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Results for “Proceedings of the North Dakota Academy of Science”

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6 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1973

Chemical stability of preserved oligotrophic water samples

Tests were conducted to determine whether changes that may occur in the chemical characteristics of stored oligotrophic waters collected on 15 sites in northeastern Minnesota were affected by chloroforming. Chloroform was added on site to one of each pair of samples to stabilize the organic content of the water by preventing biological decomposition. The samples were subsequently stored at 25 deg.C, and pH and specific conductivity were measured at intervals for a period of 13 months at which time nine additional chemical parameters (total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, chloride, sulfate, silica, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium) were measured.pH increased and specific conductivity decreased. Average changes occurring in time from the original levels were not influenced by treatment, and first differed significantly (P<0.05, paired t test) at 14 days for pH and 8.5 months for specific conductivity. Total dissolved solids and sulfate were significantly (P<0.01 and <0.05, respectively) larger in treated than untreated samples after 13 months storage while the reverse was true for calcium (P<0.05). Total alkalinity, chloride, silica, and magnesium, however, did not differ significantly (P>0.05). Sodium and potassium levels were too low to provide meaningful comparisons. It was concluded that chloroform may be advantageous in preserving oligothrophic waters with respect to total dissolved solids, sulfate and calcium.

Proceedings of the North Dakota Academy of Science↗
USGS2016

Land-use change reduces habitat suitability for supporting managed honey bee colonies in the Northern Great Plains

Human reliance on insect pollination services continues to increase even as pollinator populations exhibit global declines. Increased commodity crop prices and federal subsidies for biofuel crops, such as corn and soybeans, have contributed to rapid land-use change in the US Northern Great Plains (NGP), changes that may jeopardize habitat for honey bees in a part of the country that supports >40% of the US colony stock. We investigated changes in biofuel crop production and grassland land covers surrounding ∼18,000 registered commercial apiaries in North and South Dakota from 2006 to 2014. We then developed habitat selection models to identify remotely sensed land-cover and land-use features that influence apiary site selection by Dakota beekeepers. Our study demonstrates a continual increase in biofuel crops, totaling 1.2 Mha, around registered apiary locations in North and South Dakota. Such crops were avoided by commercial beekeepers when selecting apiary sites in this region. Furthermore, our analysis reveals how grasslands that beekeepers target when selecting commercial apiary locations are becoming less common in eastern North and South Dakota, changes that may have lasting impact on pollinator conservation efforts. Our study highlights how land-use change in the NGP is altering the landscape in ways that are seemingly less conducive to beekeeping. Our models can be used to guide future conservation efforts highlighted in the US national pollinator health strategy by identifying areas that support high densities of commercial apiaries and that have exhibited significant land-use changes.

North Dakota, South Dakota↗
USGS2019

Age, succesion planning & wildlife values of Upper Midwest landowners

It is well known that farmers are getting older; in the United States the average age of farmers is 58.3 years old and the rate of increase in age is accelerating. The average farmer age increased 10 years from 47.6 years old to 57.1 in a four year period (2003-2007). It is not necessarily a problem that farmers are getting older because farmers often retire later than workers in other parts of the labor force. The concern is that aging farmers are not being replaced by younger farmers since start-up costs have become insurmountable for many beginning farmers. Consequently, the age distribution of farmers has become highly skewed towards the older end of the spectrum. All the projections call for a massive transfer of land in the next decade which can have significant consequences as well as opportunities for wildlife management. For example, paid conservation programs may be especially attractive to older farmers who do not want to quit farming “cold turkey” by providing income for enrolling some land in these programs as well as reduce their work load. Our surveys of landowners in North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota included questions asking landowners about their future plans for their land when they are no longer able to run their farm/ranch. About 54% of the landowners do not have any plans to change the size of their operations in the next 10 years, about 7% plan to decrease their operations and 31% plan to increase (8% undecided). These findings were strongly related to landowner age and current size of their farm/ranch. Most landowners (55%) have a strong desire to pass their farm/ranch operations on to family members and most (63%) were interested in conservation programs that would allow family members to continue with current farming/ranching operations. Most landowners’ future plans were not related to landowners’ land use and wildlife values, but for a small subset of landowners, land use and wildlife values were related to their succession plans.

Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota↗