Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Assessing The Effects Of The Spring Hunting Season Start Date On Wild Turkey Seasonal Productivity And Hunter Behavior, Joseph Quehl Dec 2023

Assessing The Effects Of The Spring Hunting Season Start Date On Wild Turkey Seasonal Productivity And Hunter Behavior, Joseph Quehl

Masters Theses

Many states throughout the Southeast have documented declines in wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) harvest and estimates of recruitment in poult-per-hen ratios. Wild turkey populations are driven by seasonal productivity, so the decline in these parameters may indicate a decline in the overall population. One hypothesis as to why we are seeing a reduction in productivity and a potential population decline is that the spring hunting season is disrupting the reproductive cycle by harvesting too many males before they have had the opportunity to breed, or by harvesting dominant males and disrupting the social hierarchy of the flock. Our …


Monitoring Grassland Bird Populations On Fort Campbell Military Reservation, Kentucky-Tennessee, With A Special Emphasis On Bachman’S Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis), Emily Vera Hockman Aug 2013

Monitoring Grassland Bird Populations On Fort Campbell Military Reservation, Kentucky-Tennessee, With A Special Emphasis On Bachman’S Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis), Emily Vera Hockman

Masters Theses

Grassland birds have declined more in the past four decades than any other group, primarily because of the suppression of ecological disturbance. Fort Campbell Military Reservation (FCMR) has maintained large amounts of grasslands and oak (Quercus spp.) savannas because of military training and prescribed fires, and supports many grassland bird populations. I established a survey route to investigate vegetation influencing occupancy of grassland birds with an emphasis on Bachman’s Sparrows (Peucaea aestivalis), and additionally described habitat selection of Bachman’s Sparrows on FCMR. Bachman’s Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna), Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), and Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) occupancy were positively …


Avian Habitat Response To Grazing, Haying, And Biofuels Production In Native Warm-Season Forages In The Mid-South, Jessie Lee Birckhead Aug 2012

Avian Habitat Response To Grazing, Haying, And Biofuels Production In Native Warm-Season Forages In The Mid-South, Jessie Lee Birckhead

Masters Theses

Declines in grassland birds have been attributed to loss of habitat, habitat degradation, and changes in land management. In the Mid-South, pasture and hayfield management has focused on maintaining dense stands of non-native forages that do not provide suitable vegetative structure for grassland birds or northern bobwhite. Native warm-season grasses have been promoted for livestock forage and biofuels feedstock. However, little information exists on how these practices affect habitat for grassland songbirds or northern bobwhite in the Mid-South. We conducted a study of two cattle grazing treatments, two hay harvest treatments and a biofuels harvest treatment on vegetative structure for …