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Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm

Tools for the Mitigation of Habitat-Based Impacts to Birds

Compensatory mitigation is applied in grassland and wetland ecosystems to offset environmental damage from disturbances such as energy development. Energy facilities continue to proliferate across the United States, yet implementation of mitigation tools to ameliorate habitat loss or behavioural effects on wildlife is rare. NPWRC scientists conducted a 10-year Before-After, Control-Impact (BACI)...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Tools for the Mitigation of Habitat-Based Impacts to Birds

Tools for the Mitigation of Habitat-Based Impacts to Birds

Compensatory mitigation is applied in grassland and wetland ecosystems to offset environmental damage from disturbances such as energy development. Energy facilities continue to proliferate across the United States, yet implementation of mitigation tools to ameliorate habitat loss or behavioural effects on wildlife is rare. NPWRC scientists conducted a 10-year Before-After, Control-Impact (BACI)...
Learn More
Wind turbine, Minnesota

Estimating offsets for avian displacement effects of anthropogenic impacts

The avian-impact offset method (AIOM) quantifies the amount of habitat needed to provide equivalent biological value for birds displaced by energy and transportation infrastructure. The AIOM can be applied in situations where avian displacement (i.e., behavioral avoidance) requires compensatory mitigation. The AIOM is based on the ability to define five metrics: impact distance, impact area, pre...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Estimating offsets for avian displacement effects of anthropogenic impacts

Estimating offsets for avian displacement effects of anthropogenic impacts

The avian-impact offset method (AIOM) quantifies the amount of habitat needed to provide equivalent biological value for birds displaced by energy and transportation infrastructure. The AIOM can be applied in situations where avian displacement (i.e., behavioral avoidance) requires compensatory mitigation. The AIOM is based on the ability to define five metrics: impact distance, impact area, pre...
Learn More
Photo of sharp-tailed grouse

Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse

Wind-energy development in the northern Great Plains primarily occurs along the Missouri Coteau and Missouri River Plateau in North Dakota and South Dakota. While these areas rank high in wind-energy potential they also contain important breeding habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chickens. The impact of these wind-energy developments on prairie grouse populations and trends in...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse

Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse

Wind-energy development in the northern Great Plains primarily occurs along the Missouri Coteau and Missouri River Plateau in North Dakota and South Dakota. While these areas rank high in wind-energy potential they also contain important breeding habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chickens. The impact of these wind-energy developments on prairie grouse populations and trends in...
Learn More
A sparrow in the grass

The effects of management practices on grassland birds

With support from the U.S. Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV), the U.S. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy, Northern Prairie is synthesizing literature on the effects of management practices on grassland bird species. The need for these syntheses was identified by the PPJV, a part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, in support of its objective to stabilize or increase...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
The effects of management practices on grassland birds

The effects of management practices on grassland birds

With support from the U.S. Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV), the U.S. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy, Northern Prairie is synthesizing literature on the effects of management practices on grassland bird species. The need for these syntheses was identified by the PPJV, a part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, in support of its objective to stabilize or increase...
Learn More

12-year (2003-2014) Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chicken lek data collected near wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota 12-year (2003-2014) Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chicken lek data collected near wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota

This data release contains four datasets that represent data collected for a study that determined locations of leks of Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) and Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), and counts of birds on those leks, in native mixed-grass prairie from 2003 to 2014 (excluding 2004) at and adjacent to seven wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

10-year (2003-2012) bird and vegetation data collected at wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota 10-year (2003-2012) bird and vegetation data collected at wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota

This data release contains eight datasets that represent the entirety of the data collected for a study that examined breeding-bird densities in native mixed-grass prairie from 2003 to 2012 at and adjacent to wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota, USA. Data were collected to determine breeding-bird density per 100 hectares (ha) by distance bands from turbines and by excluding...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Effects of wind-energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions - data release Effects of wind-energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions - data release

