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Duck Nest Success on Conservation Reserve Program
Land in the Prairie Pothole Region

H. A. Kantrud*

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Abstract: Habitat fragmentation from intensified farming has concentrated nesting waterfowl and their predators in the remaining, relatively small untitled habitats of the prairie pothole region in the United States. The areas of land that have been enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in this area could help disperse these concentrations and reduce losses to predators. The presence of CRP land may influence decisions about intensive management of public lands devoted to waterfowl production. During 1989-1991, waterfowl nest success on CRP fields in areas of high wetland density in the prairie pothole region was 23.1 percent compared to 8.2 percent on similar covers on federal waterfowl production areas. CRP fields thus provided more secure nesting cover for upland-nesting ducks than waterfowl production areas. However, nest success and use of the fields by ducks varied greatly. CRP fields are abundant and of a wide variety of age classes and sizes. These characteristics make CRP fields well suited as study sites for determining the effects of cover area, distance to water, and cover age on nest success of ducks.

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This resource is based on the following source (Northern Prairie Publication 0860):

Kantrud, H. A.  1993.  Duck nest success on Conservation Reserve Program land 
     in the prairie pothole region.  Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 
     48(3):238-242.

This resource should be cited as:

Kantrud, H. A.  1993.  Duck nest success on Conservation Reserve Program land 
     in the prairie pothole region.  Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 
     48(3):238-242.  Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 
     Online.  http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/crpdns/index.htm  
     (Version 09MAR2001).

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Methods
• Results and Discussion
• Conclusions
• References Cited

Tables and Figures

• Table 1 -- Number of fields and areas searched for duck nests, CRP study, 1989-1991.
• Table 2 -- Numbers of duck nests found in prairie pothole region of Minnesota and North Dakota, 1989-1991.
• Table 3 -- Mayfield nest success rates for major duck species in the prairie pothole region of Minnesota and North Dakota, 1989-1991.

• Figure 1 -- Prairie pothole region showing counties where searches for nests were conducted.
• Figure 2 -- Primary sample unit, 1989-1991.

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* H. A. Kantrud is a wildlife biologist, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND 58401-9736.

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