Response of Northern Bobwhite Movements to Management-Driven Disturbance in a Shrub-Dominated Ecosystem

Abstract

Despite inhabiting fire-adapted grasslands and shrublands across much of their continental distribution, northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) behavior relative to disturbance (e.g., fire) is poorly understood, especially in the western fringe of their distribution. We assessed bobwhite movement and space use following dormant season burning (Jan-Mar; 2013-2014) in a sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii; hereafter shinnery oak) plant community. We captured and radio-marked bobwhites (n = 369) and monitored them via radio-telemetry across burn treatments (averaging 254 ha) ranging from 0-12, 13-24, 25-36, and >36 months post fire (hereafter, time since fire; TSF) at the Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area in western Oklahoma, USA. Mean covey home range size was 76.6 ha ± 5.9 [SE] (range; 12-270 ha) (n= 61 coveys), which is substantially larger than covey home ranges reported for other regions. Prescribed fire affected space use of coveys (F 4, 54 = 2.95, p < 0.05) which was driven by smaller home range sizes of coveys using 25-36 TSF (52.07 ha [± 6.6]) than 0-12 (85.0 ha [± 15.53]), 13-24 (86.7 ha [± 20.7]) and >36 TSF (78.9 ha [± 6.54]). Generalized linear mixed models demonstrated that neither spring dispersal (movements or area traversed) were correlated with TSF, age, or sex (n=114), further demonstrating a minimal effect of prescribed fire; however, dispersal areas were greater in 2013 than in 2014 (p < 0.05). Our research shows that prescribed fire applied at a landscape scale had limited effects on short-term bobwhite movement and space use. These findings also suggest that in shinnery oak vegetation communities land managers can utilize prescribed fire across large spatial extents without substantially altering the space use or movement of bobwhites.

Reproductive plasticity and landscape heterogeneity benefit a ground‐nesting bird in a fire‐prone ecosystem

“…Similarly, a minimal effect of fire on Bobwhite spring dispersal has also been observed on the study area (Carroll et al. ). These findings likely reflect adaptive responses by Bobwhites to the fire‐prone ecosystems in which they evolved, but are particularly informative given that periodic fire is considered a requirement of future grassland and shrubland ecosystem restoration in the Great Plains of North America aimed at increasing biodiversity (Fuhlendorf et al.…”

“…The conservation implications of our observations are further elevated given that Bobwhites were exposed to fire treatments that were often larger than the home range of Bobwhites documented on our study area (Carroll et al. ), and conducted just prior to the breeding and nesting seasons, respectively. Nevertheless, the nesting plasticity that we observed suggests that, from a reproductive standpoint, Bobwhites do not appear to be at risk from conservation strategies that include restoring fire, even at landscape scales.…”

“…By doing so, we gained valuable insight into how the interrelationship of behavior and landscape features allowed Bobwhites to utilize a wide array of TSF and vegetation characteristics in order to consistently and successfully nest (i.e., plasticity). The conservation implications of our observations are further elevated given that Bobwhites were exposed to fire treatments that were often larger than the home range of Bobwhites documented on our study area (Carroll et al 2017), and conducted just prior to the breeding and nesting seasons, respectively. Nevertheless, the nesting plasticity that we observed suggests that, from a reproductive standpoint, Bobwhites do not appear to be at risk FIG.…”

Generalist bird exhibits site‐dependent resource selection

“…It is worth noting that trap effort was not uniform across the study sites (Appendix 1 ) and trapping intensity tended to be higher along roads. Though some bobwhite individuals were tracked year‐round, to mitigate confounding factors (e.g., uneven seasonal sampling between sites) and improve inference confidence, we limited analysis to bird locations collected during the breeding season (April–September; e.g., Carroll et al., 2017 ; Carroll et al., 2017 ). To increase sample independence, duplicated locations were removed by (a) including only one bird per covey and (b) including only one point at a nest location.…”

Effects of pyric herbivory on prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus spp) habitat

“…Vegetation sampling at Tallgrass Prairie Preserve was performed under a verbal agreement. Herbaceous plants at the Packsaddle WMA included Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon gerardii, and Bouteloua curtipendula, among others [40]. Quercus havardii was the dominant woody plant, but some areas were comprised primarily of Artemisia filifolia [40].…”