Resource selection and movement by northern bobwhite broods varies with age and explains survival

Sinnott, Emily; Weegman, Mitch D.; Thompson, Thomas R.; Thompson, Frank R.

doi:10.1007/s00442-021-04893-z

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…This conclusion is supported by Sinnott et al. (2021) who detected lower bobwhite survival for broods that chose habitats with less shrub cover. Again, scale is important to note; these measurements were collected at the point scale (1 m 2 ).…”

Section: Conservation and Management Propositionssupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Our results demonstrate tangible land management recommendations for conservation of bobwhite. Bobwhite broods in our study and elsewhere (Cohen et al., 2020; Sinnott et al., 2021) make short daily movements (<150 m). We found that probability of use declined with decreasing proportion of burned upland but we underscore the context of spatial scale of our resource use analysis (3.46 ha).…”

Section: Conservation and Management Propositionssupporting

confidence: 55%

“…Implications of differential resource use, manifesting through various spatial and temporal hierarchical processes, are a common and growing theme in ecology (Johnson, 1980; Kennedy & Gray, 1993; Strickland & McDonald, 2006). There is an increasing recognition that resource use occurs in flux with phenology of exploited biotic resources, physiological development of the exploiting species, abiotic conditions, and many other spatially and temporally variable factors (Rettie & Messier, 2000; Sinnott et al., 2021; Tsalyuk et al., 2019; Van der Merwe & Marshal, 2012). Studies without context of temporal and spatial scales may give rise to vastly opposing interpretations of resource use (Hernández, 2020; Hobbs, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Temporal and scalar variations affect resource use of northern bobwhite broods

Kubečka

Terhune

Martin

2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Disparate resource use originating from phenology of biotic resources, abiotic conditions, and life cycles of exploiting organisms underscores the importance of research across time and space to guide management practices. Our goal was to evaluate resource use of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite) at two spatial scales and across three age classes, from hatching through a period of the postjuvenile molt. Our study was conducted at Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL, USA—situated in a landscape subjected to small scale (<20 ha) prescribed fires on a 2‐year fire rotation. We predicted prescribed fire, disking, and supplemental feeding would dictate resource use, but effects would depend on time since fire, brood age, and time of day. We predicted vegetation and temperature would govern roost use by broods, but these effects would also depend on age. We radio‐tracked 62 broods 21–35 times / week during May–October 2018 and 2019. Broods were less likely to use areas with large proportions of hardwood drains but favored sites with greater proportions of burned uplands, regardless of the time of day. Broods were less likely to use areas at greater distances from supplemental feed; this relationship had no interaction with age but was stronger later in the nesting season (>July 15). Broods were more likely to use areas with greater proportions of fallow fields during the day than for roosting. Broods used roosts with more woody cover and visual obscurity than at available sites. Roosts consisted of less grass and bare ground. However, these effects interacted with age; broods used sparser cover at older ages. Neonate broods were more likely to use cooler roosts with greater thermal stability, but this effect was reversed for juveniles. Broods may alter resource use with changes in vulnerabilities to threats such as thermal risks and predation.

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Section: Conservation and Management Propositionssupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Conservation and Management Propositionssupporting

confidence: 55%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Temporal and scalar variations affect resource use of northern bobwhite broods

Kubečka

Terhune

Martin

2021

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Although we did not detect differences among treatments, Seedbank Burned tended to have greater openness at ground level than planted units by the second year of treatment. Burning removes accumulated litter and further facilitates movement of bobwhites and their broods (Kamps et al 2017, Sinnott et al 2021). Gruchy and Harper (2014) and McCoy et al (2001) reported mowing increased litter depth and reduced openness at ground level when compared to disking or burning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation structure and food availability following disturbance in recently restored early successional plant communities

Powell

Buehler

Moorman

et al. 2022

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Fields dominated by nonnative grasses, such as tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), are being restored to native plant communities across the eastern U.S. Upon restoration, disturbance is necessary to maintain native communities in an early seral stage, and plant response to different management practices is of interest to managers to guide habitat enhancement for various wildlife species. We evaluated effects of burning and mowing following restoration of native plant communities via 2 methods (planting native grasses and forbs and seedbank response without planting), across 11 replicated sites in Tennessee and Alabama, 2019–2020. We compared vegetation composition and structure, openness at ground level, forage availability, and nutritional carrying capacity (NCC) following 4 treatments (Seedbank Burned, Seedbank Mowed, Planted Burned, Planted Mowed, and tall fescue Control), and we related these measurements to the food and cover requirements for 3 popular game species: white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), and northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). The combination of planting and mowing increased grass coverage, whereas units that were established via seedbank response and managed by burning had greater forb coverage. Visual obstruction above 25 cm was greater in all treatments than Control, which provided cover that has been described as selected nesting cover by wild turkey and bedding cover for deer. Openness at ground level, which is especially important for bobwhite and wild turkey broods, was 30% greater in Seedbank Burned than Planted Mowed where we recorded the least openness among treatments by the second year of treatment. Similarly, coverage of bobwhite food and deer forage plant species was greatest in Seedbank Burned. Biomass (kg/ha) of plant species known to be selected as forage by deer was greater in all treatments than in Control, and NCC (deer days/ha) was greatest in Seedbank Burned by year 2. Our results highlight differences in plant composition and structure following management of early successional communities. Where possible, we encourage managers to use fire instead of mowing to maintain plant communities, especially if food plants and enhanced structure at multiple levels for bobwhite, wild turkey, and deer are management objectives. Furthermore, our results illustrate planting native grasses and forbs is not necessary to restore native early successional plant communities on most sites.

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“…Shrubs can provide escape cover for bobwhites from predators (Brennan 1991, Williams et al 2000, Sandercock et al 2008, DeMaso et al 2014). Successful bobwhite broods in Missouri showed stronger selection for areas with greater shrub cover and distance to trees than broods that failed (Sinnott et al 2021). Additionally, bobwhites in Missouri selected sites closer to tree cover in fall and winter; however, survival was lower closer to tree cover, creating a potential ecological trap (Mosloff 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Northern bobwhite breeding season and nest survival are greater on native grasslands

Sinnott,

Thompson,

Hedges

et al. 2023

J Wildl Manag

Self Cite

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Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) are declining across their range. Population recovery requires a better understanding of the influence of management strategies and land cover on specific demographic components of full annual cycle population dynamics. We used known‐fate daily survival models to relate adult breeding season survival and nest survival to land cover composition, woody cover, and management actions on 5 study sites in southwest Missouri, USA. We collected 3,516 observations of daily nest survival from 364 bobwhite nests for 7,509 exposure days and 34,386 observations of adult survival from 955 bobwhites for 85,225 exposure days during breeding seasons in 2014–2018. The most supported model for nest and adult breeding season survival included environmental covariates for percent native grass and agricultural cover, distance to shrub, and distance to tree. Both nest and adult breeding season survival were positively related to distance to trees. Nest survival was negatively related to percent agricultural crop cover. Areal nest and adult breeding season survival were greater on native grassland sites compared to conservation areas that maintained small units of strip crop and wooded cover. Management to sustain or expand native grass cover and reduce tree cover should benefit bobwhite nest survival and adult breeding season survival in the landscapes we studied.

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Resource selection and movement by northern bobwhite broods varies with age and explains survival

Cited by 6 publications

References 56 publications

Temporal and scalar variations affect resource use of northern bobwhite broods

Temporal and scalar variations affect resource use of northern bobwhite broods

Vegetation structure and food availability following disturbance in recently restored early successional plant communities

Northern bobwhite breeding season and nest survival are greater on native grasslands

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