This data release contains breeding-bird densities in native mixed-grass prairie collected from 2003 to 2012 at and adjacent to wind farms in North and South Dakota, USA, for one year prior to turbine construction and several years post-construction. One dataset contains breeding-bird densities per 100 ha by distance from turbines for categories of 0-100 m, 100-200 m, 200-300 m, and...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Modeling effects of crop production, energy development and conservation-grassland loss on avian habitat: dataset of BBS data, ND, with habitat rankings Modeling effects of crop production, energy development and conservation-grassland loss on avian habitat: dataset of BBS data, ND, with habitat rankings

This dataset is North American Breeding Bird Survey bird-count data for the routes and stops in North Dakota, USA, in which ten mixed-grass-prairie-endemic species occurred, as well as the mean habitat-quality ranking scores derived from applying the Habitat Quality Module of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) to spatial layers for landuse/landcover...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The influence of local- and landscape-level factors on wetland breeding birds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota dataset The influence of local- and landscape-level factors on wetland breeding birds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota dataset

The data set consists of data collected in 1995, 1996, and 1997 in wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and South Dakota. The data were summarized and used in the analysis for a U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report entitled: The influence of local- and landscape-level factors on wetland breeding birds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota. The data...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
two people standing on either side of a conference poster, the poster has a picture of an adult eagle and its chick in a nest
Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan
Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan
two people standing on either side of a conference poster, the poster has a picture of an adult eagle and its chick in a nest

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner presented three talks at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan in September 2023 as part of the Embassy Science Fellowship program. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
two people standing on either side of a conference poster, the poster has a picture of an adult eagle and its chick in a nest

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner presented three talks at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan in September 2023 as part of the Embassy Science Fellowship program. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
a person standing behind a podium on a stage with a projector screen in the background showing golden eagle
Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan
Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan
a person standing behind a podium on a stage with a projector screen in the background showing golden eagle

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer presenting on the impacts of renewable energy on golden eagles in the U.S. at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September 2023. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
a person standing behind a podium on a stage with a projector screen in the background showing golden eagle

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer presenting on the impacts of renewable energy on golden eagles in the U.S. at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September 2023. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
A person with binoculars around her neck stands at the bottom of a grassy hill.
Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan
Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan
A person with binoculars around her neck stands at the bottom of a grassy hill.

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer stands below Heligoland nets used to capture migrating birds for banding efforts at Chokpak Ornithological Station in Chokpak, Kazakhstan. Heligoland nets are installed on top of hills or mountains, where they act as funnels, directing birds into a cage.

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
A person with binoculars around her neck stands at the bottom of a grassy hill.

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer stands below Heligoland nets used to capture migrating birds for banding efforts at Chokpak Ornithological Station in Chokpak, Kazakhstan. Heligoland nets are installed on top of hills or mountains, where they act as funnels, directing birds into a cage.

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Filter Total Items: 103

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)

Keys to Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) management include providing shrub-dominated edge habitat adjacent to grasslands or grasslands with a shrub component (both of which must include dense grass and moderately high litter cover) and avoiding disturbances that eliminate woody vegetation. Field Sparrows have been reported to use habitats with 16–134 centimeters (cm) vegetation height...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Barry Parkin, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

The key to Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) management is providing open grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs for foraging, nesting, and perching. Loggerhead Shrikes have been reported to use habitats with 20–266 centimeters (cm) vegetation height, greater than or equal to (≥) 10 percent grass cover, 3–48 percent forb cover, 2–25 percent shrub cover, 3–40 percent bare ground...
Authors
Lawrence Igl, Jill A. Shaffer, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Melvin Nenneman, Amy Zimmerman, Jason Thiele, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

