Due to an increase in flowering plants, insects have been shown to be more abundant for several years following applications for much of the entire growing season. Average seed weight in legumes has been documented, as well as an increase in the protein content of seeds. An increase in forbs, legumes and rubus species occurred. In areas dominated by mature longleaf and loblolly pine where low-quality hardwood brush has been controlled by imazapyr followed by a prescribed burn, native quail populations have increased up to ten-fold in the last six years. Other plant species that recolonize treated sites can include ragweed, goldenrod, pokeweed, fireweed, milkweed, panicum grasses, and other early pioneer successional species. It is especially well suited for bobwhite quail habitat management as legumes (lespedeza, partridge pea, beggarweeds, etc.) and rubus species (blackberry and dewberry) are tolerant and recolonize areas after treatment, as they are released. Uses include site preparation, herbaceous weed control, conifer release, mid- and late-rotation release, improving forest aesthetics, and wildlife habitat enhancement. Imazapyr, one of the imidazolinone herbicides, was introduced to forest managers in 1986 and has become the dominant herbicide used for silvicultural applications in the South.
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The five cultural treatments listed in priority with respect to impact are imazapyr (Arsenal®) for non-native plant eradication and low-quality hardwood brush control, imazapic (Plateau®) for native warm season grass enhancement, hydramethylnon (Amdro®) for fire ant control, rotational strip discing, and rotational prescribed burning. The native quail population increased form 18 coveys to 235 coveys in three covey seasons, an increase of over 13-fold, and finally stabilized at 185 coveys. Habitat changes seem to account for the majority of the declines.Īt the Black Prairie Research Area of west central Mississippi, the utilization of five cultural treatments has led to a dramatic increase in native wild quail populations. Reasons for the decline are many and include this prioritized list in order of impact agricultural grain crop/marginal cropland conversion to fescue, low-quality hardwood understory invasion in forestland, non-native plant species displacement of native plant communities, mortality induced by fire ants, inappropriate use of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments, and predation. In Alabama, the decline almost doubled, from an average of 3.6% annually to 6.3% annually. The annual decline across the United States averaged 2.4% from 1966 to 1995 with an increase in the average decline to 3.0% for the years 1980 to 1995.
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The decline accelerated from 1980 to 1995, with average annual declines of 4.4%, 6.3%, 4.6% and 4.7% for those states, respectively. From 1966 to 1995, quail populations in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida declined annually by 3.5%, 3.7%, 3.9% and 2.7%, respectively. Thomas | Certified Wildlife Biologist/Foresterĭuring the last 45 years, northern bobwhite quail populations in the Southern United States have plummeted.