuta) collected from August through March 1979-82 in the Sacramento Valley, California to derive equations to predict ether-extracted carcass fat, carcass protein, and skeletal lean dry weight. Ether-extracted carcass fat was best predicted by total fat depot weight (wet skin, abdominal fat, and intestinal fat) (r2 = 0.94) and estimates based on carcass...
Authors
Michael R. Miller
Annotated bibliography of fire literature relative to northern grasslands in south-central Canada and north-central United States Annotated bibliography of fire literature relative to northern grasslands in south-central Canada and north-central United States
Natural resource managers have greatly increased the use of fire to manage grassland habitats during the past two decades in the northern Great Plains region of the United States and Canada. In support of these efforts, we have compiled this annotated bibliography to provide a condensed reference of fire literature for those managers with an interest in fire ecology. References are...
Authors
Kenneth F. Higgins, David P. Fellows, J. Mike Callow, Arnold D. Kruse, James L. Piehl
Breeding canvasbacks: a test of a habitat model Breeding canvasbacks: a test of a habitat model
Schroeder (1984) proposed a habitat suitability model for breeding canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) based on the size, water regime, and emergent vegetation of wetlands. We evaluated the model with data from surveys of canvasbacks on 2265 wetlands in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The model proved inadequate as a predictor of canvasback pair density; the correlation between...
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, M.C. Hammond, T. L. McDonald, C.L. Nustad
Observed interactions between coyotes and red foxes Observed interactions between coyotes and red foxes
No abstract available.
Authors
Alan B. Sargeant, Stephen H. Allen
Rice available to waterfowl in harvested fields in the Sacramento Valley, California Rice available to waterfowl in harvested fields in the Sacramento Valley, California
Rice fields in the Sacramento Valley, California were sampled in 1985 and 1986 to determine the weight of rice seed remaining in the fields immediately after harvest and again after the fields were burned. No significant differences were found between years (P>0.05). The pooled mean was 388 kg/ha in harvested fields and 276 kg/ha in burned fields. These values are less than estimates...
Authors
M. R. Miller, D.E. Sharp, D.S. Gilmer, W.R. Mulvaney
Accumulation of lead and organochlorine residues in captive American kestrels fed pine voles from apple orchards Accumulation of lead and organochlorine residues in captive American kestrels fed pine voles from apple orchards
Pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) were collected from pesticide-treated orchards in New York and fed to 3 captive American kestrels (Falco sparverius) for 60 days to evaluate potential hazards from soil-borne persistent insecticides. Three control kestrels were fed uncontaminated laboratory mice (Mus musculus). The pine voles contained an average of 38 ppm lead, 48 ppm DDE and 1.2 ppm...
Authors
Rey C. Stendell, W. Nelson Beyer, Robert A. Stehn
Body weight and composition dynamics of fall migrating canvasbacks Body weight and composition dynamics of fall migrating canvasbacks
We studied body weights and composition of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) during fall migration 1975-77 on stopover sites along the upper Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin (Navigational Pools 7 and 8) and Keokuk, Iowa (Navigational Pool 19). Body weights varied (P 0.001) by age and sex without interaction. Weights varied by year (P 0.001) on Pools 7 and 8. Mean weights...
Authors
J.R. Serie, D.E. Sharp
Wetland bird seasonal abundance and habitat use at Lake Earl and Lake Talawa, California Wetland bird seasonal abundance and habitat use at Lake Earl and Lake Talawa, California
A study of wetland bird composition, seasonal abundance, and habitat use was conducted on Lake Earl and Lake Talawa in Del Norte County, California from July 1974 through February 1976. Ninety-five species were recorded. Most birds occurred from October to December and during March and April. Diving ducks occurred primarily during fall and winter and were more abundant than surface...
Authors
S.L. Funderburk, P. F. Springer
Carbonate deposition on tail feathers of ruddy ducks using evaporation ponds Carbonate deposition on tail feathers of ruddy ducks using evaporation ponds
Substantial carbonate deposits were observed on rectrices of Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) collected during 1982-1984 on evaporation ponds in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Carbonate deposits were composed of about 75% aragonite and 25% calcite, both polymorphous forms of CaCO3. Significantly more carbonate deposits were observed on Ruddy Ducks as length of exposure to...
Authors
N.H. Euliss, R. L. Jarvis, D.S. Gilmer
Rice available to waterfowl in harvested fields in the Sacramento Valley, California Rice available to waterfowl in harvested fields in the Sacramento Valley, California
No abstract available.
Authors
M. R. Miller, D.E. Sharp, D.S. Gilmer, W.R. Mulvaney
Vegetation of wetlands of the prairie pothole region Vegetation of wetlands of the prairie pothole region
Five themes dominate the literature dealing with the vegetation of palustrine and lacustrine wetlands of the prairie pothole region: environmental conditions (water or moisture regime, salinity), agricultural disturbances (draining, grazing, burning, sedimentation, etc.), vegetation dynamics, zonation patterns, and classification of the wetlands.The flora of a prairie wetland is a...
Authors
H.A. Kantrud, J.B. Millar, A.G. Van Der Valk