Glen Fredlund | University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (original) (raw)

Papers by Glen Fredlund

The history of Southern Appalachian grassy balds has long been a topic of speculation. Two types ... more The history of Southern Appalachian grassy balds has long been a topic of speculation. Two types have been identified: those completely covered by grass and those occupied by a mixed-hardwood overstory with a grassy herbaceous layer. Three areas historically known as balds were identified in the Wine Spring Ecosystem Project Area. Each is currently under a different management regime. The objective of this assessment was to determine the vegetative history of these balds through soil organic matter (SOM) analysis. Soil was collected from each horizon through the profile on the bald sites using a nearby forest for reference. The 8 I3 C values were determined for the green vegetation, litter, and soils of the bald sites and reference forests. Samples were selected for determination of phytolith and charcoal content and for I4 C dating. The 6"C value of plant tissues varies with photosynthetic pathway and plant type, providing a distinctive signature in SOM. Significant shifts in SOM 5"C values with depth in the profile would suggest changes in site vegetation. Organic matter analysis indicated that two of the bald sites were never completely covered by grass without a woody component. The third bald may have undergone a vegetative shift in more recent times. Data also suggest that a vegetative shift may have occurred on two of the reference forest sites.

Antiquity, Sep 1, 2007

Here is a new application of infra-red photography with a digital camera to record rock art. The ... more Here is a new application of infra-red photography with a digital camera to record rock art. The need to make full and accurate records of the images, without touching (and thus degrading) the rock, requires a method of remote mapping. Trials with digital IR reported here are very promising and especially useful for painted rock art.

Quaternary Research, Jul 1, 2008

Playas are small, circular basins forming a ubiquitous component of the southern High Plains land... more Playas are small, circular basins forming a ubiquitous component of the southern High Plains landscape. They are filled with carbonaceous mud deposited since the terminal Pleistocene. The stratigraphy and geochronology of 30 playas was investigated to better understand the paleoenvironmental record of basin filling. At the base of the fill in some playas is a well sorted eolian sand dated between~13,000 and~11,000 14 C yr BP. The beginning of mud deposition, representing aggradation of eolian dust on a moist, vegetated playa floor was largely betweeñ 12,000 and~10,500 14 C yr BP. Playa filling slowed~9000 to~4000 14 C yr BP, probably due to dry conditions, increased~4000 to~2000 14 C yr BP, then slowed again. Eolian sand and loam, likely representing regional aridity, accumulated in some basins episodically just prior to~10,700 14 C yr BP, between~8600 and~4700 14 C yr BP, and at~1300 14 C yr BP. Stable C isotopes from one basin indicate that the playa was inundated only seasonally throughout the record beginning~11,500 14 C yr BP. The phytolith record in that basin indicates an abrupt shift toward cooling 11,400 to~11,200 14 C yr BP and then increasing importance of xeric-adapted C 4 grasses through the Holocene.

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Dec 1, 1997

The use of modern phytolith assemblages for the interpretation of fossil phytolith assemblages de... more The use of modern phytolith assemblages for the interpretation of fossil phytolith assemblages demonstrates the utility of phytolith analysis in reconstructing grassland vegetation and climate in the Great Plains of North America. The modern data presented are the typical (average) assemblages for 34 modern localities taken throughout the Great Plains. Modern assemblage variability across the region is substantial. This variability shows a coherent geographical pattern consistent with modern grassland composition. These modern phytolith assemblages are calibrated in terms of modern climate data: specifically July mean temperature. Seven fossil assemblages from three late Pleistocene localities in the central Great Plains are presented. Two alternative phytolith-temperature regression models are applied to these fossil assemblages to estimate paleo-temperature. Resulting estimates are consistent with other efforts to calculate late Pleistocene temperature departures in the region (ca.-8.0 to-7.0°C). The fossil data also show rapid change in grassland composition and climate during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. These results demonstrate how phytolith analysis can complement, or substitute for, pollen analysis in the Great Plains of North America.

Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Apr 1, 1985

The traditional palynomorph extraction technique, which has been developed for organic deposits, ... more The traditional palynomorph extraction technique, which has been developed for organic deposits, employs chemical treatments that are too harsh for the often poorly preserved and widely dispersed palynomorphs present within clastic sediments. An extraction procedure that utilizes non-corrosive heavy-liquid techniques has been developed. In contrast to other existing heavy-liquid techniques, this procedure permits processing of large-volume samples and offers relative simplicity and considerable flexibility. It has been extremely successful in facilitating the processing of a wide variety of clastic deposits for their palynomorph content. The extraction, identification, and interpretation of pollen and spores, or palynomorphs, has traditionally been associated with deposits comprised almost entirely of organic peat. However, in recent years, palynologists have extended their work to the extraction of palynomorphs from clastic sediments, such as those comprising archaeological middens, soils, loess, alluvium, and glacial till. Palynomorphs in clastic sediments differ from those in peat in that the former are typically extremely fragile and in low concentrations. Present extraction techniques for clastic deposits, however, are often problematic because they incorporate caustic reagents which attack fragile grains, or permit the processing of only small amounts of sediment. The procedure utilized in the study of palynomorphs from organic deposits is actually one of concentration rather than extraction. The technique primarily involves the disintegration and dissolution of the nonpollen matrix. Since the peat environment is usually one of low pH and reduction, the palynomorphs are well-preserved. The grains can therefore withstand the harsh chemical treatment involved in their concentration. Four chemical processes are typically utilized: (1) potassium hydroxide digestion, (2) acetolysis (acid hydrolysis using a mixture of acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid), (3) hydrofluoric acid treatment, and (4) hydrochloric acid treatment. Occasionally, further treatment involving the use of chloric oxides as oxidizing This content downloaded from 157.55.39.170 on Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:05:55 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 52 TRANSACTIONS OF THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE agents is incorporated. The general procedure for the concentration of palynomorphs from organic deposits is described in several sources but is best presented in Faegri and Iverson (1975) and Moore and Webb (1978). All treatments, with the exception of hydrochloric acid, are extremely corrosive, but, if used prudently, none will damage the typically well-preserved palynomorphs which occur in the acid, anaerobic environment of a peat deposit. However, palynomorphs preserved in clastic sediments such as soils and river alluvium are often very fragile due to the higher pH (e.g., Dimbleby, 1957) and oxidizing conditions (e.g., Tschudy, 1969) usually present in such deposits. Therefore, the above chemical treatments are destructive to these palynomorphs, and may completely obliterate them. Although it has been recognized that palynomorphs in clastic deposits require a different extraction procedure because of their state of preservation, some of the harsh chemical treatments found in the standard procedure for organic deposits have persisted. There has been an understandable reluctance to abandon completely the traditional procedures. In order to assess the utility of different procedures for use with clastic sediments, Woosley (1978) using prepared archaeological samples compared four procedures: the Mehringer method; heavy liquid-hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid method; Chevron method; and modified Chevron method. The study indicated the modified Chevron method produced the lowest pollen mortality rates; the results were attributed to the fact that the method utilized fewer caustic chemical procedures than the others. Ideally one should avoid all treatments utilizing harsh reagents. Hydrochloric acid is frequently necessary, however, to remove calcium carbonate cementation that encases palynomorphs. This acid is used in low concentrations and apparently does not damage even the most fragile of grains. Approaches to palynomorph separations that do not employ harsh chemical treatments include sieving (e.g., Cwynar et al., 1979), vibration (e.g., Dumait, 1962; Tschudy, 1960), controlled centrifugation (e.g., Brown, 1960; Funkhouser and Evitt, 1959), panning or swirling (e.g., Faegri and Iversen, 1975; Funkhouser and Evitt, 1959), settling or decantation (e.g., Horowitz, 1979; MacInnis and Rukavina, 1977; Faegri and Iversen, 1975), and heavy-liquid flotation (e.g., Bryant and Holloway, 1983; U.S. Geological Survey, 1980; Horowitz, 1979; Gray, 1965). With the exception of the first and last techniques, all depend upon differential settling velocities of clastics and organics as determined by their densities. Individually considered, these…

Wetlands, Sep 13, 2011

Page 1. ARTICLE Avian Succession in Small Created and Restored Wetlands Jill A. Hapner & ... more Page 1. ARTICLE Avian Succession in Small Created and Restored Wetlands Jill A. Hapner & James A. Reinartz & Glen G. Fredlund & Karla G. Leithoff & Noel J. Cutright & William P. Mueller Received: 2 February 2010 /Accepted ...

