Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2015

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

Major Professor

Craig A. Harper

Committee Members

Patrick D. Keyser, Joseph D. Clark, John J. Morgan

Abstract

Northern bobwhite populations have declined range-wide over the past 40 years. The intensification of agriculture, conversion of pastures to nonnative cool-season grasses, advanced succession, and urbanization have resulted in the deterioration and elimination of bobwhite habitat. Recent conservation efforts have called for a landscape-level approach to the conservation of northern bobwhite populations. However, identifying large areas to manage bobwhite populations is problematic. Reclaimed mine lands offer an opportunity to manage large contiguous tracts of early successional vegetation to conserve northern bobwhite populations. We studied northern bobwhite resource selection throughout the year from August 2009 to March 2014. We investigated the influence of disking, prescribed fire, and herbicide application on bobwhite resource selection. Our study was conducted on Peabody Wildlife Management Area (PWMA), which is a 3,300 ha reclaimed surface mine in Western Kentucky. We used the discrete-choice analysis to compare resource selection on unmanaged and managed units of PWMA. We used locations from 283 bobwhite during the breeding season (1 April – 30 September) and 136 coveys during the non-breeding season (1 October – 31 March). Resource selection on PWMA was influenced most by availability of shrub cover, regardless of season. Bobwhite were found closer to shrub cover than would be expected and selected areas with greater amounts of shrub-open edge density. Similarly, bobwhite selected areas with vegetation characteristics consistent with shrub cover on PWMA, including increased visual obstruction >1 m aboveground and an increased density of woody stems. Management aimed at reducing the density of sericea lespedeza and increasing the openness at ground level positively influenced resource selection. Bobwhite were found closer to disked areas than would be expected and selected areas treated with herbicide to control sericea lespedeza. Bobwhite avoided burned areas during the breeding season but selected burned areas during the non-breeding season. Our results suggest management should focus on increasing the interspersion of shrub cover on reclaimed mine lands. Also, management focused on enhancing the composition and structure of the vegetation (disking and herbicide) should continue. Reclaimed mine land can provide habitat for northern bobwhite, and our results suggest habitat management can improve habitat quality for bobwhite on these lands.

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