We summarized historic and recent fish distributions in South Dakota and analyzed fish faunal similarity at 2 spatial scales (geomorphic province and river drainage) for both historic (native) and recent (post-1990) faunas. We quantified zoogeographic patterns between geomorphic provinces and among neighboring river drainages for historic and recent faunas. We also quantified faunal change (species losses and additions) between provinces and among drainages. Ninety-seven fishes were native to South Dakota, but 111 fishes were present in recent collections because 8 native species were missing, and 22 nonnatives were present. There was high β diversity among historic and recent river drainage fish faunas, but there was between 22% and 56% faunal change between periods. Recent faunas were homogenized compared to historic faunas at both provincial and river drainage spatial scales. Patterns of nonnative species establishment were geographically distinct from patterns of native species loss. Most nonnative species additions were in cold-water or human-made habitats of the Great Plains. Most native species declines stemmed from warm water streams of the Central Lowlands and Missouri River valley. Conservation of rare and declining native species and containment of nonnatives are both necessary to preserve historical patterns of fish biodiversity in South Dakota.

We tested the hypothesis that allochthonous carbon is important in the diet of the endemic pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis over a 3-year period in Devils Hole, Nevada. Devils Hole is a cavernous limnocrene located in the Mojave Desert approximately 15 m below the land surface and receives direct solar radiation <7% of the total time during the year. The system is dominated by filamentous cyanobacteria in the summer and supports about 15 invertebrate species and the endemic pupfish C. diabolis. We examined food web structure and measured autochthonous carbon production and entry of allochthonous carbon with funnel traps. Stable isotopes were used to compare contributions of each carbon source. Allochthonous carbon contributed 2971 kj ·yr⁻¹ (60%) of the total available energy to the food web compared to only 2000 kj ·yr⁻¹ autochthonous production. A major stochastic rain event delivered more terrestrial carbon to Devils Hole in l hour than annual allochthonous carbon, estimated from data collected with funnel traps. Mixing models with δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C, and δ³⁴S showed a seasonal shift in diet for C. diabolis from filamentous cyanobacteria in the summer to the collector/gathering insect Stenelmis calida in the winter. Stenelmis tissue had high proportions of allochthonous plant carbon in the winter.

We analyzed population trend data during 1991–2004 for the Bruneau hot springsnail (Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis) from rangewide hot spring surveys completed along 4 km of Bruneau River. The objectives of this study were to analyze population trends and assess other measured parameters, such as water temperature, specific conductance, and groundwater decline, for changes that may influence population trends. We used simple linear regression to determine significant relationships between measured parameters. Total numbers of hot springs surveyed in the 4-km reach are declining at a rate of ~5 hot springs per year, and numbers of hot springs containing P. bruneauensis in the same reach are declining at a rate of 3.75 per year. We found that the decline of hot springs with and without P. bruneauensis was significantly related to the decline of the thermal aquifer which underlies this area.

At the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch, an ungrazed grassland preserve in southeastern Arizona, soil seed banks were sampled in June, August, and October 2002 and June 2003. Wildfire had previously burned 90% of the research ranch in May 2002. Seed density and species richness in burned native grassland (2 plots) were compared to those in burned exotic grassland (2 plots). Averaged over 4 sample dates, seed densities were as follows: burned native grassland, 591 ±243.1 seeds ·m⁻² and 784 ±334.9 seeds ·m⁻²; burned exotic grassland, 501 ±198.9 seeds ·m⁻² and 196 ±123.8 seeds ·m⁻². Species richness in the seed bank, also averaged over 4 sample dates, was as follows: burned native grassland, 16.3 ±1.7 species ·m⁻² and 19.5 ±1.0 species ·m⁻²; burned exotic grassland, 12.0 ±3.4 species ·m⁻² and 11.06 ±2.5 species ·m⁻². The seed bank of burned exotic grassland contained significantly fewer seeds and species than that of burned native grassland. In addition, the seed bank in burned exotic grassland comprised mainly exotic grasses, whereas annual and perennial herbs, most of them native, dominated the seed bank of burned native grassland. Of the 50 species detected in soil samples, only 20 had a persistent seed bank, and only 1 of these was a native perennial bunchgrass. The preponderance of transient species means that eradication of exotic grasses must be followed by reseeding of native grasses and herbs, perhaps repeatedly, if native grassland is to replace exotic grassland.

