Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Duck Nest Success on Conservation Reserve Program
Land in the Prairie Pothole Region
H. A. Kantrud*
Abstract: Habitat fragmentation from intensified farming has concentrated
nesting waterfowl and their predators in the remaining, relatively small untitled
habitats of the prairie pothole region in the United States. The areas of land
that have been enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in this area
could help disperse these concentrations and reduce losses to predators. The
presence of CRP land may influence decisions about intensive management of public
lands devoted to waterfowl production. During 1989-1991, waterfowl nest success
on CRP fields in areas of high wetland density in the prairie pothole region
was 23.1 percent compared to 8.2 percent on similar covers on federal waterfowl
production areas. CRP fields thus provided more secure nesting cover for upland-nesting
ducks than waterfowl production areas. However, nest success and use of the
fields by ducks varied greatly. CRP fields are abundant and of a wide variety
of age classes and sizes. These characteristics make CRP fields well suited
as study sites for determining the effects of cover area, distance to water,
and cover age on nest success of ducks.
This resource is based on the following source (Northern Prairie Publication
0860):
Kantrud, H. A. 1993. Duck nest success on Conservation Reserve Program land
in the prairie pothole region. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
48(3):238-242.
This resource should be cited as:
Kantrud, H. A. 1993. Duck nest success on Conservation Reserve Program land
in the prairie pothole region. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
48(3):238-242. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Online. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/crpdns/index.htm
(Version 09MAR2001).
Table of Contents
Tables and Figures
- Table 1 -- Number of fields and areas
searched for duck nests, CRP study, 1989-1991.
- Table 2 -- Numbers of duck nests found
in prairie pothole region of Minnesota and North Dakota, 1989-1991.
- Table 3 -- Mayfield nest success rates
for major duck species in the prairie pothole region of Minnesota and North
Dakota, 1989-1991.
- Figure 1 -- Prairie pothole region showing
counties where searches for nests were conducted.
- Figure 2 -- Primary sample unit, 1989-1991.
* H. A. Kantrud is a wildlife biologist, Northern
Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND 58401-9736.
Downloading Instructions
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crpdns.zip
( 71K) -- Duck Nest Success on Conservation Reserve Program Land
in the Prairie Pothole Region
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