Off-campus South Dakota State University users: To download campus access theses, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your South Dakota State University ID and password.
Non-South Dakota State University users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this thesis through interlibrary loan.
Document Type
Thesis - University Access Only
Award Date
1990
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department / School
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
First Advisor
Lester D. Flake
Abstract
Waterfowl breeding pair and brood surveys were conducted along 250 km of the James River and adjacent oxbows in Brown and Spink Counties, South Dakota during 1987-88. Invertebrates were sampled at brood survey sites in 1988. All of the oxbows and river segments in 1987 contained sufficient water for waterfowl surveys. Drought conditions in 1988 resulted in 32 out of 38 oxbows without water. River segments were also very low or dry in 1988. Waterfowl pairs declined from 4.2 pairs/km in 1987 to 1.1 pairs/km in 1988 on the river segments. In 1987, blue-winged teal (Anas discors) pairs located on river segments were the most corrmon (2.5 pairs /km) species; pair surveys were not conducted on oxbows in 1987. In 1988, mallard (Anas olatvrhynchos) pairs located on oxbows were the most corrrnon (2.3 pairs/km) species with pairs for all species combined on oxbows (5.7 pairs/km) greatly outnumbering those on the river segments (1.2 pairs/km). River segments averaged 1.0 broods/km in 1987 with blue-winged teal the most corrmon (0.4 broods/km). No broods were located on the river segments in 1988. Oxbows averaged 1. 7 and 0. 8 broods/km in 1987 and 1988 respectively with wood duck (Aix sponsa) broods the most common each year at 0. 6 and 0. 7 broods/km in 1987 and 1988. Oxbows contained higher densities of invertebrates than river segments for 9 of 12 groups analyzed. Oxbows contained more emergent and submergent vegetation than the James River channel but also appeared more susceptible to desiccation from drought.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Waterfowl -- Breeding -- James River (N.D. and S.D.)
Waterfowl -- Habitat -- James River (N.D. and S.D.)
Ducks -- Breeding -- James River (N.D. and S.D.)
Invertebrate populations -- Counting -- James River (N.D. and S.D.)
Description
Includes bibliographical references (page 39-48)
Format
application/pdf
Number of Pages
58
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Rights
Copyright © 1990 Scott V. Larson. All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Larson, Scott V., "Waterfowl Breeding Pair and Brood Usage of Oxbows and Riverine Habitats on the James River" (1990). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 516.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/516