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: 1930

Animal lifespan and human influence Animal lifespan and human influence

Lifespan differs radically among organisms ever lived on earth, even among those roughly similar in size, shape, form, and physiology; Yet, in general, there exists a strong positive relationship between lifespan and body size. Although lifespans of humans and human-related (domestic) animals are becoming increasingly longer than that of other animals of similar sizes, the slope of the...
Authors
Q. Guo, S. Yang

Assemblages of breeding birds as indicators of grassland condition Assemblages of breeding birds as indicators of grassland condition

We developed a measure of biological integrity for grasslands (GI) based on the most influential habitat types in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota. GI is based on proportions of habitat types and the relationships of these habitat types to breeding birds. Habitat types were identified by digital aerial photography, verified on the ground, and quantified using GIS. We then...
Authors
S.F. Browder, Douglas H. Johnson, I.J. Ball

Effects of management practices on grassland birds: Lesser Prairie-Chicken Effects of management practices on grassland birds: Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Information on the habitat requirements and effects of habitat management on grassland birds were summarized from information in more than 4,000 published and unpublished papers. A range map is provided to indicate the breeding distribution of Lesser Prairie-Chicken in the United States and southern Canada. Although birds frequently are observed outside the breeding range indicated, the...
Authors
Brent E. Jamison, Jill A. Dechant, Douglas H. Johnson, Lawrence D. Igl, Christopher M. Goldade, Betty R. Euliss

Differential use of a wolf, Canis lupus, pack territory edge and core Differential use of a wolf, Canis lupus, pack territory edge and core

Based on 418 radio-locations of a Minnesota wolf pack, wolves were found at significantly fewer locations per area in the outer 2 km of the territory than in the core. This finding supports an hypothesis that buffer zones exist between pack territories and may explain why prey survive longer there.
Authors
L.D. Mech, E. K. Harper

Does increasing daylength control seasonal changes in clutch sizes of Northern Pintails (Anas acuta)? Does increasing daylength control seasonal changes in clutch sizes of Northern Pintails (Anas acuta)?

We evaluated spatiotemporal variation in clutch sizes of Northern Pintails (pintails; Anas acuta) nesting in California (1985 to 1996), North Dakota (1982 to 1985), Saskatchewan (1982 to 1985) and Alaska (1991 to 1993) to determine whether seasonal declines in clutch size varied in ways that were consistent with a controlling influence of increasing day length. Pintails began nesting in...
Authors
Gary L. Krapu, G.A. Sargeant, A.E.H. Perkins

Effects of management practices on wetland birds: Sora Effects of management practices on wetland birds: Sora

Information on the habitat requirements and effects of habitat management on wetland birds were summarized from information in more than 500 published and unpublished papers. A range map is provided to indicate the relative densities of the species in North America, based on Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Although the BBS may not capture the presence of elusive waterbird species, the...
Authors
Amy L. Zimmerman, Brent E. Jamison, Jill A. Dechant, Douglas H. Johnson, Christopher M. Goldade, James O. Church, Betty R. Euliss

Records of Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, occurrences in North Dakota during the twentieth century Records of Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, occurrences in North Dakota during the twentieth century

The Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a common bird in the southern United States that has been expanding its breeding range into the northern United States and southern Canada. During the twentieth century, there were 128 reports of Northern Mockingbird occurrences in North Dakota, including 106 reports during the breeding season (15 April to 31 August) and 22 during the...
Authors
L.D. Igl, R.E. Martin

Managing Minnesota's recovered wolves Managing Minnesota's recovered wolves

The Minnesota wolf (Canis lupus) population was estimated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at 2,450 during winter 1997-1998 and had increased at an average annual rate of 4.5% since winter 1988-1989. The population may be removed from the federal endangered species list by 2002, and management would then return to the state. A federal recovery team recommended a...
Authors
L. David Mech
Was this page helpful?