Quaternary Science Reviews, May 1, 2009

ABSTRACT Few sites on the eastern Great Plains contain paleobotanical records for the mid-Wiscons... more ABSTRACT Few sites on the eastern Great Plains contain paleobotanical records for the mid-Wisconsin. We report on four sites, two stream cutbanks and two quarry exposures, ranging in age from >50 to ∼23.4 ka. The oldest site at >50 ka contains a suite of macrofossils from prairie and disturbed ground habitats, with no representation of trees, indicating an open prairie. By ∼38 ka the assemblages include aquatic, wetland, mudflat, and prairie elements with rare specimens of Populus, Betula cf. papyrifera, Salix and at the most northerly site, Picea. This assemblage suggests a prairie/parkland with interspersed marshes, cooler temperatures and increased moisture. Populus and Salix continued to be represented from ∼36 to ∼29 ka, but the only other taxon was Carex. A hiatus may be present at some time during this interval. After ∼29 ka, Picea became dominant on the uplands and it was joined by sedges in local wetlands. At sites near riverine loess sources, loess accumulation began to fill in the wetlands and organic deposition ceased some time after 29 ka.

Journal of Biogeography, May 1, 1994

The analysis of fifty modern phytolith assemblages demonstrates the practicality of opal-phytolit... more The analysis of fifty modern phytolith assemblages demonstrates the practicality of opal-phytolith analysis as a surrogate for pollen analysis in the North American Great Plains. The fifteen native grassland sites used in the study span both the east-west moisture and north ...

I am especially grateful to Dr. Vehik of the Archeological Research and Management Center, who gr... more I am especially grateful to Dr. Vehik of the Archeological Research and Management Center, who graciously allowed us to use all field notes, drawings, and other materials from ARMC's 1979 excavation of Bug Hill in our analysis. Furthermore, Dr. Vehik permitted Dr. Rose to reanalyze the skeletal material from 1979 and let us use the stratigraphic profiles of the 1979 block excavation in this report. The production of this report was handled exclusively by the staff of New World Research. Dr. Prentice M. Thomas and Ms. L. Janice Campbell edited the report. Ms. Susan Keuer-Jones drew all the figures and developed all plates in the text. Ms. Jones also designed the cover, while Mr. A. Merrill Dicks is responsible for the cover drawings. Mr. Gregory Sands deJean, Mr. Steve Wightman and Mrs. Renee Morrison typed the report, and Ms. Carol S. Weed and Ms. Joyce Barnhill produced it. Finally, I would like to extend a personal note of thanks to all the residents of the "Narrows" in the Upper Jackfork Valley. These people took us into their homes, cooked for us, helped us dig, and accepted us as family for three months. The story recounted in the following pages is their story, their heritage, and I only hope that the strength and pride they showed us is reflected in it.

Plains Anthropologist, Feb 1, 1996

Two maps from the Joslyn Art Museum are identified as the work of John Crazy Mule, a northern Che... more Two maps from the Joslyn Art Museum are identified as the work of John Crazy Mule, a northern Cheyenne scout who served at Fort Keogh, Montana Territory, from 1877 to about 1891. The maps were drawn in pencil and ink on ledger paper between 1877 and 1880. The first shows the Yellowstone and Milk drainages and is a record of Crazy Mule's accomplishments as a government scout. These include the Lame Deer fight and the capture of Chief Josephs Nez Perces. The second shows a trail running between Fort Abraham Lincoln in what is now North Dakota and Sidney, Nebraska. The second map probably records the removal of Little Chief and his followers from Fort Keogh to Indian Territory in the summer and foil of 1878. This group of Cheyennes was held at Fort Lincoln throughout the winter and spring of 1877178 and then marched to Fort Sidney under U.S. cavalry escort in the summer of 1878. Pictographic notations, including both place names and records of events, allow specific interpretations ofeachmap.

