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: 1952
Using morphological measurements to predict subspecies of Midcontinent sandhill cranes Using morphological measurements to predict subspecies of Midcontinent sandhill cranes
The Midcontinent population of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) has historically been classified into 3 putative subspecies, but genetic analyses have identified only 2 genetically distinct subspecies. Previous studies have successfully used morphometrics in combination with an individual's sex to differentiate subspecies of sandhill cranes that had been inferred based on breeding...
Authors
Jay A VonBank, David A. Brandt, Aaron T. Pearse, David B. Wester, Bart M Ballard
Adult monarch (Danaus plexippus) abundance is higher in burned sites than in grazed sites Adult monarch (Danaus plexippus) abundance is higher in burned sites than in grazed sites
Much of the remaining suitable habitat for monarchs (Danaus plexippus) in Minnesota is found in tallgrass prairies. We studied the association of adult monarch abundance with use of fire or grazing to manage prairies. Sites (n=20) ranged in size from 1 to 145 hectares and included land owned and managed by the Minnesota DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and...
Authors
Julia B. Leone, Diane L. Larson, Jennifer L. Larson, Patrick Pennarola, Karen Oberhauser
Changes in agricultural land use and practices Changes in agricultural land use and practices
No abstract available.
Authors
Jane E. Austin
Conversion of wetlands for agriculture and other land development Conversion of wetlands for agriculture and other land development
No abstract available.
Authors
Jane E. Austin
Nutritional status of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers across an agricultural land-use gradient Nutritional status of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers across an agricultural land-use gradient
Land use and habitat quality have emerged as critical factors influencing the health, productivity, and survival of honey bee colonies. However, characterization of the mechanistic relationship between differential land-use conditions and ultimate outcomes for honey bee colonies has been elusive. We assessed the physiological health of individual worker honey bees in colonies stationed...
Authors
Matthew Smart, Clint R.V. Otto, Jonathan G. Lundgren
The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii)
Keys to Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii) management are providing large grasslands with tall, dense, herbaceous vegetation and well-developed litter; avoiding habitat disturbances during the breeding season; and controlling plant succession. Henslow’s Sparrows have been reported to use habitats with less than or equal to (≤) 122 centimeters (cm) average vegetation height, 25–80 cm...
Authors
James R. Herkert
Impacts on wildlife of annual crops for biofuel production Impacts on wildlife of annual crops for biofuel production
No abstract available.
Authors
Clint R.V. Otto
Study design and methods for a wetland condition assessment on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fee-title lands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, USA Study design and methods for a wetland condition assessment on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fee-title lands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, USA
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) manages wetlands and grasslands for wildlife habitat throughout the central North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). PPR wetlands, or potholes, are widely recognized as critical habitats for North American migratory waterfowl, waterbirds, and other wildlife. Potholes also provide other ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, flood...
Authors
Brian Tangen, Sheel Bansal, Rachel R. Fern, Edward S. DeKeyser, Christina L. M. Hargiss, David M. Mushet, Cami S. Dixon
Seasonal cycles in hematology and body mass in free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus) from northeastern Minnesota, USA Seasonal cycles in hematology and body mass in free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus) from northeastern Minnesota, USA
Studies of captive gray wolves (Canis lupus) showed seasonal cycles in hematologic values and female body mass. We used a remotely controlled recapture collar to determine whether nine female and five male free-ranging wolves handled four to 17 times in NE Minnesota, US showed similar cycles. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular...
Authors
L. David Mech, Deborah A. Buhl
Do Indigenous American Peoples’ stories inform the study of dog domestication? Do Indigenous American Peoples’ stories inform the study of dog domestication?
I discuss the article “Relationships Between Indigenous American Peoples and Wolves 1: Wolves as Teachers and Guides” (Fogg et al. 2015) and the book “The First Domestication: How Wolves and Humans Coevolved” (Pierotti and Fogg 2017). The article proposed that published stories about interactions between indigenous American peoples and wolves (Canis lupus) provide insight into wolf-human
Authors
L. David Mech
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) recolonization failure: A Minnesota case study Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) recolonization failure: A Minnesota case study
During the past few decades, Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) have recolonized many areas in the United States and Europe. In many other cases, however, although dispersing wolves reached areas with adequate prey, a population failed to recolonize. Herein, we provide a case study detailing how a wolf pack attempted for three years to recolonize an area 55 km from a long-established population...
Authors
L. David Mech, Forest Isbell, Jim Krueger, John Harte