Skip to main content
USGS - science for a changing world
Advanced Search

Filters: Tags: Great Plains (X)

466 results (48ms)   

Filters
Date Range
Extensions
Types
Contacts
Categories
Tag Types
Tag Schemes
View Results as: JSON ATOM CSV
We capitalized on a regional-scale, anthropogenic experiment?the reduction of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns across the Great Plains of North America?to test the hypothesis that decline of this species has led to declines in diversity of native grassland vertebrates of this region. We compared species richness and species composition of non-volant mammals, reptiles and amphibians at 36 prairie dog towns and 36 paired sites in the Panhandle Region of Oklahoma during the summers and falls of 1997, 1998 and 1999. We detected 30 species of mammals, 18 species of reptiles and seven species of amphibians. Comparisons between communities at prairie dog towns and paired sites in the adjacent landscape...
Prairie restoration at the northern edge of the Great Plains can be frustrated by previously established non-native perennial grasses. We compared the emergence of a widely introduced grass, Agropyron cristatum, and a common native grass, Bouteloua gracilis, in a 4-year-old field experiment in which the Agropyron-dominated vegetation had either been left intact or treated annually with herbicide. This was done at two levels of water supply, reflecting conditions expected in wet and dry years, to examine the effects of among-year variability in precipitation. Water addition significantly increased the emergence of both surface-sown and buried (1 cm deep) seeds. Herbicide treatment of neighbors did not increase the...
Concern over the status of species associated with prairie dog colonies has increased with the recent proposed listing of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). We monitored burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) populations and prairie dog densities in 17 black-tailed prairie dog colonies in the Nebraska panhandle between 1990 and 1996. All prairie dog colonies were controlled at least once during the study. We observed a 63% decline in nesting pairs of burrowing owls and significant declines in burrow densities. Results indicated a time lag in owl response to changes in active burrow densities. However, in the later years of the study when burrow densities were lowest, owl numbers were positively correlated...
thumbnail
Maintaining the native prairie lands of the Northern Great Plains (NGP), which provide an important habitat for declining grassland species, requires anticipating the effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and climate change on the region’s vegetation. Specifically, climate change threatens NGP grasslands by increasing the potential encroachment of native woody species into areas where they were previously only present in minor numbers. This project used a dynamic vegetation model to simulate vegetation type (grassland, shrubland, woodland, and forest) for the NGP for a range of projected future climates and relevant management scenarios. Comparing results of these simulations illustrates...
thumbnail
This dataset consists of 102 magnetotelluric (MT) stations collected in 2012-2014 in the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains. The U.S. Geological Survey acquired these data to improve regional conductivity models of the western United States. This work is in support of studies of the effect of lithospheric modification on electrical resistivity structure and tectonic evolution of the western United States.
thumbnail
This dataset consists of 102 magnetotelluric (MT) stations collected in 2012-2014 in the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains. The U.S. Geological Survey acquired these data to improve regional conductivity models of the western United States. This work is in support of studies of the effect of lithospheric modification on electrical resistivity structure and tectonic evolution of the western United States.
thumbnail
These data have been collected as part of a cooperative project in between the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Springs Utilities, and Colorado Springs City Engineering. This project began in 2005 and has collected macroinvertebrate samples from Fountain Creek and its tributaries to monitor the biological condition of this watershed. Provided in this data release are Multimetric Index (MMI) values of aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages using four different sampling methods. There are two subsets of these data included: (1) MMI values of macroinvertebrate data collected from 2010 to 2012 at 15 sites as part of an invertebrate sample method comparison Scientific Investigations Report (SIR) titled “Comparability...
thumbnail
This dataset consists of 102 magnetotelluric (MT) stations collected in 2012-2014 in the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains. The U.S. Geological Survey acquired these data to improve regional conductivity models of the western United States. This work is in support of studies of the effect of lithospheric modification on electrical resistivity structure and tectonic evolution of the western United States.