Plains Anthropologist, Nov 1, 2005

The vegetative history of eastern North Da kota is broadly known from pollen and multi-proxy inve... more The vegetative history of eastern North Da kota is broadly known from pollen and multi-proxy investigations of lake basins from across the re gion (Clark et al. 2001; Dean and Schwalb 2000; Wright et al. 2004). These records suggest that parkland or savanna rapidly developed following glacial retreat and subsequent drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz to the south (10,800 to 9400 14C year B.P.) with true grasslands (or prairie) emerging by 9000 14C year B.P. Changes in grassland com position of the region is poorly documented in the fossil record throughout the Holocene. While stable carbon isotopes offer some insight (Clark et al. 2001), this proxy is limited in that it cannot dis tinguish between changes in forest cover from C3 grasslands. Fossil phytolith assemblages are used to infer changes in Holocene grassland vegetation and cli mate at the Rustad site. The evidence presented comes from two stratigraphic columns allowing evaluation of local variability in phytolith assem blages and validation of results. The soils and sedi ments sampled in this study span much of the last 9,000 years. Several major environmental changes are hypothesized to have occurred during this time and should be detectable with opal phytolith analy sis. First, the early Holocene (12,000 to 8000 years B.P.) was a period of major climatic warming. Grassland response to this warming should show up in the phytolith record as a shift from a C3 grass dominated cover to a mixed grass prairie including both tall (mesic adapted) and short (xe ric adapted) C4 grasses along with diverse C3 grass taxa. Second, sometime during the mid-Holocene (8000 to 5000 years B.P.) many, but not all, re gional paleoenvironmental records suggest one or more periods of higher temperatures and greater aridity, broadly labeled the Altithermal. This mid Holocene aridity should be detectable in the phytolith record as a relative increase in phytolith morphotypes from the xeric-adapted, C4 short grasses such as blue grama, side oats grama, and buffalo grass. The goal of this chapter is to report the find ings of phytolith analysis and offer some prelimi nary interpretations. The analysis focuses on the grass phytolith portion of the assemblages, al though there is great potential for additional in formation from the arboreal phytolith component and from other proxy data, including carbon iso topes, terrestrial snails, and vertebrate fauna. METHODS

American Midland Naturalist, Apr 1, 2020

Abstract. Limited survey data and numerous anecdotal accounts indicate the Common Nighthawk (Chor... more Abstract. Limited survey data and numerous anecdotal accounts indicate the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is experiencing population declines not only in Wisconsin, U.S.A., but across large parts of their range in North America. However, it is possible estimates from current avian monitoring efforts are not representative, because surveys are not necessarily conducted at dusk when C. minor are most active, nor do they specifically target urban areas where a portion of the C. minor population are known to nest on flat graveled rooftops. Therefore, urban crepuscular monitoring protocols are needed to address these issues, enhance current monitoring efforts, and gain a better understanding of C. minor demographics. In this study we used a citizen science-based methodology to survey 92 municipalities in southeastern Wisconsin in areas with varying degrees of urbanization to establish baseline data for this species that can then be compared to future counts. We investigated the influence of a range of environmental and ecological factors, as well as landscape features and land cover types in relation to C. minor occurrence. C. minor detection was positively correlated with Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) counts, the number and area (m2) of flat graveled rooftops, and heavily developed land cover types. The surveys also revealed a negative correlation between agricultural land cover and C. minor occurrence. Overall, the use of citizen science to establish a baseline for C. minor was successful and may be adapted and applied to other crepuscular bird species at a broader geographic scale of similar landscape type.

Plains Anthropologist, 2020

Plains Anthropologist, Nov 1, 2005

Raw data for the Cheyenne Bottoms pollen dataset obtained from the Neotoma Paleoecological Database.

