Introduction
One of the most important species of quail is the Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virgianus), which populations is currently in decline. The quail population is characterized with “boom or bust” population swings but short term variation does not represent long term trends. The long term trend indicates that the quail population has been declining since the 1950’s. (Stevens, 2013) The amount, quality and availability of food and nesting areas affect population levels. (Yarrow, 2009) The use of fire is an important and effective tool that can be utilized for the management and preservation of quail in the United States. With proper techniques and practices, fire can help preserve the habitat of the bobwhite which can help the population recover. Fire has been used as a land management tool for over hundreds of years going all the way back to the Native Americans. Unfortunately for the most of the 20th century any type of wildland fire has been quickly suppressed because of fear and lack of knowledge that fire destroys the landscape. It took the US government almost 60 years to realize the ecological importance and its importance as a land management tool.
Characteristics and Habitat
The northern bobwhite quail is moderately sized, 24 to 28 cm in length. They are a ground dwelling bird that is native to the United States and Mexico. The range of the bird is extended from the Great Lakes, Pennsylvania, Florida, through Nebraska, and extending into the westernmost of Texas. (Wooding, 2009) Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates and vegetation which is composed largely of seeds, small fruits, and green forage. Bobwhites breed from early May through September. Courting will start then and after initial mating has ta...
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Hackett, Ed.”The Northern Bobwhite Restoration Project.” Natural Resource Conservation Services, April. 2009. Web. 12 April. 2014
Stevens, Russell. “Where, Oh Where, Are the Quail?” Http://www.noble.org/ag/wildlife/wherequail. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc, n.d. Web. 12 April. 2014
“TPWD:Oak-Prairie Wildlife Management.” TPWD:Oak-Prairie Wildlife Management. N.p., n.d. Web 13 April 2014. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/habitats/oak_prarie/.
Wooding, John. “Northern Bobwhite North Carolina Wildlife Profiles.” Northern Bobwhite North Carolina Wildlife profiles. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commision, June 2009. Web. 13 April 2014.
Yarrow, Greg. “Extension Forestry & Natural Resources.” Bobwhite Quail Biology and Management: Extension: Clemson University: South Carolina. N.p., May 2009. Web. 13 April 2014.
The red-cockaded woodpecker, an inhabitant of mature pine forests and pine-grassland ecosystems from Maryland to eastern Texas, has had a troubled history within the last decade (Roise et al, 1990). Ten years ago, James documented a population decline in America’s largest remaining red-cockaded woodpecker population (1991). Of the 2,157 clusters, or living groups, contained in national forests, 693 of them were located in Florid...
Calyptorhynchus banksii, or red-tailed black-cockatoo, has coped with extreme variations in its environment. Much like the plant species of Australia, the red-tailed black-cockatoo has evolved physiological and anatomical adaptations that have allowed it to survive in changing surroundings. One of the most prevalent adaptations was that seen in the beak apparatus. Changes in the beak allowed the cockatoos to consume the newly evolved sources of food. The metabolic requirements of the cockatoos and the availability of food are also forces that have influenced the beak apparatus and the distribution of red-tailed black-cockatoos throughout Australia.
1. Alden, Peter, Rich Cech, and Gil Nelson. 1998. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. New York: Knopf.
The author provides information describing the deer population in parts of New Jersey; yet, he does not include any data regarding the population in the rest of the United States, nor does he include any sources of where this information was obtained. A reader may be more
States. National Park Service. (2014, May, 12). Nature & Science. National Parks Service. Retrieved May 19, 2014, from http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/index.htm
In the last decade, from the Rockies to New England and the Deep South, rural and suburban areas have been beset by white-tailed deer gnawing shrubbery and crops, spreading disease and causing hundreds of thousands of auto wrecks. But the deer problem has proved even more profound, biologists say. Fast-multiplying herds are altering the ecology of forests, stripping them of native vegetation and eliminating niches for other wildlife. ' 'I don 't want to paint deer as Eastern devils, ' ' said Dr. McShea, a wildlife biologist associated with the National Zoo in Washington, ' 'but this is indicative of what happens when an ecosystem is out of whack. ' ' The damage is worse than anyone expected, he and other scientists say. Higher deer densities have affected growth, survival, and reproduction of many plant species which have aesthetic, economic or ecological value. In some cases, many species of trees have also been shown to have reduced growth as a result of high deer density (Environmental Benefits of Hunting, 1). Deer prefer certain plant species over others and frequently feed on economically valuable tree species. For example, they prefer oak and sugar maple seedlings, as well as acorns, over less palatable species like American Beech and striped maple. Thus, less marketable species are more likely to survive to maturity,
Curtis, Paul D., and Kristi L. Sullivan. "White-Tailed Deer." Ccontario.org. Cornell University, 2001. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.
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8. Taylor, Dan. 1998. Audubon Society Inspired to Action by Bird Die -offs . 17 Jan. 1998 . E-mail . Available bkus@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
White-tail deer are very unique animals that live in many different climates and ecosystems. They rely on most of the natural resources in woodland and grassland environments. These different environments can be manipulated greatly by the use of fire. Since deer are very important in the people best interest economically with the sport of hunting generating billions of dollars a year in the U.S., it is up to the people to help maintain the environment in which they live. Performing prescribed burns can increase food and cover availability along with many other advantages.
Eastman, J. (1997).14-Crow and Jay Family (Corvidae). Birds of forest, yard, and thicket. (pp. 127- 145). Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole Books. Retrieved from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) [Accessed 3 March 2014]
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Policies regarding the handling of wildland fires continue to change and evolve as new information is learned each fire season. Attitudes have changed between complete wildland fire suppression to no suppression at all. We now seem to have reached a balance between the two schools of thought and fall somewhere in the middle.
"Wildland Fires of 2002 Summary." National Fire News. 11 Oct. 2002: 1 pg. Viewed 2 Nov. 2002 .<http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html>.
The study area consisted of Latah and Benewoh in Idaho, USA. The research used a total of 105 sites to collect data; ranking the areas from lowest to highest elevation. The methods implemented in this research consisted of wetland sampling, mail survey and habitat modelling. The combined results allowed for better insight for the conservation of these species. The first section of the experiment consist...