thumbnail
Summary of project, results, and discussion for the study completed by Shannon K. Brewer, Thomas A. Worthington, Timothy B. Grabowski, Julia Mueller, Nicole Farless, and Mark S. Gregory. Summary written by the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GP LCC).
thumbnail
Habitat fragmentation and flow regulation are significant factors related to the decline and extinction of freshwater biota. Pelagic-broadcast spawning cyprinids require moving water and some length of unfragmented stream to complete their life cycle. However, it is unknown how discharge and habitat features interact at multiple spatial scales to alter the transport of semi-buoyant fish eggs. Our objective was to assess the relationship between downstream drift of semi-buoyant egg surrogates (gellan beads) and discharge and habitat complexity. We quantified transport time of a known quantity of beads using 2–3 sampling devices at each of seven locations on the North Canadian and Canadian rivers. Transport time...
thumbnail
Stream fragmentation alters the structure of aquatic communities on a global scale, generally through loss of native species. Among riverscapes in the Great Plains of North America, stream fragmentation and hydrologic alteration (flow regulation and dewatering) are implicated in the decline of native fish diversity. This study documents the spatio–temporal distribution of fish reproductive guilds in the fragmented Arkansas and Ninnescah rivers of south-central Kansas using retrospective analyses involving 63 years of fish community data. Pelagic-spawning fishes declined throughout the study area during 1950–2013, including Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi) last reported in 1983, plains minnow (Hybognathus...
thumbnail
Sediment accumulation in playa wetlands, such as those in the Rainwater Basin in south-central Nebraska, reduces the hydrologic functionality and alters the vegetative composition of the wetlands reducing their ability to provide forage and resting habitat for migratory birds. Most Rainwater Basin wetlands have intense agricultural production occuring within their watersheds that accelerate sediment accumulation within the wetland. This sediment accumulation reduced the abilty of the wetland to hold water which, in turn, allows invasive and upland plants to proliferate with the wetland footprint. Planting upland grassland buffers around wetlands reduces the sediment load entering the wetland reducing the need...
thumbnail
We propose to use long-term fish-population data from a relict reach of the Pecos River, New Mexico to assess population dynamics of imperiled prairie-river minnows, including Arkansas River shiner. Development of viable management strategies requires basic understanding of population ecology. Rigorous, quantitative ecological methods can be used to analyze continuous, long-term demographic data, but such data are rarely available for imperiled, non-game fishes. Data available for the Pecos River provide a unique opportunity to apply quantitative methods to prairie-river minnow conservation and management. Analyses proposed here would determine (1) whether population regulation is density dependent or flow-regime...
thumbnail
Rate of global biodiversity loss increased significantly during the 20th century associated with human environmental alterations. Specifically, mismanagement of freshwater resources contributed to historical and contemporary loss of stream-dwelling fish diversity and will likely play a role in determining the persistence of species in the future. We present a mechanistic pathway by which human alteration of streams has caused the decline of a unique reproductive guild of Great Plains stream-dwelling fishes, and suggest how future climate change might exacerbate these declines. Stream fragmentation related to impoundments, diversion dams and stream dewatering are consequences of increasing demand for freshwater resources...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2010, AR-04, CATFISHES/MINNOWS, CO-03, CT-04, All tags...
thumbnail
Genetic, demographic, and environmental processes affect natural populations synergistically, and understanding their interplay is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. Stream fishes in metapopulations are particularly sensitive to habitat fragmentation because persistence depends on dispersal and colonization of new habitat but dispersal is constrained to stream networks. Great Plains streams are increasingly fragmented by water diversion and climate change, threatening connectivity of fish populations in this ecosystem. We used seven microsatellite loci to describe population and landscape genetic patterns across 614 individuals from 12 remaining populations of Arkansas darter ( Etheostoma cragini) in...
thumbnail
Within grassland communities of the GPLCC one such key indicator species is the Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidinctus). Lesser Prairie-chicken range extends across the southern portion of the GPLCC area throughout Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Kansas. Lesser Prairie-chickens are a good target species because they are widely distributed across the southern GPLCC, are a species of conservation concern, have large home ranges, and are likely sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances. Similarly, the Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), is a species of conservation concern, with large home range, distributed across the northern portion of the GPLCC including portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska,...
