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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.

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