2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
9/25/2018 | 1:40 PM - 1:55 PM | Evaluation of Grassland Management Treatments to Improve Galliform Brood Habitat | Eccles Conference Center Auditorium
Evaluation of Grassland Management Treatments to Improve Galliform Brood Habitat
Management practices designed for upland game species often focus on nest survival and hen winter survival due to the importance of these life history stages on population vital rates. However, chick survival is an important component of gallinaceous bird population dynamics, but it is poorly understood and often tends to be overlooked. Ideal brood habitat not only provides open understory for easy movement and canopy cover for protection, but also provides an abundance of arthropod foods for chicks. Research on the effectiveness of grassland management techniques used to improve brood rearing habitat specific to the northern Great Plains is lacking. This research investigated the efficacy of various methods of CRP mid-contract management, including haying, burning, chemical application, interseeding, and grazing, to improve brood rearing habitat for upland game birds as well as the longevity of the benefits provided by those methods. Our research focused on assessing arthropod abundance through pitfall trap and sweep net collections, chick mass change through the use of human-imprinted ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) chicks, and vegetation composition and structure through Robel pole, Daubenmire, and litter depth measurements. Overall, we found that treatments incorporating interseeding, chemical application, or both provided the best results for managing brood habitat. These sites had the greatest chick mass gain, reduced litter cover and depth, and increased bare ground and forb cover, which are all beneficial for chicks.
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Presenters/Authors
Mandy Orth
(), mandy.orth@sdstate.edu;
Dept. of Natural Resource Management
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -
Kent Jensen
(), kent.jensen@sdstate.edu;
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Travis Runia
(), South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, travis.runia@state.sd.us;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -