Great Plains Natural Science Society

Bioblitz at the Davis Ranch


The first annual North Dakota Natural Science Society's Bioblitz was held at The Nature Conservancy's new Davis Ranch Preserve in Sheridan County, North Dakota. The objectives of the event were threefold: 1) Utilize professional and amateur biologist and other specialists to compile information on the species of the site in a manner useful for the land managers; 2) Promote North Dakota's natural resources; and 3) Provide a fun outdoor opportunity for socializing and meeting other biologist and enthusiasts.

The event was attended by an energetic crowd of 20-25 individuals. The group split into teams, which were sent to different portions of the preserve in order to inventory the site as thoroughly as possible. During the course of the Bioblitz, we were able to collect comprehensive information on a number of different taxa, including plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and invertebrates. Information on the bird species of the site was combined with existing information from other earlier surveys and a master list developed. The taxa observed during the survey included five mammal, six amphibian and reptile, thirteen butterfly, sixty-nine bird and 195 plant species.

The event proved to be a fun and useful activity for the Natural Science Society members. Next year's Bioblitz is already in the planning stages and the lessons learned from this year's event will improve and enhance the activity in 1998. In addition, the information will also be forwarded to The Nature Conservancy for their use in developing management objectives for the site.

Plants and Animals of the Davis Ranch Preserve

 
COMMON NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Mammals
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus
Richardson's ground squirrel
Spermophilus richardsonii
White-tailed jackrabbit
Lepus townsendii
Badger
Taxidea taxus
Vole spp.
 
Amphibians/Reptiles
Chorus frog
Pseudacris maculata
Plains garter snake
Thamnophis radix
Common garter snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Smooth green snake
Liochlorophis vernalis
Tiger salamander
Ambystoma mavortium
Painted turtle
Chrysemys picta
 
Butterflies
Common wood nymph
Cercyonis pegala
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
Orange sulpher
Colias eurytheme
Bronze copper
Hyllolycaena hyllus
Melissa blue
Lycaeides melissa
Variegated fritillary
Euptoieta claudia
Aphrodite fritillary
Speyeria aphrodite
Peck's skipper
Polites peckius
Long dash skipper
Polites mystic
Common sulpher
Cabbage white
Pearl crescent
Phyciodes tharos
Callippe fritillary
Speyeria callippe
 
Birds 
American bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus
American black duck
Anas rubripes
American coot
Fulica americana
American goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
American redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
American white pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
American wigeon
Anas americana 
Back tern
Chlidonias niger
Baird's sparrow
Ammodramus bairdii
Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
Blue-winged teal
Anas discors
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Brewer's blackbird
Euphagus cyancocephalus
Brown-headed cowbird
Molothrus ater 
Canada goose
Branta canadensis 
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria 
Chestnut-collared longspur
Calcarius ornatus
Clay-colored sparrow
Spizella pallida
Cliff swallow
Hirundo pyrrhonota
Common grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Common snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Common yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Double-crested cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Eared grebe
Podiceps nigricollis 
Eastern kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Ferruginous hawk
Buteo regalis
Field sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Gadwall
Anas strepera 
Grasshopper sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum
Gray catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Great blue heron
Ardea herodias
Great horned owl
Bubo virginianus
Green-winged teal
Anas crecca
Horned lark
Eremophila alpestris
House wren
Troglodytes aedon
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus 
Least sandpiper
Calidris minutilla 
Lesser scaup
Aythya affinis 
Lesser yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes 
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos 
Marbled godwit
Limosa fedoa 
Marsh wren
Cistothorus palustris
Mourning dove
Zenaida macroura
Northern flicker
Colapters auratus
Northern harrier
Circus cyaneus 
Northern pintail
Anas acuta
Northern shoveler
Anas clypeata
Orchard oriole
Icterus spurius
Pied-bill grebe
Posilymbus podiceps
Red-tailed hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Red-winged blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Redhead
Aythya americana
Ring-billed gull
Larus delawarensis
Ring-necked duck
Aythya collaris
Ruddy duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Savannah sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Sharptailed grouse
Tympanuchus phasianellus
Sora
Porzana corolina
Sprague's pipit
Anthus spragueii
Swainson's hawk
Buteo swainsoni 
Tree swallow
Pooecetes gramineusTachycineta bicolor
Upland sandpiper
Pooecetes gramineusBartramia longicauda
Vesper sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
Western kingbird
Tyrannus verticalis
Western meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Willet
Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
Wilson's phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor
Yellow warbler
Dendroica petechia
Yellow-headed blackbird
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
 
Plants
Boxelder
Acer negundo
Yarrow
Achillea millifolium
False dandelion
Agoseris glauca 
Striated agrimony
Agrimonia striata
Slender wheatgrass
Agropyron caninum
Crested wheatgrass
Agropyron cristatum 
Quackgrass
Agropyron repens 
Western wheatgrass
Agropyron smithii
Bluebunch wheatgrass
Agropyron spicatum 
Water plantain
Alisma plantago-aquatica
Wild onion
Allium textile
Foxtail
Alopecurus aequalis 
Rough pigweed
Amaranthus retroflexus
Ragweed
Ambrosia psilostachya 
Big bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Little bluestem
Andropogon scoparius
Canada anemone
Anemone canadensis 
Thimbleweed
Anemone cylindrica
Pasque flower
Anemone patens
Pussytoes
Antennaria microphylla
Hemp dogbane
Apocynum cannabinum 
Hemp dogbane
Apocynum sibiricum 
Threeawn
Aristida longiseta 
Wormwood
Artemisia absinthium
Sagewort
Artemisia dracunculus
Fringed sage
Artemisia frigida 
Pasture sage
Artemisia ludoviciana
Oval-leaved milkweed
Asclepias ovalifolia 
Common milkweed
Asclepisa syriaca 
Heath aster
Aster ericoides
Panicled aster
Aster simplex 
Spearscale
Atriplex subspicata
Sloughgrass
Beckmannia syzigachne
Beggertick
Bidens frondosa
False aster
Boltonia asteroides 
Sideoats grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Blue grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Smooth brome
Bromus inermis
Buffalo grass
Buchloe dactyloides 
Marsh reed grass
Calamagrostis canadensis
Northern reedgrass
Calamagrostis stricta
Prairie sandreed
Calamovilfa longifolia
Plains yellow primrose
Calylophus serrulatus
Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia 
Slough sedge
Carex atherodes 
Sedge
Carex bebbii 
Sedge
Carex eleocharis 
Thread-leaved sedge
Carex filifolia
Wooly sedge
Carex lanuginosa 
Clustered field sedge
Carex praegracilis 
Sedge
Carex sartwelli 
Fox sedge
Carex vulpinoidea 
Prairie chickweed
Cerastium arvense
Little ground rose
Chamaerhodos erecta 
Goosefoot
Chenopodium album 
Oak-leaved goosefoot
Chenopodium glaucum 
Alkali blite
Chenopodium rubrum 
Golden aster
Chrysopsis villosa 
Canada thistle
Cirsium arvense 
Flodman's thistle
Cirsium flodmanii 
Bull thistle
Cirsium vulgare
Comandra
Comandra umbellata
Ballcactus
Coryphantha vivipara
Downy hawthorn
Crataegus mollis
Hawks'-beard
Crepis runcinata 
Hound's tongue
Cynoglossum officinale
Purple prairie clover
Dalea purpurea
Flixweed
Descurainia sophia 
Saltgrass
Distichlis spicata 
Moss
Drepanocladus sp. 
Purple coneflower
Echinacea angustifolia
Spikerush
Eleocharis acicularis
Spikerush
Eleocharis compressa
Spikerush
Eleocharis macrostachya
Canada wildrye
Elymus canadensis 
Horsetail
Equisetum hyemale 
Horsetail
Equisetum laevigatum
Fleabane
Erigeron philadelphica
Western wallflower
Erysimum asperum
Spurge
Euphorbia serpyllifolia
Blanket flower
Gaillardia aristata 
Northern bedstraw
Galium boreale
Scarlet gaura
Gaura coccinia
Torchflower
Geum triflorum
Wild licorace
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
Gumweed
Grindelia squarrosa 
Broom snakeweed
Gutierrezia sarothrae
Maximilians sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani 
Stiff sunflower
Helianthus rigidus
Spike oats
Helictotrichon hookeri
Dame's rocket
Hesperis matronalis
Alumroot
Heuchera richardsonii
Foxtail barley
Hordeum jubatum
Baltic rush
Juncus balticus
Path rush
Juncus tenuis
Junegrass
Koeleria pyramidata
Blue lettuce
Lactuca pulchella
Stickseed
Lappula echinata
Duckweed
Lemna minor