The history of Southern Appalachian grassy balds has long been a topic of speculation. Two types ... more The history of Southern Appalachian grassy balds has long been a topic of speculation. Two types have been identified: those completely covered by grass and those occupied by a mixed-hardwood overstory with a grassy herbaceous layer. Three areas historically known as balds were identified in the Wine Spring Ecosystem Project Area. Each is currently under a different management regime. The objective of this assessment was to determine the vegetative history of these balds through soil organic matter (SOM) analysis. Soil was collected from each horizon through the profile on the bald sites using a nearby forest for reference. The 8 I3 C values were determined for the green vegetation, litter, and soils of the bald sites and reference forests. Samples were selected for determination of phytolith and charcoal content and for I4 C dating. The 6"C value of plant tissues varies with photosynthetic pathway and plant type, providing a distinctive signature in SOM. Significant shifts in SOM 5"C values with depth in the profile would suggest changes in site vegetation. Organic matter analysis indicated that two of the bald sites were never completely covered by grass without a woody component. The third bald may have undergone a vegetative shift in more recent times. Data also suggest that a vegetative shift may have occurred on two of the reference forest sites.

Antiquity, Sep 1, 2007

Here is a new application of infra-red photography with a digital camera to record rock art. The ... more Here is a new application of infra-red photography with a digital camera to record rock art. The need to make full and accurate records of the images, without touching (and thus degrading) the rock, requires a method of remote mapping. Trials with digital IR reported here are very promising and especially useful for painted rock art.

Quaternary Research, Jul 1, 2008

Playas are small, circular basins forming a ubiquitous component of the southern High Plains land... more Playas are small, circular basins forming a ubiquitous component of the southern High Plains landscape. They are filled with carbonaceous mud deposited since the terminal Pleistocene. The stratigraphy and geochronology of 30 playas was investigated to better understand the paleoenvironmental record of basin filling. At the base of the fill in some playas is a well sorted eolian sand dated between~13,000 and~11,000 14 C yr BP. The beginning of mud deposition, representing aggradation of eolian dust on a moist, vegetated playa floor was largely betweeñ 12,000 and~10,500 14 C yr BP. Playa filling slowed~9000 to~4000 14 C yr BP, probably due to dry conditions, increased~4000 to~2000 14 C yr BP, then slowed again. Eolian sand and loam, likely representing regional aridity, accumulated in some basins episodically just prior to~10,700 14 C yr BP, between~8600 and~4700 14 C yr BP, and at~1300 14 C yr BP. Stable C isotopes from one basin indicate that the playa was inundated only seasonally throughout the record beginning~11,500 14 C yr BP. The phytolith record in that basin indicates an abrupt shift toward cooling 11,400 to~11,200 14 C yr BP and then increasing importance of xeric-adapted C 4 grasses through the Holocene.

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Dec 1, 1997

The use of modern phytolith assemblages for the interpretation of fossil phytolith assemblages de... more The use of modern phytolith assemblages for the interpretation of fossil phytolith assemblages demonstrates the utility of phytolith analysis in reconstructing grassland vegetation and climate in the Great Plains of North America. The modern data presented are the typical (average) assemblages for 34 modern localities taken throughout the Great Plains. Modern assemblage variability across the region is substantial. This variability shows a coherent geographical pattern consistent with modern grassland composition. These modern phytolith assemblages are calibrated in terms of modern climate data: specifically July mean temperature. Seven fossil assemblages from three late Pleistocene localities in the central Great Plains are presented. Two alternative phytolith-temperature regression models are applied to these fossil assemblages to estimate paleo-temperature. Resulting estimates are consistent with other efforts to calculate late Pleistocene temperature departures in the region (ca.-8.0 to-7.0°C). The fossil data also show rapid change in grassland composition and climate during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. These results demonstrate how phytolith analysis can complement, or substitute for, pollen analysis in the Great Plains of North America.

Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Apr 1, 1985

The traditional palynomorph extraction technique, which has been developed for organic deposits, ... more The traditional palynomorph extraction technique, which has been developed for organic deposits, employs chemical treatments that are too harsh for the often poorly preserved and widely dispersed palynomorphs present within clastic sediments. An extraction procedure that utilizes non-corrosive heavy-liquid techniques has been developed. In contrast to other existing heavy-liquid techniques, this procedure permits processing of large-volume samples and offers relative simplicity and considerable flexibility. It has been extremely successful in facilitating the processing of a wide variety of clastic deposits for their palynomorph content. The extraction, identification, and interpretation of pollen and spores, or palynomorphs, has traditionally been associated with deposits comprised almost entirely of organic peat. However, in recent years, palynologists have extended their work to the extraction of palynomorphs from clastic sediments, such as those comprising archaeological middens, soils, loess, alluvium, and glacial till. Palynomorphs in clastic sediments differ from those in peat in that the former are typically extremely fragile and in low concentrations. Present extraction techniques for clastic deposits, however, are often problematic because they incorporate caustic reagents which attack fragile grains, or permit the processing of only small amounts of sediment. The procedure utilized in the study of palynomorphs from organic deposits is actually one of concentration rather than extraction. The technique primarily involves the disintegration and dissolution of the nonpollen matrix. Since the peat environment is usually one of low pH and reduction, the palynomorphs are well-preserved. The grains can therefore withstand the harsh chemical treatment involved in their concentration. Four chemical processes are typically utilized: (1) potassium hydroxide digestion, (2) acetolysis (acid hydrolysis using a mixture of acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid), (3) hydrofluoric acid treatment, and (4) hydrochloric acid treatment. Occasionally, further treatment involving the use of chloric oxides as oxidizing This content downloaded from 157.55.39.170 on Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:05:55 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 52 TRANSACTIONS OF THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE agents is incorporated. The general procedure for the concentration of palynomorphs from organic deposits is described in several sources but is best presented in Faegri and Iverson (1975) and Moore and Webb (1978). All treatments, with the exception of hydrochloric acid, are extremely corrosive, but, if used prudently, none will damage the typically well-preserved palynomorphs which occur in the acid, anaerobic environment of a peat deposit. However, palynomorphs preserved in clastic sediments such as soils and river alluvium are often very fragile due to the higher pH (e.g., Dimbleby, 1957) and oxidizing conditions (e.g., Tschudy, 1969) usually present in such deposits. Therefore, the above chemical treatments are destructive to these palynomorphs, and may completely obliterate them. Although it has been recognized that palynomorphs in clastic deposits require a different extraction procedure because of their state of preservation, some of the harsh chemical treatments found in the standard procedure for organic deposits have persisted. There has been an understandable reluctance to abandon completely the traditional procedures. In order to assess the utility of different procedures for use with clastic sediments, Woosley (1978) using prepared archaeological samples compared four procedures: the Mehringer method; heavy liquid-hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid method; Chevron method; and modified Chevron method. The study indicated the modified Chevron method produced the lowest pollen mortality rates; the results were attributed to the fact that the method utilized fewer caustic chemical procedures than the others. Ideally one should avoid all treatments utilizing harsh reagents. Hydrochloric acid is frequently necessary, however, to remove calcium carbonate cementation that encases palynomorphs. This acid is used in low concentrations and apparently does not damage even the most fragile of grains. Approaches to palynomorph separations that do not employ harsh chemical treatments include sieving (e.g., Cwynar et al., 1979), vibration (e.g., Dumait, 1962; Tschudy, 1960), controlled centrifugation (e.g., Brown, 1960; Funkhouser and Evitt, 1959), panning or swirling (e.g., Faegri and Iversen, 1975; Funkhouser and Evitt, 1959), settling or decantation (e.g., Horowitz, 1979; MacInnis and Rukavina, 1977; Faegri and Iversen, 1975), and heavy-liquid flotation (e.g., Bryant and Holloway, 1983; U.S. Geological Survey, 1980; Horowitz, 1979; Gray, 1965). With the exception of the first and last techniques, all depend upon differential settling velocities of clastics and organics as determined by their densities. Individually considered, these…

Wetlands, Sep 13, 2011

Page 1. ARTICLE Avian Succession in Small Created and Restored Wetlands Jill A. Hapner & ... more Page 1. ARTICLE Avian Succession in Small Created and Restored Wetlands Jill A. Hapner & James A. Reinartz & Glen G. Fredlund & Karla G. Leithoff & Noel J. Cutright & William P. Mueller Received: 2 February 2010 /Accepted ...

