Legacy data for a northern prairie grassland: Woodworth Study Area, North Dakota, 1963-89
Open-File Report
2014-1188
By: Shelby H. Williams and Jane E. Austin
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Abstract
Ecological data commonly become more valuable through time. Such legacy data provide baseline records of past biological, physical, and social information that provide historical perspective and are necessary for assessment of stasis or change. Legacy data collected at the Woodworth Study Area (WSA), a contiguous block of grasslands, croplands, and wetlands covering more than 1,000 hectares of the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, are cataloged and summarized in this study. The WSA is one of the longest researched grassland sites in the Upper Midwest. It has an extensive history of settlement, land use, and management that provides a deeper context for future research. The WSA data include long-term vegetation transect records, land use history, habitat management records, geologic information, wetland hydrology and chemistry information, and spatial images. Substantial parts of these data have not been previously reported. The WSA is representative of many other lands purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Prairie Pothole Region from the 1930s to the 1970s; therefore, synthesized data from the WSA are broadly applicable to topics of concern in northern grasslands, such as increases in non-native plants, managing for biodiversity, and long-term effects of habitat management. New techniques are also described that were used to preserve these data for future analyses. The data preservation techniques are applicable to any project with data that should be preserved for 100 years or more.
Suggested Citation
Williams, S.H., and Austin, J., 2014, Legacy data for a northern prairie grassland: Woodworth Study Area, North Dakota, 1963-89: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1188, viii, 85 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141188.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Legacy data for a northern prairie grassland: Woodworth Study Area, North Dakota, 1963-89 |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 2014-1188 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20141188 |
| Year Published | 2014 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | viii, 85 p. |
| Time Range Start | 1963-01-01 |
| Time Range End | 1989-12-31 |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota |
| Other Geospatial | Prairie Pothole Region |
| Online Only (Y/N) | Y |