Using drone and roadside surveys to estimate waterfowl productivity in the prairie pothole region of north dakota.project period: 05 01 2025 - 09 30 2028THE U.S. Fish and wildlife service and state…

Iowa State University of Science and Technology received a Cooperative Agreement award of $141,509.43 from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Cooperative Research Units program (CFDA 15.812), effective May 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. The project investigates the integration of drone and roadside survey methodologies to estimate waterfowl productivity across the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota. The research addresses the critical need for reliable waterfowl breeding activity estimates to inform federal and state land acquisition, protection, and restoration decisions. Over three field seasons (May-August 2025-2027), paired surveys will be conducted and analyzed to determine how these complementary approaches can balance survey precision with implementation costs across the broader region.

Deliverables include a Master's thesis and at least one peer-reviewed publication documenting the study findings, along with technical reports and communications to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, and partner state agencies. Geospatial analyses will produce survey design recommendations for regional implementation. The project represents a collaborative effort to optimize waterfowl monitoring practices through combined data collection and analysis methodologies that advance both scientific understanding and practical resource management applications in the Prairie Pothole ecosystem.

Using drone and roadside surveys to estimate waterfowl productivity in the prairie pothole region of north dakota.project period: 05 01 2025 - 09 30 2028THE U.S. Fish and wildlife service and state agencies in the prairie pothole region need reliable estimates of waterfowl breeding activity to support decisions about land acquisition, protection, and restoration. Roadside surveys provide a fast and inexpensive option but are prone to biases from observation error. Drones can be used to obtain highly accurate counts of broods but are expensive and can be logistically challenging to use. This study will investigate how these two survey methods can be combined to balance survey precision and cost of implementation across the broader prairie pothole region. Activities to be performed - paired roadside and drone surveys will be conducted in north dakota for three field seasons (may-august 2025-2027). This data will be analyzed separately and jointly to understand the strengths and limitations of each data type, and the potential benefit of combining them. Geospatial analyses will be used to develop survey design recommendations for the region. Deliverables and expected outcomesa M.S. Thesis and at least one publication is anticipated in the peer-reviewed literature from this work. Reports and communication results will be given to the U.S. Fish and wildlife service, north dakota game and fish department, and other state agency partners. Intended beneficiary(IES) -U.S. Fish and wildlife service, north dakota game and fish department, other state agencies. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award NA