Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

A Method For Setting Northern Bobwhite Population And Habitat Objectives For Large Landscape Partnerships, James Giocomo, William Vermillion, Stephen Demaso, Barry Wilson, Jon Hayes, Kenneth Gee, Jesús Franco, Aimee Roberson, Robert Perez, Jeff Raasch, Bill Bartush, Benjamin Kahler

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Population and habitat objectives are the foundation for many conservation actions. Often objectives set at one scale are difficult to translate to larger or smaller scales. Three bird habitat Joint Ventures, Gulf Coast, Oaks & Prairies, and Rio Grande, working cooperatively with the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative, have a common objective to stabilize northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations in four Bird Conservation Regions. We cooperatively developed a method using the North American Breeding Bird Survey trend for several scenarios with different time horizons (10-, 20-, 30-year, or longer), the spring home range size, and the per …

How Many Are There? Estimating The North American Northern Bobwhite Population Size For Conservation Planning Purposes, James Giocomo, William Vermillion, Stephen Demaso, Arvind Panjabi

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Three bird habitat Joint Ventures, Gulf Coast, Oaks & Prairies, and Rio Grande, developed a method to set spring population and habitat objectives for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations in four Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). The method requires an estimate of current population size that can be stepped down to the management unit of interest. Several methods have been designed to estimate range-wide populations over the past two decades for fall (post-breeding) and spring (pre-breeding). The 2002 Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI) provided an estimate of 6,714,000 birds for the 1999 breeding population. The 2007 Partners in Flight …

Automated Identification And Mapping Of Woody Habitat Using Digital Ortho Imagery, Keith Wethington

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) restoration efforts operate at multiple spatial scales, from landscape (regional) levels to farm level (local). Choosing proper data sources, analysis techniques, and accounting for differences in scale (minimum mapping unit) between sources are critical first steps to successfully delivering habitat information useful for broad regional planning efforts and site specific research and management activities. To this end, we compared 3 methods of creating a habitat map and associated data: National Landcover Dataset (NLCD) 2006, hand digitized from 2010 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery, and an Interactive Supervised Classification of 1-m NAIP imagery using …

The Law Of Interspersion And The Principle Of Edge: Old Arguments And A New Synthesis, Mark M. Mcconnell, L. Wes Burger Jr., James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Leopold’s interspersion hypothesis has experienced fluctuating acceptance, opposition and neglect due to its unintentional ambiguous description and seemingly simplistically universal application. Originally developed to describe the positive association between animal density and habitat heterogeneity in the landscape, the hypothesis has been mischaracterized as the principle of edge resulting from Guthery and Bingham’s (1992) assertion that the interspersion hypothesis could be modeled by the amount of ‘high contrast’ edge and that edge density and interspersion were synonymous. We contend that Leopold’s original intention was not to promote more edge density is always better but rather to promote interspersion of habitat types …

Uncertainty And The Entanglement Of Habitat Loss And Fragmentation Effects In The Management Of Northern Bobwhite, Mason H. Cline, Richard B. Chandler, Clinton T. Moore, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

There is a need to understand the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and other grassland bird species and relate this to conservation action and delivery, especially in areas of intensive anthropogenic development. Through our research, we investigated the factors contributing to habitat loss and fragmentation in order to prioritize management within the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCP LCC) region of Texas, USA. For this geographic region, we completed these objectives: analyzed grassland bird habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from oil and gas development, which has become especially rapid in this …

Response Of Northern Bobwhite To Longleaf Pine Ecosystem Enhancement Through The State Wildlife Grant Program, Adam B. Butler, John P. Gruchy, Richard Hamrick, Matt Elliot

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The State Wildlife Grant (SWG) program provides funding through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to benefit species of greatest conservation need as recognized by State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans (SCWCPs). The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is an important game bird that shares habitat overlap with many priority species identified within SCWCPs. Specifically, in longleaf pine forests the Federally Threatened gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is dependent upon similar understory conditions as are bobwhite. As part of a multistate competitive SWG funded to enhance gopher tortoise habitat, we applied selective herbicide treatments and prescribed fire to longleaf …

National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative Focus Area Monitoring In The 2c Focus Area, Missouri, Beth Emmerich, W. T. White, E. Lee Metcalf

