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
Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem processes: Implications for ecosystem management Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem processes: Implications for ecosystem management
No abstract available.
Authors
D.U. Hooper, F. S. Chapin, J.J. Ewel, A. Hector, P. Inchausti, W.K. Lauenroth, S. Lavorel, D.M. Lodge, M. Loreau, S. Naeem, B. Schmid, H. Setala, A.J. Symstad, J. Vandermeer, D.A. Wardle
Time-specific variation in passerine nest survival: New insights for old questions Time-specific variation in passerine nest survival: New insights for old questions
Nest survival likely varies with nest age and date, but until recently researchers had only limited tools to efficiently address those sources of variability. Beginning with Mayfield (1961), many researchers have averaged survival rates within time-specific categories (e.g. egg and nestling stages; early and late nesting dates). However, Mayfield's estimator assumes constant survival...
Authors
T.A. Grant, T.L. Shaffer, E.M. Madden, P.J. Pietz
Seasonal changes in spatial patterns of two annual plants in the Chihuahuan Desert, USA Seasonal changes in spatial patterns of two annual plants in the Chihuahuan Desert, USA
Spatial pattern of a biotic population may change over time as its component individuals grow or die out, but whether this is the case for desert annual plants is largely unknown. Here we examined seasonal changes in spatial patterns of two annuals, Eriogonum abertianum and Haplopappus gracilis, in initial (winter) and final (summer) densities. The density was measured as the number of...
Authors
Z.-Y. Yin, Q. Guo, H. Ren, S.-L. Peng
Spatial-temporal population dynamics across species range: From center to margin Spatial-temporal population dynamics across species range: From center to margin
Understanding the boundaries of species’ ranges and the variations in population dynamics from the centre to margin of a species’ range is critical. This study simulated spatial-temporal patterns of birth and death rates and migration across a species’ range in different seasons. Our results demonstrated the importance of dispersal and migration in altering birth and death rates...
Authors
Qinfeng Guo, Mark L. Taper, M. Schoenberger, J. Brandle
Evaluating the impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on vegetation within Pea Ridge National Military Park Evaluating the impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on vegetation within Pea Ridge National Military Park
No abstract available.
Authors
Keith W. Grabner, Matthew Struckhoff, Deborah A. Buhl
Habitat preferences of migrant and wintering northern harriers in northwestern Texas Habitat preferences of migrant and wintering northern harriers in northwestern Texas
We studied habitat preferences of northern harriers ( Circus cyaneus) in four counties of the Southern High Plains of northwestern Texas from October 1989 to May 1995. Harriers generally arrived in late July and departed in April. They hunted over a variety of habitats in the study area but mainly in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands and vegetated playa basins. CRP grasslands...
Authors
C.D. Littlefield, Douglas H. Johnson
Causes of wolf depredation increase in Minnesota from 1979-1998 Causes of wolf depredation increase in Minnesota from 1979-1998
Wolf (Canis lupus) depredations on livestock in Minnesota have been increasing over the last 20 years. A major explanation cited for this increase is wolf range expansion, but no studies have tested this explanation. Additional reasons could include 1) wolf colonization of new areas within long-existing wolf range, 2) learning by wolves in established range, and 3) increased wolf density...
Authors
E. K. Harper, W.J. Paul, L. David Mech
[Book review] The quintessential companion for North American birders, by Christopher W. Leahy [Book review] The quintessential companion for North American birders, by Christopher W. Leahy
Book review: The Birdwatcher’s Companion to North American Birdlife. Christopher W. Leahy. 2004. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 1039 pages. $39.50 (cloth).
Authors
L.D. Igl
What hypothesis tests are not: a response to Colegrave and Ruxton What hypothesis tests are not: a response to Colegrave and Ruxton
No abstract available.
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson
Role of soil transformation in invasion of mixed-grass prairie Role of soil transformation in invasion of mixed-grass prairie
No abstract available.
Authors
N.R. Jordan, D.L. Larson, S.C. Huerd
Variability in vegetation effects on density and nesting success of grassland birds Variability in vegetation effects on density and nesting success of grassland birds
The structure of vegetation in grassland systems, unlike that in forest systems, varies dramatically among years on the same sites, and among regions with similar vegetation. The role of this variation in vegetation structure on bird density and nesting success of grassland birds is poorly understood, primarily because few studies have included sufficiently large temporal and spatial...
Authors
Maiken Winter, Douglas H. Johnson, Jill A. Shaffer
Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge
Humans are altering the composition of biological communities through a variety of activities that increase rates of species invasions and species extinctions, at all scales, from local to global. These changes in components of the Earth's biodiversity cause concern for ethical and aesthetic reasons, but they also have a strong potential to alter ecosystem properties and the goods and...
Authors
D.U. Hooper, F. S. Chapin, J.J. Ewel, A. Hector, P. Inchausti, S. Lavorel, J.H. Lawton, D.M. Lodge, M. Loreau, S. Naeem, B. Schmid, H. SetSlS, A.J. Symstad, J. Vandermeer, D.A. Wardle