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens killed trees in a broad 600-km² swath north of the crater. Over most of the blast zone, dead trees were salvage logged and Abies procera was planted, except in areas within the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. We compared salvage-replanted sites and unsalvaged sites in 1 area of the blast zone where the sites were adjacent by using twenty-five 200-m² plots for each treatment. Salvaged-replanted plots had significantly lower herb and shrub cover, richness, diversity, litter depth, downed woody debris, nitrate, and phosphate. Salvaged-replanted sites also had significantly more stumps, bare area, and moss cover than unsalvaged plots. Soil organic matter and nonnative species cover did not differ. Nonnative species were not important components of any plots. Nitrate, total nitrogen, organic matter, and litter were correlated with the major patterns of species distribution in a canonical correspondence analysis of the salvaged-replanted plots. In the unsalvaged plots, slope, downed woody debris, and elevation were correlated with the major patterns of species distribution.

We studied the breeding system and flower visitors of White River penstemon, a rare endemic from the Uintah Basin of eastern Utah and western Colorado. Bagging treatments and hand-pollination treatments showed that Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis has a mixed mating system: while some seeds and fruits are produced through self-pollination (both autogamy and geitonogamy), significantly more are produced when flowers are cross-pollinated. The primary flower visitors, and likely pollinators, were several species of native twig- and ground-nesting bees in the families Apidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae. We found no differences in fruit or seed production between open-pollinated controls and hand-outcrossed flowers, suggesting that pollinator visits were sufficient to maximize female reproductive success. Management plans to conserve White River penstemon must recognize that full reproductive success of this rare plant taxon relies on a suite of pollinating bees, and that the species richness and abundances of bee visitors should be maintained.

We examined 590 specimens of Reithrodontomys from 95 localities in the state of México. Four species of the subgenus Reithrodontomys and 1 of the subgenus Aporodon were identified. The former subgenus included R. chrysopsis, R. sumichrasti, R. megalotis, and R. fulvescens, which has 2 subspecies—R. f. toltecus and R. f. mustelinus—in the state. The representative of the subgenus Aporodon is R. microdon wagneri, which is recorded for the first time in the state. We give information on taxonomy, morphometrics, reproduction, habitat characteristics, and related fauna. A discriminant analysis correctly classified 100% of specimens from the 6 taxa with 5 canonical variates, and accounted for 96.1% of the variance with the first 3 canonical variates.

Predation of eggs or nestlings is generally believed to be the most influential factor limiting passerine reproductive success. Thus, there should be strong selective pressures for birds to place their nests in sites that are inaccessible to predators or that are less likely to be discovered by them. We found and monitored 231 nests of 4 species of arboreal, cup-nesting birds: Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus), Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus), American Robin (Turdus migratorius), and Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata). We determined strength of nest tree species selection by comparing nest trees and tree species availability. Western Wood-Pewees and Warbling Vireos demonstrated strong preference for placing nests in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Yellow-rumped Warblers showed a weak preference for aspen, and American Robins demonstrated no preference. We designed a series of experiments to determine whether yellow pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus), an abundant nest predator, could climb aspen trees and, if so, what factors might prevent them from doing so. Yellow pine chipmunks were unable to climb aspen but showed no difficulty in climbing and maneuvering on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) boles, which were identical in diameter to aspen boles. Refuge from chipmunks as potential nest predators is likely contributing to nest site selection for a few arboreal cup-nesting bird species where aspen trees are available.

The milliped genus Apheloria occupies a broad area in Québec and Ontario, Canada, and the United States east of the Central Plains, lying generally north of the Gulf Coastal states. It is reported for the 1st time from New Jersey, District of Columbia, Illinois, and Kansas; and the 1st localities are recorded for Massachusetts, Connecticut, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Wisconsin. The projected distribution encompasses all or parts of the District of Columbia and 27 states, including Vermont and Delaware, where the genus has not been taken; New Hampshire and Mississippi lie outside the range. Chesapeake Bay and the Connecticut River form apparent eastern boundaries in Maryland–Virginia and New England, respectively; the Tennessee River does likewise on the south in northern Alabama. Aside from Arkansas, comparatively few records exist from the 6 projected states of occurrence west of the Mississippi River. Only 1 each is available from Iowa and Kansas, and there are no definite localities in Nebraska, where occurrence is postulated at Omaha, the type locality of Fontaria luminosa Kenyon, 1893. Confirmation with fresh material is necessary, but this name seems referrable to Apheloria and may be senior to either A. virginiensis iowa or A. v. reducta, both by Chamberlin, 1939, if 2 distinct races occur west of the Mississippi River.