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) began establishing Quail Focus Areas (QFAs) on private lands in 2004. The goal of QFAs is to increase and expand quail habitat management efforts at a larger scale. Because most (93%) of Missouri’s landscape is in private ownership, habitat improvement programs on private lands have greater potential to impact quail populations than on public lands alone. In spring of 2013, a group of MDC staff and Quail Forever biologists began monitoring bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) and songbirds in a portion of the 2C QFA in Carroll County, Missouri as well as in …

Habitat Space Used By Northern Bobwhites And Texas Tortoises On South Texas Rangelands, Ross O. Couvillon, Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Bart M. Ballard, Thomas V. Dailey

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

South Texas rangelands are increasingly managed for recreational hunting, particularly northern bobwhite (Colinus virgianus). Effects of habitat management for game species on non-game species are largely unknown. Large private ranches used for recreational hunting could also provide habitat for the threatened Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri). We studied habitat use of Texas tortoises and northern bobwhites on a private ranch in South Texas that undergoes active habitat management. In 2015, tortoises (n = 12) and bobwhite hens (n = 42) were tracked during their active and breeding seasons, respectively, with radio-telemetry. Satellite images were analyzed …

Effects Of Tanglehead Expansion On Bobwhite Habitat Use In South Texas, John T. Edwards, Fidel Hernández, David B. Webster, Leonard A. Brennan, Chad J. Parent, Fred C. Bryant

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Usable space for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) has been reduced across a large portion of South Texas rangelands due to the spread of non-native, invasive grasses. A native grass, tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) has rapidly expanded its dominance in the western Sand Sheet of South Texas within the last 10-15 years. It has formed high-density monocultures, similar to non-native grasses, which are associated with losses of forb and grass diversity as well as bare ground, which are key components of bobwhite habitat. The objectives of our research were to 1) determine selection-avoidance of habitat features by bobwhites, …

An Evaluation Of Northern Bobwhite Conservation Research: A Call For Large-Scale Studies, Lex J. Gomez, Kelly S. Reyna

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations have declined throughout the species’ range since the 1960s. Habitat loss and degradation are thought to have largely contributed to this decline by reducing the amount of space and resources required to sustain viable quail populations. Previous studies have attempted to address this issue by focusing on ranch-level management of bobwhites instead of on the effectiveness of large-scale techniques. Here, we review current and historical studies that have facilitated the implementation of management techniques on multiple scales. In doing so, we will also reveal the shortcomings of such studies by highlighting their narrowed …

Long-Term Population Stability In The Greater Red Hills Region Amidst Range-Wide Declines: A Case For Integrated Management, Theron M. Terhune Ii, D. Clay Sisson, William E. Palmer, Shane D. Wellendorf

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

All natural habitats possess inherent conservation value, including the presence of rare or endemic species, provision of ecosystem services, historic landmarks, or resources harvested. Large-scale loss of natural habitats and deterioration of fire-mediated habitats has caused precipitous declines of native fauna and flora in the southeastern US. The role of private landholdings in wildlife and conservation is often underestimated, and consumptive use of wildlife is commonly viewed as counterproductive to sustainability. However, in the Greater Red Hills region (GRH) of north Florida and south Georgia, intentional management for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) on private lands has not only …

The Role Of Joint Ventures In Northern Bobwhite Conservation, Stephen Demaso

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Partnerships are crucial part of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) conservation. A key principle is that no single entity can effectively address the complex landscape-level conservation issues to sustain populations and their supporting habitats in perpetuity. Joint Ventures (JVs) use a partnership based approach to deliver specific bird population and habitat objectives within their geography. Currently, 7 of the 12 JVs that occur in the North American bobwhite range have bobwhites listed as a priority species. This presentation will cover various topics including: 1) the history of JVs in North America; 2) an overview of the variety of models …

Predicting Northern Bobwhite Habitat In Semiarid Rangeland Using Landsat Imagery, Jeffrey G. Whitt, Kelly S. Reyna