Keys to Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) management are providing large areas of suitable habitat (for example, native or tame grasslands of moderate vegetative height and density, low shrub density, and moderate litter and forb cover), and protecting nesting habitat from disturbance during the breeding season. Bobolinks have been reported to use habitats with 10–166 centimeters (cm)...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Amy Zimmerman, Travis Wooten, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Assessing the use of long-term lek survey data to evaluate the effect of landscape characteristics and wind facilities on sharp-tailed grouse lek dynamics in North Dakota and South Dakota Assessing the use of long-term lek survey data to evaluate the effect of landscape characteristics and wind facilities on sharp-tailed grouse lek dynamics in North Dakota and South Dakota

The contribution of renewable energy to meet worldwide demand continues to grow. In the United States, wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy sectors. Throughout the Great Plains of the United States, wind facilities often are placed in open landscapes of high-elevation grasslands, and those same habitats support sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), a...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Deborah Buhl, Wesley Newton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Dickcissel (Spiza americana) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Dickcissel (Spiza americana)

Keys to Dickcissel (Spiza americana) management include providing dense, moderate-to-tall vegetation, particularly with a well-developed forb component, and moderately deep litter. Dickcissels have been reported to use grassland habitats with 4–166 centimeters (cm) average vegetation height, 6–85 cm visual obstruction reading, 11–68 percent grass cover, 1–86 percent forb cover, less than...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Lawrence Igl, Douglas Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Amy L. Zimmerman, Betty R. Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Keys to Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) management in western North America’s grasslands, particularly those of the Great Plains region, include maintaining open, mostly undeveloped landscapes that sustain at least modest population levels of suitable prey (most typically rabbits [Leporidae] and prairie dogs or ground squirrels [Sciuridae]); safeguarding nesting territories (that is...
Authors
Robert Murphy, John DeLong, Lawrence D. Igl, Jill Shaffer
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Keys to Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) management include providing grasslands with a shrub or forb component or shrub-dominated edge habitat, which includes dense grass and moderately high litter cover, and avoiding disturbances that completely eliminate woody vegetation. Clay-colored Sparrows have been reported to use habitats with 20–186 centimeters (cm) average vegetation...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Melvin P. Nenneman, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Understanding the Avian-Impact Offset Method—A tutorial Understanding the Avian-Impact Offset Method—A tutorial

Biodiversity offsetting, or compensatory mitigation, is increasingly being used in temperate grassland and wetland ecosystems to compensate for unavoidable environmental damage from anthropogenic disturbances such as energy development and road construction. Energy-extraction and -generation facilities continue to proliferate across the natural landscapes of the United States, yet...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Charles Loesch, Deborah Buhl
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea)

Keys to Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) management include providing areas of short, sparse vegetation and maintaining populations of prey species and of burrowing mammals to ensure availability of burrows as nest sites. In particular, the conservation of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) and Richardson’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) colonies is...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Lawrence Igl, Douglas Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Paul Rabie, Jason P. Thiele, Betty R. Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Limited land base and competing land uses force societal tradeoffs when siting energy development Limited land base and competing land uses force societal tradeoffs when siting energy development

As human populations grow, decisions regarding use of the world's finite land base become increasingly complex. We adopted a land use–conflict scenario involving renewable energy to illustrate one potential cause of these conflicts and resulting tradeoff decisions. Renewable energy industries wishing to expand operations in the United States are limited by multijurisdictional regulations...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Neal Niemuth, Charles Loesch, Clayton Derby, Aaron Pearse, Kevin Barnes, Terry Shaffer, Adam Ryba
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus)

The keys to Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) management are maintaining expansive grasslands; preventing populations of Greater Prairie-Chickens from becoming small and isolated; managing grasslands to maintain proper grassland height, density, and vigor; and reducing woody plant invasion and excessive litter buildup. Within these grasslands, areas should contain...
Authors
W. Svedarsky, John Toepfer, Ronald Westemeier, Robert Robel, Lawrence D. Igl, Jill Shaffer
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

