Jody Javersak

TL;DR: A multivariate statistical model related to plant succession was developed to classify seral stages and to monitor succession for sands-choppy sands ecological type in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska and South Dakota as mentioned in this paper.

Abstract: — Vegetative characteristics of swift fox ( Vulpes velox ) denning and foraging habitats were studied in southwestern South Dakota. We followed 14 radio-collared foxes over a two -year period and identified 17 den sites and 82 foraging sites. Height-density of vegetation (visual obstruction reading, VOR) was determined on each den and foraging site and on 81 randomly selected sites. Total vegetation VOR was higher (p=0.08) at den sites than on randomly selected sites (11.7 ± 1.4 and 9.5 ± 0.6cm (SE), respectively). Swift foxes used foraging areas with vegetation greater VOR (p=0.01) than that found on randomly selected sites (11.9 ± 0.7 and 9.5 ± 0.6 cm, re-spectively). Canopy cover for seven major plant species on foraging sites was different than on den sites (p=0.055) but random sites were not different from either foraging or den sites. While previous studies have described swift fox macrohabitats with little vegetative cover (e.g., plowed fields or heavily grazed areas), our study showed that height-density of vegetation is important to these foxes.

TL;DR: This paper measured the stem heights of green ash and American elm saplings and five shrub species over 25 years with two treatments, 1) livestock present and 2) livestock excluded from woodland draws in western North Dakota.