Advisor: Craig Stockwell, Ph.D. Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University

Degree Progress: Doctorate in ECS

Office: 233 Stevens Hall

Email: david.mushet@ndsu.edu

David sampling amphibians in the field

Tiger Salamander captures

Tiger Salamander larvae

Northern Leopard Frog in trap

Adult Tiger Salamander

Background Information: The prairies of North Dakota became my second home after I moved here in 1992 from California.  I grew up in a small mountain town in southern California and later migrated to the northern part of the state where I received my degree in wildlife biology from Humboldt State University and conducted research on the effects of supplemental irrigations on several moist soil plant species at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.  In addition to being a Ph.D. student at NDSU, I am also a wildlife biologist with the U.S Geological Survey’s Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota, where I have gained over 15 years experience researching the plant and animal life associated with wetlands of the northern Great Plains.  My interests in wildlife biology have always been very habitat focused.  This has served to draw me away from many traditional areas of wildlife biology and deeply into the areas of botany, hydrology, and aquatic invertebrate ecology.  In these areas of interest, I have over 20 peer-reviewed publications all of which have a significant habitat management focus.

Education:

• B.S., Wildlife Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA (1991)

Dissertation Research Topics:

• Modeling amphibian habitat suitability in the prairie pothole as an aid in quantifying of the effects of conservation programs
• Identifying potential leopard frog (Rana pipiens) drought refugia using historic satellite imagery
• Using DNA microsatellites to explore leopard frog population bottlenecks and subsequent population expansions resulting from drought 

Professional Experience:

• 1999-present:  Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND
• 1992-1999:  Biological Science Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND

Professional Affiliations:

• Associate Editor/Botany, The Prairie Naturalist (2004-present)
• North Dakota Natural Science Society
• Society for Conservation Biology
• Society of Wetland Scientists
• The Wildlife Society (North Dakota Chapter)

Publications:
N. H. Euliss, Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  200X.  Rise and fall of aquatic invertebrates: the value of long-term studies for dynamic ecosystems. Submitted to: Journal of the North American Benthological Society.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  200X.  Blackbird response to inundation following drought at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota. Submitted to: Wetlands.

Hanson, B. A., N. H. Euliss, Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  200X.  The aquatic macroinvertebrates of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota.  Submitted to: Prairie Naturalist.
Hanson, B. A., N. H. Euliss, Jr., D. M. Mushet, and S. W. Chordas III.  2007.  First record of Corisella inscripta (hemiptera: corixidae) in North Dakota.  Prairie Naturalist (Accepted for Publication)

Mushet, D. M.  2007.  Tigers in our wetlands: Ambystoma tigrinum, an underappreciated predator.  North Dakota Outdoors, July 2007, Pages 16-18.

N. H. Euliss, Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  2006.  Management of Aquatic Invertebrates in Wetlands of the Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge. Final Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  2005.  A protocol for conducting floristic quality assessments of plant communities in the Sheyenne National Grassland.  Final Report to the U.S. Forest Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands Office. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., J. W. LaBaugh, L. H. Fredrickson, D. M. Mushet, G. A. Swanson, T. C. Winter, D. O. Rosenberry, and R. D. Nelson.  2004.  The wetland continuum: a conceptual framework for interpreting biological studies in the prairie pothole region of North America. Wetlands 24:448-458.

Hanson, B. A., N. H. Euliss, Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  2004.  First record of Graphoderus liberus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 36:67-69.

Mushet, D. M., N. H. Euliss, Jr., S. P. Lane, and C. M. Goldade.  2004.  The flora of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 36:43-62.
Euliss, N. H., Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  2004.  Impacts of water development on aquatic macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and plants in wetlands of a semi-arid landscape. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management 7:73-84.

Swanson, G. A., N. H. Euliss, Jr., B. A. Hanson, and D. M. Mushet.  2004.  Dynamics of a prairie wetland complex: implications for wetland management. p. 55-94. In T. C. Winter (editor). Hydrological, Chemical, and Biological Characteristics of a Prairie Pothole Wetland Complex under Highly Variable Climate Conditions—The Cottonwood Lake Area, East-central North Dakota.  U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1675.

Hanson, B. A., N. H. Euliss, Jr., D. M. Mushet, and S. W. Chordas III.  2003.  First record of Dasycorixa rawsoni (Hemiptera: Corixidae) in the United States.  Entomological News 114:235-236.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., D. M. Mushet, and L. L. Strong.  2003.  Aquatic invertebrate production in Unit 6 of the Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge. Final Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  2003.  Evaluation of the impacts of irrigation ground-water withdrawal on a prairie wetland. Final Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., R. R. Tramontano, and D. M. Mushet.  2003.  A natural history survey of fens and palustrine wetlands in intermittent drainages of the Little Missouri National Grassland. Final Report to the U.S. Forest Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands Office. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND.

Hanson, B. A., N. H. Euliss, Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  2002.  First record for loosely coiled valve snail in North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 34:61-63.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  2002.  Wetlands of the Little Missouri National Grassland: Impacts of water development on aquatic plants, invertebrates, and amphibians. Final Report to the U.S. Forest Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands Office. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., D. M. Mushet, and D. H. Johnson.  2002.  Using aquatic invertebrates to delineate seasonal and temporary wetlands in the prairie pothole region of North America. Wetlands 22:256-262.

Mushet, D. M., N. H. Euliss, Jr., and T. L. Shaffer.  2002.  Floristic quality assessment of one natural and three restored wetland complexes in North Dakota, USA. Wetlands 22:126-138.