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Multiple studies have attempted to model northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) distribution using classified remotely sensed imagery in combination with pattern recognition software. These models tend to be more accurate in humid subtropical regions. To identify bobwhite habitat in subhumid and semiarid rangeland, we performed our own classification on 4 LANDSAT scenes of Clay County, Texas, from July and December 2015. Stands of mature little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) provide excellent bobwhite nesting cover and could be identified using LANDSAT imagery. Habitat was scored from 0 to 1.0 based on estimated range health, presence of little bluestem, and …

Vegetation And Arthropod Responses To Brush Reduction By Grubbing And Stacking, Carter Crouch, J. Alfonso Ortega-Santos, David B. Wester, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Greta L. Schuster

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Grubbing is a mechanical brush-reduction technique that allows targeting of mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Vachellia farnesiana) and can be used to open lanes for hunting northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). Follow-up treatments of stacking allow the piling up of downed brush. We initiated this study on the Santa Gertrudis Division of the King Ranch, Inc., Texas, to determine effects of grubbing and stacking on vegetation and arthropod communities important to bobwhite. We hypothesized that grubbing and stacking would be able to selectively remove mesquite and huisache while leaving mixed brush species largely intact. We …

Temperature Assessment On A Reclaimed Surface Mine During Northern Bobwhite Breeding Season: Considerations For Habitat Management, Donald M. Yow, Jeremy P. Orange, John J. Morgan, Gary Sprandel, Danna L. Baxley, Eric Williams

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Ground-level air temperatures were assessed within 4 distinct habitat areas on a managed reclaimed surface mine at Peabody Wildlife Management Area, Kentucky, 26 June–17 July 2015, during the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) brood season. Habitat consisted of disked and nondisked areas of native grass and an invasive species, sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata). Disked areas offered more open space for bobwhite mobility and experienced higher average temperatures than nondisked sites. Although statistically significant, differences in air temperature between disked and nondisked areas were likely too small to have practical implications for bobwhite habitat management in Kentucky under …

Temporal And Spatial Assessment Of Usable Space And Cover Type Interspersion For Northern Bobwhites On Private Farmlands In Southwestern Ohio, Robert J. Gates, Mark J. Wiley, Adam K. Janke, Marjorie R. Liberati

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Contemporary landscape change driven by socio-economic forces and advances in agricultural technology do not favor northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) in the Midwestern United States. The challenge of bobwhite conservation is to provide sufficient quantities of habitat with optimal configurations in proportions that satisfy needs throughout the year on private-owned working lands. We radio-tracked 58 coveys and 98 individual birds throughout the year in 2009-10 and 2010-11 on privately owned farmland in southwestern Ohio. We investigated temporal changes in usable space from use-availability data. Estimated proportions of usable space based on analyses of habitat selection across four study sites …

Strategic Habitat Conservation For Declining Grassland Wildlife Populations In The Oaks And Prairies Joint Venture, James Giocomo, Johnathan Hayes, Kenneth Gee, Jeff Raasch, Robert Perez

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Degradation and conversion of functioning grassland ecosystems in North America has driven significant declines in grassland wildlife populations across multiple taxa. In an effort to address declines in the grasslands of Oklahoma and Texas, a number of governmental agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations have partnered to form the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture (OPJV) to more strategically and collaboratively deliver conservation actions in this region. With northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) as the flagship species, OPJV has worked to implement a fully integrated Strategic Habitat Conservation framework that works at multiple scales to conduct biological planning, landscape conservation design, habitat …

Molecular Ecology Of New World Quails: Messages For Managers, Damon Williford, Randy W. Deyoung, Leonard A. Brennan

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Recent genetic studies of New World quails (Odontophoridae) have yielded important, and sometimes, counter-intuitive insights regarding their evolutionary relationships, genetic diversity, population structure, and biogeographic history. Many of these new insights have important implications for managers. New World quails are a distinct family within galliforms, most closely related to guineafowl (Numididae) and pheasants (Phasianidae) rather than guans and chachalacas (Cracidae). The African stone partridges (Ptilopachus spp.) are the closest living relatives of the New World quails. The combination of phylogeographic studies with ecological niche modeling has revealed the biogeographic history of several species of New World quails, including Pleistocene …

