Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
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Located on six hundred acres along the James River Valley near Jamestown, North Dakota, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center is one of seventeen USGS Science Centers that develop and disseminate the scientific information needed to understand, conserve, and manage the Nation’s rich biological resources.
Migratory-bird center of excellence
The Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center is known for its long history of meeting the migratory-bird research needs of Department of the Interior and the Nation.
Migratory BirdsInsect pollinators of the Great Plains
Pollinators support both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Northern Prairie scientists are studying factors affecting the health of insect pollinators across the northern Great Plains.
Pollinator ResearchMinimizing impacts to wildlife and ecosystems
Providing information needed to reduce the impacts of oil, gas, biofuel and wind energy development in the northern Great Plains is a focus of several research efforts at NPWRC.
Species StressorsNews
Honey Bee Helpers: It Takes a Village to Conserve a Colony
Do you eat fruits and vegetables? What about nuts? If so, you can thank an insect pollinator, usually a honey bee. These small insects play a major role in pollinating the world’s plants, including those we eat regularly. They also increase our nation’s crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars.
Scientists Collecting Bird Data on Grasslands in Montana this Spring
Now through late July, 2018, U.S. Geological Survey scientists will conduct fieldwork on public lands in Phillips and Valley counties near Malta and Glasgow, Montana, as part of a grassland bird project.
Public Invitation: Jamestown Science Center Opens Doors for Interactive Experience
The public is invited to attend a free, family-friendly open house at a local U.S. Geological Survey center for ecology research on Saturday, September 16.
Publications
Differing modes of biotic connectivity within freshwater ecosystem mosaics
We describe a collection of aquatic and wetland habitats in an inland landscape, and their occurrence within a terrestrial matrix, as a “freshwater ecosystem mosaic” (FEM). Aquatic and wetland habitats in any FEM can vary widely, from permanently ponded lakes, to ephemerally ponded wetlands, to groundwater‐fed springs, to flowing rivers and...
Mushet, David M.; Alexander, Laurie C.; Bennet, Micah; Schofield, Kate; Christensen, Jay R.; Ali, Genevieve; Pollard, Amina I.; Fritz, Ken M.; Lang, Megan Biological connectivity of seasonally ponded wetlands across spatial and temporal scales
Many species that inhabit seasonally ponded wetlands also rely on surrounding upland habitats and nearby aquatic ecosystems for resources to support life stages and to maintain viable populations. Understanding biological connectivity among these habitats is critical to ensure that landscapes are protected at appropriate scales to conserve species...
Smith, Lora L.; Subalusky, Amanda; Atkinson, Carla L.; Earl, Julia E.; Mushet, David M.; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L.; Johnson, Steve A. The influence of spatiotemporally decoupled land use on honey bee colony health and pollination service delivery
Societal dependence on insects for pollination of agricultural crops has risen amidst concerns over pollinator declines. Habitat loss and lack of forage have been implicated in the decline of both managed and native pollinators. Land use changes in the Northern Great Plains of the US, a region supporting over 1 million honey bee colonies...
Smart, Matthew; Otto, Clint R.; Carlson, Benjamin; Roth, Cali