Quaternary Science Reviews, May 1, 2009

ABSTRACT Few sites on the eastern Great Plains contain paleobotanical records for the mid-Wiscons... more ABSTRACT Few sites on the eastern Great Plains contain paleobotanical records for the mid-Wisconsin. We report on four sites, two stream cutbanks and two quarry exposures, ranging in age from >50 to ∼23.4 ka. The oldest site at >50 ka contains a suite of macrofossils from prairie and disturbed ground habitats, with no representation of trees, indicating an open prairie. By ∼38 ka the assemblages include aquatic, wetland, mudflat, and prairie elements with rare specimens of Populus, Betula cf. papyrifera, Salix and at the most northerly site, Picea. This assemblage suggests a prairie/parkland with interspersed marshes, cooler temperatures and increased moisture. Populus and Salix continued to be represented from ∼36 to ∼29 ka, but the only other taxon was Carex. A hiatus may be present at some time during this interval. After ∼29 ka, Picea became dominant on the uplands and it was joined by sedges in local wetlands. At sites near riverine loess sources, loess accumulation began to fill in the wetlands and organic deposition ceased some time after 29 ka.

Journal of Biogeography, May 1, 1994

The analysis of fifty modern phytolith assemblages demonstrates the practicality of opal-phytolit... more The analysis of fifty modern phytolith assemblages demonstrates the practicality of opal-phytolith analysis as a surrogate for pollen analysis in the North American Great Plains. The fifteen native grassland sites used in the study span both the east-west moisture and north ...

I am especially grateful to Dr. Vehik of the Archeological Research and Management Center, who gr... more I am especially grateful to Dr. Vehik of the Archeological Research and Management Center, who graciously allowed us to use all field notes, drawings, and other materials from ARMC's 1979 excavation of Bug Hill in our analysis. Furthermore, Dr. Vehik permitted Dr. Rose to reanalyze the skeletal material from 1979 and let us use the stratigraphic profiles of the 1979 block excavation in this report. The production of this report was handled exclusively by the staff of New World Research. Dr. Prentice M. Thomas and Ms. L. Janice Campbell edited the report. Ms. Susan Keuer-Jones drew all the figures and developed all plates in the text. Ms. Jones also designed the cover, while Mr. A. Merrill Dicks is responsible for the cover drawings. Mr. Gregory Sands deJean, Mr. Steve Wightman and Mrs. Renee Morrison typed the report, and Ms. Carol S. Weed and Ms. Joyce Barnhill produced it. Finally, I would like to extend a personal note of thanks to all the residents of the "Narrows" in the Upper Jackfork Valley. These people took us into their homes, cooked for us, helped us dig, and accepted us as family for three months. The story recounted in the following pages is their story, their heritage, and I only hope that the strength and pride they showed us is reflected in it.

Plains Anthropologist, Feb 1, 1996

Two maps from the Joslyn Art Museum are identified as the work of John Crazy Mule, a northern Che... more Two maps from the Joslyn Art Museum are identified as the work of John Crazy Mule, a northern Cheyenne scout who served at Fort Keogh, Montana Territory, from 1877 to about 1891. The maps were drawn in pencil and ink on ledger paper between 1877 and 1880. The first shows the Yellowstone and Milk drainages and is a record of Crazy Mule's accomplishments as a government scout. These include the Lame Deer fight and the capture of Chief Josephs Nez Perces. The second shows a trail running between Fort Abraham Lincoln in what is now North Dakota and Sidney, Nebraska. The second map probably records the removal of Little Chief and his followers from Fort Keogh to Indian Territory in the summer and foil of 1878. This group of Cheyennes was held at Fort Lincoln throughout the winter and spring of 1877178 and then marched to Fort Sidney under U.S. cavalry escort in the summer of 1878. Pictographic notations, including both place names and records of events, allow specific interpretations ofeachmap.