Northern Great Plains Floristic Quality Assessment Panel.  2001.  Coefficients of conservatism for the vascular flora of the Dakotas and adjacent grasslands. U.S. Geological Survey, Information and Technology Report, USGS/BRD/ITR-2001-0001.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., D. M. Mushet, and D. H. Johnson.  2001.  Use of macroinvertebrates to identify cultivated wetlands in the prairie pothole region. Wetlands 21:223-231.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  2000.  An analysis of the biological impacts associated with the flooding and flushing of a prairie wetland ecosystem. Final Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Twin Cities Field Office. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND.  QR-F3-00-04

Euliss, N. H., Jr., and D. M. Mushet.  1999.  Influence of agriculture on aquatic invertebrate communities of temporary wetlands in the prairie pothole region of North Dakota, USA. Wetlands 19:578-583.

Euliss, N. H., Jr., D. A. Wrubleski, and D. M. Mushet.  1999.  Wetlands of the prairie pothole region: invertebrate species composition, ecology, and management. p. 471-514. In D. P. Batzer, R. B. Rader, and S. A. Wissinger (eds.), Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America: Ecology and Management. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY.

Larson, D. L., N. H. Euliss, Jr., M. J. Lannoo, and D. M. Mushet.  1998.  Amphibians of northern grasslands. p. 450-451. In M. J. Mac, P. A. Opler, C. E. Puckett Haecker, and P. D. Doran (eds.), Status and Trends of the Nation’s Biological Resources, Volume 2. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA.

Mushet, D. M., N. H. Euliss, Jr., B. A. Hanson, and S. G. Zodrow.  1997.  A funnel trap for sampling salamanders in wetlands. Herpetological Review 28:132-133.

Euliss, N. H., Jr. and D. M. Mushet.  1996.  Development and evaluation of an invertebrate sampling device and water-level recorder for EMAP. p. 149-165. In S. A. Peterson, L. Carpenter, G. Guntenspergen, and L. M. Cowardin (eds.), Pilot test of wetland condition indicators in the prairie pothole region of the United States.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.  EPA/620/R-97-002

Euliss, N. H., Jr. and D. M. Mushet.  1996.  Impact of agricultural practices on wetland macroinvertebrates, siltation rates, and water-level fluctuations.  p. 59-69. In S. A. Peterson, L. Carpenter, G. Guntenspergen, and L. M. Cowardin (eds.), Pilot test of wetland condition indicators in the prairie pothole region of the United States. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA. EPA/620/R-97-002

Euliss, N. H., Jr. and D. M. Mushet.  1996.  Water-level fluctuation in wetlands as a function of landscape condition in the prairie pothole region. Wetlands 16:587-593.

Mushet, D. M., N. H. Euliss, Jr., and S. W. Harris.  1992.  Effects of irrigation on seed production and vegetative characteristics of four moist-soil plants on impounded wetlands in California. Wetlands 12:204-207.

Presentations:

Mushet, D. M., N. H. Euliss, Jr., and C. A. Stockwell.  2007.  The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Working together to quantify the effects of conservation programs on amphibian habitat suitability. Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative Workshop: Understanding Agriculture’s Effects on Amphibians and Reptiles in a Changing World, February 6-8, 2007, St. Louis, Missouri. (Poster)

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  2007.  “Tigers In Our Wetlands:  Ambystoma tigrinum, An Often Underappreciated Predator” Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, June 2007, Sacramento, CA.

Mushet, D. M.  2006.  Amphibian Research under the USGS Integrated Landscape Monitoring Initiative (ILM): Prairie Pilot. USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center Seminar Series, December 13, 2006, La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Tigers in Our Wetlands: Ambystoma tigrinum, an often underappreciated predator.  Annual Meeting of the ND Chapter, The Wildlife Society, Williston, North Dakota, February 8-10, 2006. (Received 2006 Natural Resources Communication Award for this presentation)

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Impacts of water development on aquatic macroinvertebrate and amphibian communities in an arid landscape. Central Mountains and Plains States Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Medora, North Dakota, August 10-12, 2005.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Amphibian Response to Drought, Deluge, and Disease: 13 Years of Population Data from the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, North Dakota. Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Charleston, South Carolina, June 5-10, 2005.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Trends in Breeding Bird Populations at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, 1992-2003. Annual Meeting of the ND Chapter, The Wildlife Society, Fargo, ND, 2004.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Impact of Water Development on Aquatic Invertebrate and Amphibian Biodiversity in Wetlands of a Semi-arid Landscape.  24th Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, New Orleans, LA, 8-13 June 2003.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Response of Amphibians to Drought, Deluge, and Disease at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area. Annual Meeting of the ND Chapter, The Wildlife Society, Mandon, ND, 2003.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  The Wetland Continuum: A Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Biological Studies in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. Annual Convention, The Wildlife Society, Bismarck, ND, 2002.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Biotic Community Response to Drought and Deluge: Lessons form the Cottonwood Lake Study Area. Annual Meeting of the ND Chapter, The Wildlife Society, Grand Forks, ND, 2002.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Wetlands of the Missouri National Grassland: Impacts of Water Developments on Biological Communities. Annual Meeting of the ND Chapter, The Wildlife Society, Bismarck, ND, 2001.

Mushet, D. M., and N. H. Euliss, Jr.  Floristic Quality of Three Restored Wetland Complexes in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States. Annual Meeting of the ND Chapter, The Wildlife Society, Minot, ND, 1999.

Mushet, D. M.  Using a Floristic Quality Index to Evaluate Management Efforts. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Workshop, Region 6, Jamestown, ND, 1998.