Although the current range of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) borders large areas of farmland, the ecology of this species rarely has been studied within an agricultural setting. In central California, we examined habitat use, prey availability, and diet of radio-collared kit foxes inhabiting an aqueduct right-of-way (ROW) bordered by farmland. During both years of study (1998–1999), nocturnal locations of foxes occurred more often than expected (based on habitat availability) in the ROW and less often than expected within annual crops. Orchards were used disproportionately more than their availability during 1998 and were used in proportion to availability during 1999. Kit foxes traveled up to 1.1 km into annual crops and up to 1.5 km into orchards. Among diurnal locations (den sites) of foxes, 98% were within the ROW. Live-trapping revealed higher densities and greater diversity of rodents along the ROW than within farmland. Remains of murid rodents were found in 79% of kit fox scats. Our findings indicated that kit foxes ranged into orchards and annual croplands at night, but almost never occupied these areas during the day. The lack of den sites and low prey availability within farmland probably limited the ability of kit foxes to exploit and occupy these areas. Providing artificial den sites within croplands (especially within orchards) and along canals may increase use of farmland by kit foxes and facilitate their movement between isolated patches of natural lands.

In northern areas of their expanded range, information on Merriam's turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) is lacking, specifically pertaining to wintering behavior and factors associated with winter habitat selection. Forest managers need detailed quantification of the effects of logging and other management practices on wintering habitats needed by Wild Turkeys and other wildlife. Therefore, we examined winter habitat selection patterns within ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests and determined factors associated with use of farmsteads by Merriam's turkeys in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota. We radio-marked 86 female Merriam's turkeys (70 adults and 16 yearlings) and monitored them during winter (1 December–31 March), 2001–2004. Female Wild Turkeys used recently burned pine forest less than expected but selected farmsteads and stands of mature ponderosa pine (<70% overstory canopy cover, >22.9 cm diameter at breast height [DBH] trees) for foraging sites. Within forests, female Wild Turkeys selected foraging sites with less understory vegetation and visual obstruction, and larger-diameter ponderosa pine. Ponderosa pine seed abundance varied among years, and pine seeds were most abundant in stands of 30–35 cm DBH with basal area of 22–28 m² · ha⁻¹. Abundance of pine seeds may have influenced use of farmsteads by Wild Turkeys, more so than ambient temperatures or snow depth. In the southern Black Hills, management should emphasize open- to mid-canopy and mature-structural-stage pine stands, where seed production was greatest. During winters when mast from pine is unavailable, farmsteads likely provide nutritional supplementation and may be important for maintaining Merriam's turkey populations.

I measured songbird abundance and vegetation cover in and around a 420-ha prescribed burn in a mountain big sagebrush community located at 2133 m elevation. Data were collected during the 3rd growing season after the fire. Brewer's Sparrow and Sage Thrasher occurred in lower abundance on sites that were largely or completely burned relative to sites that were outside the fire perimeter or within unburned islands of shrubs. The number of Brewer's Sparrow detections was linearly related to remaining sagebrush cover. In contrast, Horned Lark occurred at higher abundances on sites where shrub cover had been removed in the prescribed burn. Cover of perennial grasses and cover of 4 of the 5 most common forbs was greater on burned sites than on unburned sites.

An important contemporary challenge for adaptive resource management is assessing both the direct and indirect effects of management activities by designing appropriate monitoring programs and sound analysis methods. Here we evaluate the effects of prescribed fall burning on a wetland plant community that is managed primarily for spring-migrating geese. During late fall in 2 consecutive years, we burned vegetation in 4 replicate blocks (2.3 ha each) that traversed a natural moisture and associated vegetation gradient. We used ordination, gradient analysis, and contingency table analysis to evaluate how annual changes in relative abundance of plants were affected by burning as well as other important ecological factors. Burning increased species diversity of plants, especially in the 2 wetter vegetation zones, but had no effect on species richness or on the proportion of native plant species. Wetland plant species responded to prescribed burning independently, and their response often differed by vegetation zone and with annual variation in flooding. Burning enhanced the abundance of native foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum) and reduced the abundance of introduced swamp timothy (Crypsis shoenoides). Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), a native plant species, was usually less abundant following burning, although the level of response was different for each of the 3 vegetation zones. Two other introduced plant species, quackgrass (Elytrigia repens) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinaceae), were less abundant after fall burning, especially when spring flooding was more extensive. Wild geese using the experimental blocks for feeding clearly preferred burned sites, suggesting that fall burning can enhance wetland use by geese during spring. Given that simple manipulations such as burning and flooding of a wetland system may often produce complex results, we suggest that on-going management schemes be regularly evaluated with field experiments such as those conducted in this study.

Corrections and additions to the original description of Chaetocnema labiosa White are given and include the report of characters associated with the loss of flight. New distributional data are provided. Possible host plants and the likelihood of parthenogenetic populations are briefly discussed.