Effects Of Broad-Scale Conservation On Northern Bobwhite Populations In Agricultural Landscapes, John M. Yeiser, John J. Morgan, Danna L. Baxley, Richard B. Chandler, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Private land initiatives such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) are avenues for broad-scale northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) conservation. The CREP in Kentucky established 40,468 ha of native prairie grasses and riparian corridors in the Green River Basin. Northern bobwhite responses to similar conservation measures at local scales (i.e., the site of implementation) have been positive; however, the geographic extent of the influence of private land initiatives on populations is less understood. Our objectives were to investigate landscape-scale effects of CREP on northern bobwhite populations. Using a stratified random sampling design, 254 roadside point counts were performed …

Fall Quail Densities On Public Lands In Missouri: A Decade Of Monitoring, Beth Emmerich, Thomas V. Dailey

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) fall population density has been determined annually since 2005 on 19 public land areas managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). These demonstration areas, known as Quail Emphasis Areas (QEAs), were created as part of the MDC Strategic Guidance for Northern Bobwhite Recovery: 2003-2013. Management of QEA bobwhite populations, habitat and hunting has been evaluated periodically at the area, regional and statewide scale, and the program has been perpetuated in an updated 2014-2024 Strategic Guidance. QEAs were selected to represent MDC administrative regions and are highly variable in many aspects, e.g., size range …

Monitoring Northern Bobwhite Populations Reduces Uncertainty About Management Effectiveness: A Paradigm Of Empiricism And Hope, Adam W. Green, Dallas P. Grimes, Greg Hagan, Richard Hamrick, Craig Harper, Patrick Keyser, John J. Morgan, I. B. Parnell, Reggie Thackston, Theron M. Terhune Ii, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations have been declining across their range for decades because of habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation. Habitat restoration and management—sometimes coupled with other cultural practices—has long been the paradigm for bobwhite conservation. However, the lack of peer-reviewed empirical evidence supporting the success of active management to increase bobwhite density and growth rates has created skepticism and uncertainty among some conservationists and user groups. Thus, our objectives were to test the basic prediction that active management can increase bobwhite populations across a large spatial extent and highlight the importance of population monitoring to refine management …

Response Of Northern Bobwhites To Habitat Improvement On Private Lands In The Rolling Plains Of Texas, C. Brad Dabbert, Robin Verble-Pearson

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) in the Rolling Plains of Texas have experienced significant declines in recent years. Examination of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Quail Roadside Counts reveals a steep decline since 2007 in the Rolling Plains of Texas. Biologists only detected 2.91 birds/counting route in 2013. This number marked 2 years in a row of record lows (counts started in 1978) below the long-term mean of 19.7 birds/route (Texas Parks and Wildlife 2015). These numbers are not surprising given the historically damaging drought Texas has suffered. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department counts improved to 7.5 bobwhites/counting …

Population Response Of Three Quail Species To Habitat Restoration In South Texas, Eric D. Grahmann, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Timothy E. Fulbright, Carter Crouch, Michael W. Hehman, David Heft, Robert Perez, Fred C. Bryant

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Maintaining and increasing usable space is paramount for maintaining and increasing wild quail. Aside from weather and other factors that can temporarily reduce densities, range-wide, no factor has as much influence on quail populations as the amount of habitat present across the landscape. In the field of quail management, ‘‘bad news’’ is the norm, as many articles begin by explaining how a select species has declined. Here we provide good news and use 4 empirical examples of population increases for 3 quail species following creation of usable space and restoration of patch connectivity. From 2008–2014, a suite of independent projects …

The Initial Stages Of Implementing The Western Quail Management Plan, Casey J. Cardinal, Rey A. Sanchez

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) established the Western Quail Working Group (WQWG) in July 2009. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by the western agencies responsible for quail management (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington) as ‘‘a cooperative agreement to improve management and implement strategies for conservation of western quail and their habitats.’’ The primary habitat management goals identified by the group are outlined in the Western Quail Management Plan, published by the Wildlife Management Institute in January 2010. Some of the past accomplishments of the …

Progress Of The National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, Donald F. Mckenzie, John J. Morgan, Thomas V. Dailey

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have declined precipitously over 5 decades because of a decline in habitat, largely a result of agricultural intensification and inadequate management of natural plant succession. In response, quail biologists developed strategic and operational plans, and formed a national partnership of state and federal agencies, bobwhite institutions, non-government organizations, universities and private citizens. The early history of these efforts was reviewed in 2006 at the Sixth National Quail Symposium. Over the past 10 years, exponential growth occurred, including establishment of a home for national bobwhite conservation at the University of Tennessee, and funding from the …