The key to Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) management is providing large grasslands and wetlands, particularly those that can support high densities of voles (Microtus species). Short-eared Owls have been reported to use habitats with 30–90 centimeters (cm) average vegetation height, 7–47 cm visual obstruction reading, 31–85 percent grass cover, 8–26 percent forb cover, less than 18...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Lawrence Igl, Douglas Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Melvin Nenneman, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Dechant, J. A. 2001. Range expansion of Pileated Woodpecker in North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 33:163-182.
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/1001692
Winter, M., S. E. Hawks, J. A. Shaffer, and D. H. Johnson. 2003. Guidelines for finding nests of passerine birds in tallgrass prairie. Prairie Naturalist 35:197-211.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1159&context=usgsnpwrc.
Shaffer, J. A., L. D. Igl, and F. VanHove. 2003. Historical and recent records and first nest records of Henslow’s Sparrow in North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 35:81-94.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsnpwrc/159/.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Wind Power and Conservation in Kazakhstan and Central Asia

Wind Power and Conservation in Kazakhstan and Central Asia

U.S. Geological Survey scientists Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner served as Embassy Science Fellows for the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan’s 2023-2024...

Read Article
Finding areas of compatibility between renewable energy development and conservation of the Nation’s resources

Finding areas of compatibility between renewable energy development and conservation of the Nation’s resources

Energy development and resource conservation can seem at odds with one another, but a recent study highlights how to minimize conflict and evaluate...

Read Article
USGS Friday's Findings - February 24th 2023

USGS Friday's Findings - February 24th 2023

Title: No More Tilting at Windmills: A Quantitative Method for Evaluating Development Impacts

Speaker: Jill Shaffer, Ecologist, Northern Prairie...

Read Article
Breeding Bird Distribution Affected by Wind Turbines in the Dakotas

Breeding Bird Distribution Affected by Wind Turbines in the Dakotas

New wind energy facilities placed in prime wildlife habitat in North and South Dakota can influence the distribution of several species of grassland...
Read Article

Science and Products

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm

Tools for the Mitigation of Habitat-Based Impacts to Birds

Compensatory mitigation is applied in grassland and wetland ecosystems to offset environmental damage from disturbances such as energy development. Energy facilities continue to proliferate across the United States, yet implementation of mitigation tools to ameliorate habitat loss or behavioural effects on wildlife is rare. NPWRC scientists conducted a 10-year Before-After, Control-Impact (BACI)...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Tools for the Mitigation of Habitat-Based Impacts to Birds

Tools for the Mitigation of Habitat-Based Impacts to Birds

Compensatory mitigation is applied in grassland and wetland ecosystems to offset environmental damage from disturbances such as energy development. Energy facilities continue to proliferate across the United States, yet implementation of mitigation tools to ameliorate habitat loss or behavioural effects on wildlife is rare. NPWRC scientists conducted a 10-year Before-After, Control-Impact (BACI)...
Learn More
Wind turbine, Minnesota

Estimating offsets for avian displacement effects of anthropogenic impacts

The avian-impact offset method (AIOM) quantifies the amount of habitat needed to provide equivalent biological value for birds displaced by energy and transportation infrastructure. The AIOM can be applied in situations where avian displacement (i.e., behavioral avoidance) requires compensatory mitigation. The AIOM is based on the ability to define five metrics: impact distance, impact area, pre...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Estimating offsets for avian displacement effects of anthropogenic impacts

Estimating offsets for avian displacement effects of anthropogenic impacts

The avian-impact offset method (AIOM) quantifies the amount of habitat needed to provide equivalent biological value for birds displaced by energy and transportation infrastructure. The AIOM can be applied in situations where avian displacement (i.e., behavioral avoidance) requires compensatory mitigation. The AIOM is based on the ability to define five metrics: impact distance, impact area, pre...
Learn More
Photo of sharp-tailed grouse

Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse

Wind-energy development in the northern Great Plains primarily occurs along the Missouri Coteau and Missouri River Plateau in North Dakota and South Dakota. While these areas rank high in wind-energy potential they also contain important breeding habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chickens. The impact of these wind-energy developments on prairie grouse populations and trends in...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse

Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse

Wind-energy development in the northern Great Plains primarily occurs along the Missouri Coteau and Missouri River Plateau in North Dakota and South Dakota. While these areas rank high in wind-energy potential they also contain important breeding habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chickens. The impact of these wind-energy developments on prairie grouse populations and trends in...
Learn More
A sparrow in the grass

The effects of management practices on grassland birds

With support from the U.S. Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV), the U.S. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy, Northern Prairie is synthesizing literature on the effects of management practices on grassland bird species. The need for these syntheses was identified by the PPJV, a part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, in support of its objective to stabilize or increase...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
The effects of management practices on grassland birds

The effects of management practices on grassland birds

With support from the U.S. Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV), the U.S. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy, Northern Prairie is synthesizing literature on the effects of management practices on grassland bird species. The need for these syntheses was identified by the PPJV, a part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, in support of its objective to stabilize or increase...
Learn More

12-year (2003-2014) Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chicken lek data collected near wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota 12-year (2003-2014) Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chicken lek data collected near wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota

This data release contains four datasets that represent data collected for a study that determined locations of leks of Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) and Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), and counts of birds on those leks, in native mixed-grass prairie from 2003 to 2014 (excluding 2004) at and adjacent to seven wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

10-year (2003-2012) bird and vegetation data collected at wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota 10-year (2003-2012) bird and vegetation data collected at wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota

This data release contains eight datasets that represent the entirety of the data collected for a study that examined breeding-bird densities in native mixed-grass prairie from 2003 to 2012 at and adjacent to wind facilities in North Dakota and South Dakota, USA. Data were collected to determine breeding-bird density per 100 hectares (ha) by distance bands from turbines and by excluding...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Effects of wind-energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions - data release Effects of wind-energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions - data release

This data release contains breeding-bird densities in native mixed-grass prairie collected from 2003 to 2012 at and adjacent to wind farms in North and South Dakota, USA, for one year prior to turbine construction and several years post-construction. One dataset contains breeding-bird densities per 100 ha by distance from turbines for categories of 0-100 m, 100-200 m, 200-300 m, and...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Modeling effects of crop production, energy development and conservation-grassland loss on avian habitat: dataset of BBS data, ND, with habitat rankings Modeling effects of crop production, energy development and conservation-grassland loss on avian habitat: dataset of BBS data, ND, with habitat rankings

This dataset is North American Breeding Bird Survey bird-count data for the routes and stops in North Dakota, USA, in which ten mixed-grass-prairie-endemic species occurred, as well as the mean habitat-quality ranking scores derived from applying the Habitat Quality Module of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) to spatial layers for landuse/landcover...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The influence of local- and landscape-level factors on wetland breeding birds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota dataset The influence of local- and landscape-level factors on wetland breeding birds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota dataset

The data set consists of data collected in 1995, 1996, and 1997 in wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and South Dakota. The data were summarized and used in the analysis for a U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report entitled: The influence of local- and landscape-level factors on wetland breeding birds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota. The data...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
two people standing on either side of a conference poster, the poster has a picture of an adult eagle and its chick in a nest
Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan
Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan
two people standing on either side of a conference poster, the poster has a picture of an adult eagle and its chick in a nest

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner presented three talks at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan in September 2023 as part of the Embassy Science Fellowship program. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
two people standing on either side of a conference poster, the poster has a picture of an adult eagle and its chick in a nest

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner presented three talks at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan in September 2023 as part of the Embassy Science Fellowship program. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
a person standing behind a podium on a stage with a projector screen in the background showing golden eagle
Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan
Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan
a person standing behind a podium on a stage with a projector screen in the background showing golden eagle

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer presenting on the impacts of renewable energy on golden eagles in the U.S. at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September 2023. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
a person standing behind a podium on a stage with a projector screen in the background showing golden eagle

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer giving a presentation in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer presenting on the impacts of renewable energy on golden eagles in the U.S. at the Eagles of the Palearctic Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September 2023. 

