SEARCH · Search USGS
Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Review of: Conservation and management of neotropical migrant landbirds in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. Northwest Naturalist Books. David S. Dobkin, R. Gerald Wright, Stephen C. Bunting. University of Idaho Press, 1994. ISBN: 0893011681, 9780893011680.
Grass identification is not for the faint of heart, especially when one has to rely on dichotomous keys using terms like “glume” and “flexuous pedicels.” A good, illustrated field guide that avoids such specialized terms is invaluable for ranchers, amateur naturalists, landscapers, and a variety of grassland professionals that aren’t hard-core botanists. These are the audience that Iralee Barnard targets, and none of them will have any trouble using this handy volume that is short on words but generous with full-color photographs. Review info: Field Guide to the Common Grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska . By Iralee Barnard, 2014. ISBN: 978-0700619450, 264 pp.
Abstract has not been submitted
Abstract has not been submitted
The northern limit of the blue grosbeak's ( Guiraca caerulea ) breeding distribution occurs in southern North Dakota. Records of the blue grosbeak in North Dakota are uncommon. Here, I report my observation of a blue grosbeak at a site where the species was recorded 25 years earlier. A summary of the species' distribution and records in North Dakota are provided.
Abstract has not been submitted
Abstract has not been submitted
Native prairie areas on the Woodworth Station were sampled, classified, described, and mapped. Transect sites were selectively located along different soil moisture gradients. Data were collected from 292 plots using a modified Braun-Blanquet cover estimation technique. Trees and tall shrubs (over 2 m) were not sampled because they made up less than 1% of all cover. Eve vegetation classes were established based on growth forms. They were mixed grass, shrub, tall grass, broad-leaved forbs, and trees. Each class is divided into community types based on species composition. The mixed-grass class has blue grama, Kentucky bluegrass, and mixed native grasses. The shrub class is divided into low shrub, shrub grassland, and tall shrub. The tall-grass class includes little bluestem, big bluestem, bluestem Indian-grass, and prairie cordgrass. These results will provide baseline information for long-range plans on habitat management which are being developed for the Woodworth Station.
Abstract has not been submitted
Abstract has not been submitted
Abstract has not been submitted
Abstract has not been submitted
Abstract has not been submitted
Approximately 200 bald eagles wintered along a 370-km section of the Platte and North Platte rivers in Nebraska during the winters of 1978-79 and 1979-80. A preponderance of the wintering eagles were adults, with the adult:subadult ratio highest during the harsh winter of 1978-79. Nocturnal roosts were located primarily in tree plantings near the river, with mean tree age at the roosts ranging from 39 to 84 years. Bald eagles utilized a diverse prey base that included fish, birds, and mammals. Remains of 56 prey species were identified from pellets; 76% of pellets contained birds, 34% mammals, and 11% fish. Eagles foraged principally on fish when ice covered less than 80% of channels and water levels were moderate to low. Waterfowl and mammals dominated the diet when the river was almost entirely frozen or water levels were high. Mallards, eastern cottontails, and carp were the principal avian, mammalian, and piscine prey, respectively. Eagles traveled long distances from the river to feed on field-feeding waterfowl when alternate prey were not available. Fish were underrated in pellets because body components are more digestible than other major prey consumed.
Winter distribution and abundance of raptors were monitored within the Platte and North Platte river valleys. Data were collected along 265 km of census routes along the Platte and North Platte rivers during the winters of 1978-1979 and 1979-1980. Observations recorded during the second winter involved less observation time and were at somewhat different periods. There were 1574 sightings of 15 species representing 3 raptor families. Number of raptors observed on 54 days from 15 November to 13 February 1978-1979 was 48.3 per 100 km. In 20 days of observation from 5 December to 6 March 1979-1980, 39.7 raptors were observed per 100 km. Small mammal indices were 21 and 12 captures per 1000 trap nights during November 1978 and 1979, respectively. Raptors were sighted most frequently in riverine habitat and least in pasture and tilled fields. American kestrels (Falco sparverius) (11.1 individuals/100 km), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) (9.9), and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) (9.6) were the most frequently sighted raptors. Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), rough-legged hawk (B. lagopus), and prairie falcon (P. mexicanus) sightings were 3.4, 3.4, and 1.7, respectively. Nine species were seen at a frequency of less than 1.0 individuals/100 km. Improved foraging conditions throughout the region resulted in fewer raptors sighted in 1979-1980.