A Focused Habitat Approach For Northern Bobwhite Restoration In Kentucky, John J. Morgan, John M. Yeiser, Danna L. Baxley, Gary Sprandel, Ben A. Robinson, Keith Wethington

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has measured northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) population trends since 1960. During that span, northern bobwhite steadily declined because clean agriculture, fescue-sod, plant succession, and development eroded habitat suitability. Multiple efforts have failed with regard to restoring northern bobwhite numbers. Over 3.5 million northern bobwhite were released by the Department over a three decade period. Habitat efforts on private lands were deployed for over 20 years with mixed results. Support for the habitat restoration efforts waned. In 2008, the Department unveiled a new strategy centered on restoring concentrated habitat in focal …

Translocation As A Population Restoration Technique For Northern Bobwhites: A Review And Synthesis, James A. Martin, Roger D. Applegate, Thomas V. Dailey, Michelle Downey, Beth Emmerich, Fidel Hernández, Mark M. Mcconnell, Kelly S. Reyna, Dale Rollins, Rebekah E. Ruzicka, Theron M. Terhune Ii

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) abundance has declined precipitously for decades across much of the species range, to the point of widespread local, regional, and statewide extirpation. Because of successful translocations of other gallinaceous birds, bobwhite enthusiasts increasingly call for use of the approach. Consequently, the National Bobwhite Technical Committee (NBTC), on behalf of state agencies, requested a review and recommendation by the NBTC Science Subcommittee. Thus, our paper is co-authored by invited experts and includes reviews of peer-reviewed publications, manuscripts in these proceedings, state agency reports, experience by co-authors, and a survey of perspectives on translocations by state …

Assessing The Periodic Groundwater Flow Conditions Of A Perched Aquifer System In The Daniel Boone National Forest, Ethan Sweet

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Assessing the Periodic Groundwater Flow Conditions of a Perched Aquifer System in the Daniel Boone National Forest

Ethan Sweet and Jonathan Malzone

Eastern Kentucky University, Department of Geosciences

Natural ephemeral wetlands situated among the ridge-tops in the Daniel Boone National Forest serve as reservoirs that recharge a shallow groundwater system. Unique interactions between surface and groundwater in these isolated systems provide substantial support for the native ecosystem, serving as a breeding ground for amphibians and as source water for vegetation—especially in periods of drought. Currently it is not understood how groundwater could provide regional biodiversity, a drought buffer, or a …

The Utility Of Bioenergetics Modelling In Quantifying Predation Rates Of Marine Apex Predators: Ecological And Fisheries Implications, A. Barnett, M. Braccini, C. L. Dudgeon, N. L. Payne, K. G. Abrantes, M. Sheaves, E. P. Snelling

Fisheries Research Articles

Predators play a crucial role in the structure and function of ecosystems. However, the magnitude of this role is often unclear, particularly for large marine predators, as predation rates are difficult to measure directly. If relevant biotic and abiotic parameters can be obtained, then bioenergetics modelling offers an alternative approach to estimating predation rates, and can provide new insights into ecological processes. We integrate demographic and ecological data for a marine apex predator, the broadnose sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus, with energetics data from the literature, to construct a bioenergetics model to quantify predation rates on key fisheries species in …

Establishing Pine Monocultures And Mixed Pine-Hardwood Stands On Reclaimed Surface Mined Land In Eastern Kentucky: Implications For Forest Resilience In A Changing Climate, Geoffrey Bell, Kenton L. Sena, Christopher D. Barton, Michael French

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Surface mining and mine reclamation practices have caused significant forest loss and forest fragmentation in Appalachia. Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is threatened by a variety of stresses, including diseases, pests, poor management, altered fire regimes, and climate change, and the species is the subject of a widescale restoration effort. Surface mines may present opportunity for shortleaf pine restoration; however, the survival and growth of shortleaf pine on these harsh sites has not been critically evaluated. This paper presents first-year survival and growth of native shortleaf pine planted on a reclaimed surface mine, compared to non-native loblolly pine ( …