thumbnail
We used the United States National Grid to develop a sampling grid for monitoring programs in the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, delineated by Bird Conservation Regions 18 and 19. Landscape Conservation Cooperatives are science based partnerships with the goal to inform and guide conservation at regional landscape levels. Developing a standardized sampling grid for a LCC is a new endeavor and is designed to reduce program costs, avoid repetition in sampling, and increase efficiency in monitoring programs. This is possible because the grid’s nationwide coverage, uniform starting point, and scalability allow researchers to expand their monitoring programs from a small, local level to a regional or...
Probability of suitable habitat for Black Tailed Prairie Dogs for each cell of raster. Probability is measured from 0 to 1 with 0 being low habitat suitability and 1 being high suitability. Probability data is created from fitting a global third-order model to county level raster data. For details on model fitting and data used to produce probability raster see report. http://www.greatplainslcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/BTPD-Habitat-Suitability-Final-Report.pdf
Classified probability of suitable habitat for Black Tailed Prairie Dogs for each cell of raster. Classification is based on 4 probability cutoff levels with category 1 being low habitat suitability and category 4 being high habitat suitability. Categorized probability data is created from fitting a global third-order model to county level raster data. For details on model fitting and data used to produce categorized probability raster see report. http://www.greatplainslcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/BTPD-Habitat-Suitability-Final-Report.pdf
map background search result map search result map Projecting the Future Encroachment of Woody Vegetation into Grasslands of the Northern Great Plains by Simulating Climate Conditions and Possible Management Actions Consequences of stream fragmentation and climate change for rare Great Plains fishes Population Management of Prairie-River Minnows Denver CO Third Order Resource Selection Function Phillips CO Third Order Categorized Resource Selection Function Interacting Effects of Discharge and Channel Morphology on Transport of Semibuoyant Fish Eggs in Large, Altered River Systems Analysis Data: Conservation status, genetics, and population vulnerability of Arkansas darter (Etheostoma cragini) in Colorado Final Report: Development of regional planning tools to assess the impacts of climate and land use change on a sensitive grassland bird RUSLE2 Soil Erosion Model for the Rainwater Basin Region of Nebraska LiDAR Derived Watershed Boundaries for Rainwater Basin Wetlands Publication: Fragmentation and drying ratchet down Great Plains stream fish diversity Project Summary: Evaluating The Reproductive Success Of Arkansas River Shiner By Assessing Early Life-History Stage Dispersal And Survival At A Landscape Level Final Report: Integrated monitoring within BCR’s: Creating a wildlife monitoring grid for the GPLCC Multimetric Index macroinvertebrate values from the Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado 2005 to 2016 Station_rgr025 Station_rgr320 Station_rgr422 Phillips CO Third Order Categorized Resource Selection Function Denver CO Third Order Resource Selection Function Multimetric Index macroinvertebrate values from the Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado 2005 to 2016 RUSLE2 Soil Erosion Model for the Rainwater Basin Region of Nebraska LiDAR Derived Watershed Boundaries for Rainwater Basin Wetlands Analysis Data: Conservation status, genetics, and population vulnerability of Arkansas darter (Etheostoma cragini) in Colorado Population Management of Prairie-River Minnows Interacting Effects of Discharge and Channel Morphology on Transport of Semibuoyant Fish Eggs in Large, Altered River Systems Project Summary: Evaluating The Reproductive Success Of Arkansas River Shiner By Assessing Early Life-History Stage Dispersal And Survival At A Landscape Level Consequences of stream fragmentation and climate change for rare Great Plains fishes Final Report: Development of regional planning tools to assess the impacts of climate and land use change on a sensitive grassland bird Publication: Fragmentation and drying ratchet down Great Plains stream fish diversity Final Report: Integrated monitoring within BCR’s: Creating a wildlife monitoring grid for the GPLCC Projecting the Future Encroachment of Woody Vegetation into Grasslands of the Northern Great Plains by Simulating Climate Conditions and Possible Management Actions