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
A person with binoculars around her neck stands at the bottom of a grassy hill.
Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan
Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan
A person with binoculars around her neck stands at the bottom of a grassy hill.

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer stands below Heligoland nets used to capture migrating birds for banding efforts at Chokpak Ornithological Station in Chokpak, Kazakhstan. Heligoland nets are installed on top of hills or mountains, where they act as funnels, directing birds into a cage.

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
A person with binoculars around her neck stands at the bottom of a grassy hill.

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer beneath a Heligoland net in Kazakhstan

Jill Shaffer stands below Heligoland nets used to capture migrating birds for banding efforts at Chokpak Ornithological Station in Chokpak, Kazakhstan. Heligoland nets are installed on top of hills or mountains, where they act as funnels, directing birds into a cage.

By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

Aerial View of the Tatanka Wind Energy Farm in North and South Dakota

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Filter Total Items: 103

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)

Keys to Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) management include providing shrub-dominated edge habitat adjacent to grasslands or grasslands with a shrub component (both of which must include dense grass and moderately high litter cover) and avoiding disturbances that eliminate woody vegetation. Field Sparrows have been reported to use habitats with 16–134 centimeters (cm) vegetation height...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Barry Parkin, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

The key to Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) management is providing open grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs for foraging, nesting, and perching. Loggerhead Shrikes have been reported to use habitats with 20–266 centimeters (cm) vegetation height, greater than or equal to (≥) 10 percent grass cover, 3–48 percent forb cover, 2–25 percent shrub cover, 3–40 percent bare ground...
Authors
Lawrence Igl, Jill A. Shaffer, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Melvin Nenneman, Amy Zimmerman, Jason Thiele, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

Keys to Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) management are providing large areas of suitable habitat (for example, native or tame grasslands of moderate vegetative height and density, low shrub density, and moderate litter and forb cover), and protecting nesting habitat from disturbance during the breeding season. Bobolinks have been reported to use habitats with 10–166 centimeters (cm)...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Amy Zimmerman, Travis Wooten, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Assessing the use of long-term lek survey data to evaluate the effect of landscape characteristics and wind facilities on sharp-tailed grouse lek dynamics in North Dakota and South Dakota Assessing the use of long-term lek survey data to evaluate the effect of landscape characteristics and wind facilities on sharp-tailed grouse lek dynamics in North Dakota and South Dakota

The contribution of renewable energy to meet worldwide demand continues to grow. In the United States, wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy sectors. Throughout the Great Plains of the United States, wind facilities often are placed in open landscapes of high-elevation grasslands, and those same habitats support sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), a...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Deborah Buhl, Wesley Newton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Dickcissel (Spiza americana) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Dickcissel (Spiza americana)

Keys to Dickcissel (Spiza americana) management include providing dense, moderate-to-tall vegetation, particularly with a well-developed forb component, and moderately deep litter. Dickcissels have been reported to use grassland habitats with 4–166 centimeters (cm) average vegetation height, 6–85 cm visual obstruction reading, 11–68 percent grass cover, 1–86 percent forb cover, less than...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Lawrence Igl, Douglas Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Amy L. Zimmerman, Betty R. Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Keys to Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) management in western North America’s grasslands, particularly those of the Great Plains region, include maintaining open, mostly undeveloped landscapes that sustain at least modest population levels of suitable prey (most typically rabbits [Leporidae] and prairie dogs or ground squirrels [Sciuridae]); safeguarding nesting territories (that is...
Authors
Robert Murphy, John DeLong, Lawrence D. Igl, Jill Shaffer
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Keys to Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) management include providing grasslands with a shrub or forb component or shrub-dominated edge habitat, which includes dense grass and moderately high litter cover, and avoiding disturbances that completely eliminate woody vegetation. Clay-colored Sparrows have been reported to use habitats with 20–186 centimeters (cm) average vegetation...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Melvin P. Nenneman, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Understanding the Avian-Impact Offset Method—A tutorial Understanding the Avian-Impact Offset Method—A tutorial

Biodiversity offsetting, or compensatory mitigation, is increasingly being used in temperate grassland and wetland ecosystems to compensate for unavoidable environmental damage from anthropogenic disturbances such as energy development and road construction. Energy-extraction and -generation facilities continue to proliferate across the natural landscapes of the United States, yet...
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Charles Loesch, Deborah Buhl
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea)

Keys to Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) management include providing areas of short, sparse vegetation and maintaining populations of prey species and of burrowing mammals to ensure availability of burrows as nest sites. In particular, the conservation of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) and Richardson’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) colonies is...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Lawrence Igl, Douglas Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Paul Rabie, Jason P. Thiele, Betty R. Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Limited land base and competing land uses force societal tradeoffs when siting energy development Limited land base and competing land uses force societal tradeoffs when siting energy development

As human populations grow, decisions regarding use of the world's finite land base become increasingly complex. We adopted a land use–conflict scenario involving renewable energy to illustrate one potential cause of these conflicts and resulting tradeoff decisions. Renewable energy industries wishing to expand operations in the United States are limited by multijurisdictional regulations...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Neal Niemuth, Charles Loesch, Clayton Derby, Aaron Pearse, Kevin Barnes, Terry Shaffer, Adam Ryba
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus)

The keys to Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) management are maintaining expansive grasslands; preventing populations of Greater Prairie-Chickens from becoming small and isolated; managing grasslands to maintain proper grassland height, density, and vigor; and reducing woody plant invasion and excessive litter buildup. Within these grasslands, areas should contain...
Authors
W. Svedarsky, John Toepfer, Ronald Westemeier, Robert Robel, Lawrence D. Igl, Jill Shaffer
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

The key to Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) management is providing large grasslands and wetlands, particularly those that can support high densities of voles (Microtus species). Short-eared Owls have been reported to use habitats with 30–90 centimeters (cm) average vegetation height, 7–47 cm visual obstruction reading, 31–85 percent grass cover, 8–26 percent forb cover, less than 18...
Authors
Jill Shaffer, Lawrence Igl, Douglas Johnson, Marriah Sondreal, Christopher Goldade, Melvin Nenneman, Betty Euliss
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Dechant, J. A. 2001. Range expansion of Pileated Woodpecker in North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 33:163-182.
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/1001692
Winter, M., S. E. Hawks, J. A. Shaffer, and D. H. Johnson. 2003. Guidelines for finding nests of passerine birds in tallgrass prairie. Prairie Naturalist 35:197-211.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1159&context=usgsnpwrc.
Shaffer, J. A., L. D. Igl, and F. VanHove. 2003. Historical and recent records and first nest records of Henslow’s Sparrow in North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 35:81-94.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsnpwrc/159/.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Wind Power and Conservation in Kazakhstan and Central Asia

Wind Power and Conservation in Kazakhstan and Central Asia

U.S. Geological Survey scientists Jill Shaffer and Todd Katzner served as Embassy Science Fellows for the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan’s 2023-2024...

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Finding areas of compatibility between renewable energy development and conservation of the Nation’s resources

Finding areas of compatibility between renewable energy development and conservation of the Nation’s resources

Energy development and resource conservation can seem at odds with one another, but a recent study highlights how to minimize conflict and evaluate...

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USGS Friday's Findings - February 24th 2023

USGS Friday's Findings - February 24th 2023

Title: No More Tilting at Windmills: A Quantitative Method for Evaluating Development Impacts

Speaker: Jill Shaffer, Ecologist, Northern Prairie...

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Breeding Bird Distribution Affected by Wind Turbines in the Dakotas

Breeding Bird Distribution Affected by Wind Turbines in the Dakotas

New wind energy facilities placed in prime wildlife habitat in North and South Dakota can influence the distribution of several species of grassland...
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