Ecology of Avian Species: Prairie and Migratory Species
The Prairie Pothole Region of the Great Plains contains important grassland
nesting habitat, as well as countless small, biologically rich wetlands that support a
major proportion of North America's breeding waterfowl, grebes, white pelicans, bitterns,
rails, and other wetland species. Vast amounts of habitat have been lost to agriculture
or other land uses, or degraded by encroachment of woody vegetation and exotic species,
and by other processes associated with human activities. Many wetland and grassland
bird species in this region are of special interest because (1) they are restricted
to habitats that are limited in availability or increasingly fragmented, (2) they
have declining populations or geographically restricted ranges, and/or (3) they
are considered nationally important game species. As the natural landscape continues
to shrink, there also is a growing challenge to
find ways to manage species and habitats more intensively.
This project is managed by the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, ND.
Project Task:
- Impact of West Nile virus on white pelican colonies in northern Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
For more information on any of the tasks listed above, please contact Gail Moede-Rogall at 608-270-2438 or via email at gamoede@usgs.gov
|
Photo by Milton Friend
Objective:
- Determine survivorship and reproductive parameters for the American White Pelican colony at Chase Lake, North Dakota.
|
|