Northern bobwhite breeding season ecology on a reclaimed surface mine

Abstract

Surface coal mining and subsequent reclamation of surface mines have converted large forest areas into early successional vegetative communities in the eastern United States. This reclamation can provide a novel opportunity to conserve northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). We evaluated the influence of habitat management activities on nest survival, nest‐site selection, and brood resource selection on managed and unmanaged units of a reclaimed surface mine, Peabody Wildlife Management Area (Peabody), in west‐central Kentucky, USA, from 2010 to 2013. We compared resource selection, using discrete‐choice analysis, and nest survival, using the nest survival model in Program MARK, between managed and unmanaged units of Peabody at 2 spatial scales: the composition and configuration of vegetation types (i.e., macrohabitat) and vegetation characteristics at nest sites and brood locations (i.e., microhabitat). On managed sites, we also investigated resource selection relative to a number of different treatments (e.g., herbicide, disking, prescribed fire). We found no evidence that nest‐site selection was influenced by macrohabitat variables, but bobwhite selected nest sites in areas with greater litter depth than was available at random sites. On managed units, bobwhite were more likely to nest where herbicide was applied to reduce sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) compared with areas untreated with herbicide. Daily nest survival was not influenced by habitat characteristics or by habitat management but was influenced by nest age and the interaction of nest initiation date and nest age. Daily nest survival was greater for older nests occurring early in the breeding season (0.99, SE < 0.01) but was lower for older nests occurring later in the season (0.08, SE = 0.13). Brood resource selection was not influenced by macrohabitat or microhabitat variables we measured, but broods on managed units selected areas treated with herbicide to control sericea lespedeza and were located closer to firebreaks and disked native‐warm season grass stands than would be expected at random. Our results suggest the vegetation at Peabody was sufficient without manipulation to support nesting and brood‐rearing northern bobwhite at a low level, but habitat management practices improved vegetation for nesting and brood‐rearing resource selection. Reproductive rates (e.g., nest survival and re‐nesting rates) at Peabody were lower than reported in other studies, which may be related to nutritional deficiencies caused by the abundance of sericea lespedeza. On reclaimed mine lands dominated by sericea lespedeza, we suggest continuing practices such as disking and herbicide application that are targeted at reducing sericea lespedeza to improve the vegetation for nesting and brood‐rearing bobwhite. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.

Northern bobwhite breeding season habitat selection in fire‐maintained pine woodland

“…Bobwhite used the time since burn categories proportionate to their availability in 2016, but selected units that were burned in the current dormant season in 2017, likely because these areas contained a mix of grass, forb, and bare groundcover and resprouting woody cover that provided foraging and nesting areas (Hardy , Sparks et al ). Bobwhite avoidance of areas burned in the current growing season (in 2017) can be explained by the lack of understory cover, especially the lack of woody structure, that provides important escape or nesting cover (Brooke et al , Rosche ). The importance of woody understory cover for bobwhite on Fort Bragg during the breeding season was evident given the strong selection for woody understory cover at the microsite scale.…”

“…Bobwhite avoidance of areas burned in the current growing season (in 2017) can be explained by the lack of understory cover, especially the lack of woody structure, that provides important escape or nesting cover (Brooke et al 2017, Rosche 2018. The importance of woody understory cover for bobwhite on Fort Bragg during the breeding season was evident given the strong selection for woody understory cover at the microsite scale.…”

“…Additionally, fire frequency influences subsequent plant community composition and structure (Sparks et al , Harper , Knapp et al ). For example, frequently (once every 1–2 years) burned areas typically are dominated by grasses and forbs (Streng et al ), which provide excellent nesting and brood cover for bobwhite (Brooke et al ). Conversely, less frequently (every 3–5 years) burned areas contain a greater abundance of woody plants (Streng et al ), which may provide escape cover or an additional component of nesting cover for bobwhite (Taylor and Burger , Cram et al , Brooke et al , Rosche ).…”

“…For example, frequently (once every 1–2 years) burned areas typically are dominated by grasses and forbs (Streng et al ), which provide excellent nesting and brood cover for bobwhite (Brooke et al ). Conversely, less frequently (every 3–5 years) burned areas contain a greater abundance of woody plants (Streng et al ), which may provide escape cover or an additional component of nesting cover for bobwhite (Taylor and Burger , Cram et al , Brooke et al , Rosche ). In summary, the provision of brood and nesting cover depends on application of the appropriate fire regime that fosters grasses and forbs along with a mix of woody understory cover without allowing the encroaching woody component to reach the point where it shades the understory.…”

Female Greater Prairie‐Chicken response to energy development and rangeland management

“…This method can also accommodate continuous and categorical variables (Cooper andMillspaugh 1999, McDonald et al 2006). We conducted our analysis using Cox proportional hazard mixed models, where lek sites were included as a random intercept using the COXME package in program R (Therneau 2015, Brooke et al 2016). In this analysis, we presumed that individual responses to landscape features would be uniform, and thus examined population-level responses to landscape features.…”