Plains Anthropologist, Nov 1, 2005

The vegetative history of eastern North Da kota is broadly known from pollen and multi-proxy inve... more The vegetative history of eastern North Da kota is broadly known from pollen and multi-proxy investigations of lake basins from across the re gion (Clark et al. 2001; Dean and Schwalb 2000; Wright et al. 2004). These records suggest that parkland or savanna rapidly developed following glacial retreat and subsequent drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz to the south (10,800 to 9400 14C year B.P.) with true grasslands (or prairie) emerging by 9000 14C year B.P. Changes in grassland com position of the region is poorly documented in the fossil record throughout the Holocene. While stable carbon isotopes offer some insight (Clark et al. 2001), this proxy is limited in that it cannot dis tinguish between changes in forest cover from C3 grasslands. Fossil phytolith assemblages are used to infer changes in Holocene grassland vegetation and cli mate at the Rustad site. The evidence presented comes from two stratigraphic columns allowing evaluation of local variability in phytolith assem blages and validation of results. The soils and sedi ments sampled in this study span much of the last 9,000 years. Several major environmental changes are hypothesized to have occurred during this time and should be detectable with opal phytolith analy sis. First, the early Holocene (12,000 to 8000 years B.P.) was a period of major climatic warming. Grassland response to this warming should show up in the phytolith record as a shift from a C3 grass dominated cover to a mixed grass prairie including both tall (mesic adapted) and short (xe ric adapted) C4 grasses along with diverse C3 grass taxa. Second, sometime during the mid-Holocene (8000 to 5000 years B.P.) many, but not all, re gional paleoenvironmental records suggest one or more periods of higher temperatures and greater aridity, broadly labeled the Altithermal. This mid Holocene aridity should be detectable in the phytolith record as a relative increase in phytolith morphotypes from the xeric-adapted, C4 short grasses such as blue grama, side oats grama, and buffalo grass. The goal of this chapter is to report the find ings of phytolith analysis and offer some prelimi nary interpretations. The analysis focuses on the grass phytolith portion of the assemblages, al though there is great potential for additional in formation from the arboreal phytolith component and from other proxy data, including carbon iso topes, terrestrial snails, and vertebrate fauna. METHODS

American Midland Naturalist, Apr 1, 2020

Abstract. Limited survey data and numerous anecdotal accounts indicate the Common Nighthawk (Chor... more Abstract. Limited survey data and numerous anecdotal accounts indicate the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is experiencing population declines not only in Wisconsin, U.S.A., but across large parts of their range in North America. However, it is possible estimates from current avian monitoring efforts are not representative, because surveys are not necessarily conducted at dusk when C. minor are most active, nor do they specifically target urban areas where a portion of the C. minor population are known to nest on flat graveled rooftops. Therefore, urban crepuscular monitoring protocols are needed to address these issues, enhance current monitoring efforts, and gain a better understanding of C. minor demographics. In this study we used a citizen science-based methodology to survey 92 municipalities in southeastern Wisconsin in areas with varying degrees of urbanization to establish baseline data for this species that can then be compared to future counts. We investigated the influence of a range of environmental and ecological factors, as well as landscape features and land cover types in relation to C. minor occurrence. C. minor detection was positively correlated with Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) counts, the number and area (m2) of flat graveled rooftops, and heavily developed land cover types. The surveys also revealed a negative correlation between agricultural land cover and C. minor occurrence. Overall, the use of citizen science to establish a baseline for C. minor was successful and may be adapted and applied to other crepuscular bird species at a broader geographic scale of similar landscape type.

Plains Anthropologist, 2020

Plains Anthropologist, Nov 1, 2005

Raw data for the Cheyenne Bottoms pollen dataset obtained from the Neotoma Paleoecological Database.