Star duckweed
Lemna trisulca
Peppergrass
Lepidium densiflorum
Blazing star
Liatris ligulistylis
Dotted gayfeather
Liatris punctata
Blue flax
Linum perenne v. lewisii 
Flax
Linum sulcatum
Kalm's lobelia
Lobelia kalmii
Spiked lobelia
Lobelia spicata
Deer vetch
Lotus purshianus
Bugleweed
Lycopus asper
Skeletonweed
Lygodesmia juncea
Loosestrife
Lysimachia hybrida
Common mallow
Malva rotundifolia 
Black medic
Medicago lupulina
Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
Yellow sweetclover
Melilotus officianalis
Mint
Mentha arvense
Muhly
Muhlenbergia asperifolia
Plains muhly
Muhlenbergia cuspidata
Evening primrose
Oenothera biennis
False gromwell
Onosmodium molle
Owl clover
Orthocarpus luteus
Wood sorrel
Oxalis stricta
Purple locoweed
Oxytropis lambertii 
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Slender beardtongue
Penstemon gracilis 
Hood's phlox
Phlox hoodii
Plaintain
Plantago major
Patagonian plantain
Plantago patagonica 
Canada bluegrass
Poa compressa
Fowl bluegrass
Poa palustris
Kentucky bluegrass
Poa pratensis
Milkwort
Polygala alba 
Knotweed
Polygonum achoreum
Smartweed
Polygonum amphibium
Knotweed
Polygonum aviculare 
Wild buckwheat
Polygonum convolvulus
Cottonwood
Populus deltoides 
Aspen
Populus tremuloides 
Silverweed
Potentilla anserina 
Tall cinquefoil
Potentilla arguta
Cinquefoil
Potentilla pensylvanica 
Wild plum
Prunus americana
Choke cherry
Prunus virginiana
Silver scurfpea
Psoralea argophylla
Breadroot
Psoralea esculenta 
Small yellow buttercup
Ranunculus gmelinii 
Macoun's buttercup
Ranunculus macounii 
Buttercup
Ranunculus sceleratus 
Prairie coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
Gooseberry
Ribes cynosbati 
Liverwort
Ricciocarpus natans 
Bog yellow cress
Rorippa palustris
Wild rose
Rosa arkansana 
Wood's rose
Rosa woodsii 
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 
Golden dock
Rumex maritimus 
Mexican dock
Rumex mexicanus 
Western dock
Rumex occidentalis 
Arrowhead
Sagittaria latifolia
Peach-leaved willow
Salix amygdaloides 
Sandbar willow
Salix exigua 
Hardstem bullrush
Scirpus acutus 
Pale bullrush
Scirpus atrovirens 
Three square
Scirpus pungens 
Whitetop
Scolochloa festucacea
Early ragwort
Senecio canus 
Blue eyed grass
Sisyrinchium montanum
Water parsnip
Sium suave 
Canada goldenrod
Solidago canadensis 
Missouri goldenrod
Solidago missouriens
Sneezewort aster
Solidago ptarmicoides 
Stiff goldenrodd
Solidago rigida
Sow thistle
Sonchus arvensis 
Giant burreed
Sparganium eurycarpum
Alkali cordgrass
Spartina gracilis
Prairie cordgrass
Spartina pectinata
Scarlet globemallow
Sphaeralcea coccinea
Meadowsweet
Spiraea alba
Hedge-nettle
Stachys palustris
Needle-and-thread
Stipa comata
Porcupine grass
Stipa spartea
Green needlegrass
Stipa viridula
Buckbrush
Symphoricarpos occidentalis 
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Germander
Teucrium canadense 
Poison ivy
Toxicodendron rydbergii
False dandelion
Tragopogon dubius 
Cat-tail
Typha glauca
Stinging nettle
Urtica dioica
Bladderwort
Utricularia vulgaris
Ironweed
Vernonia fasciculata
Veronica
Veronica persica
Wild vetch
Vicia americana
Horned pondweed
Zannichellia palustris
Golden alexanders
Zizia aptera
Nature we have always with us, an inexhaustible storehouse of that which moves the heart, appeals to the mind, and fires the imagination, health to the body, a stimulus to the intellect, and joy to the soul. -- John Burroughs