597 research outputs found
PB 1769 A Guide to Successful Wildlife Food Plots Blending Science with Common Sense
Planting food plots is by far the most popular habitat management practice among landowners wanting to enhance wildlife habitat. NOTE: Hard copies of this publication are currently unavailable.
A newer version of this title is available: https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1874.pdf
PB1633 Improving Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Information on wildlife needs, management concepts, a discussion of which trees and shrubs to plant, benefits of landscaping for wildlife, how to provide shelter, and tips on attracting and feeding birds
Efficacy of a Preemergence Herbicide Following Postemergence Control to Reduce Sericea Lespedeza in Old Fields Managed for Northern Bobwhite
Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; hereafter, sericea) is a nonnative forb that commonly invades sites managed for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite). Sericea can reduce habitat quality for bobwhite as it outcompetes native plants that provide forage and cover. Bobwhite eat sericea seed, but seed are relatively indigestible and may limit nutrition intake and reduce the fecundity rate. Postemergence herbicides, including glyphosate, triclopyr, and fluroxypyr+triclopyr, control standing sericea, but do not provide preemergence control, which would increase long-term control because sericea annually produces large amounts of hard seed with high dormancy rates. Imazapic is labeled to provide preemergence control, but no study has evaluated preemergence applications of imazapic following postemergence herbicides to control sericea and promote native plants important for bobwhite. Additionally, data evaluating various rates of imazapic to control sericea are lacking. We currently are evaluating the efficacy of glyphosate and fluroxypyr+triclopyr, applied alone post-emergence and in conjunction with 3 preemergence rates of imazapic, to reduce coverage of sericea at 4 sites in Tennessee and Alabama, USA. We split each site into 8 treatment units and control and assigned the following treatments: glyphosate, fluroxypyr+triclopyr, glyphosate with 48, 96, and 144 ml/ha (4, 8, and 12 oz/acre) imazapic, and fluroxypyr+triclopyr with 48, 96, and 144 ml/ha imazapic. We applied 767 ml/ha (2 qt/acre) glyphosate and 192 ml/ha (16 oz/acre) fluroxypyr+triclopyr in August 2018 to control established sericea. We measured coverage of native forbs, native grasses, and sericea during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons to determine the efficacy of treatments on sericea and the native plant community. Both glyphosate and fluroxypyr+triclopyr reduced sericea coverage 1 and 2 growing seasons following treatment, but we documented no difference in reduction of sericea coverage between postemergence treatments. We will apply imazapic in March 2021 at 3 different rates to determine whether a preemergence application improves sericea control. Our results on the effectiveness of a preemergence application after postemergence applications should provide valuable information to managers trying to control sericea on lands managed for bobwhite
Methods for Controlling Woody Invasian into CRP Fields in Tennessee
Woody cover is an important component of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) habitat; however, some species such as red maple (Acer rubrum) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) grow aggressively and may become dominant on unmanaged areas. Six treatments with controls were implemented in a completely randomized design on a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) old-field planted to tall fescue (Lolium arundinarium) with extensive invasion by sweetgum, red maple, and other woody saplings to determine the most effective method for reducing coverage of woody plants. Treatments included dormant-season burning in March 2004, applications of triclopyr, imazapyr, and glyphosate in July 2004, mowing in August 2004, and growing-season burning in September 2004. Resulting vegetation structure and composition were measured in July 2005. Percentage woody cover was reduced by all treatments (13-50%) except mowing (65.8%, SE=7.0) compared to control (80.4%, SE=7.6). Imazapyr (13.3%, SE=2.6), growing-season burn (14.2%, SE=3.1), and triclopyr (15.8%, SE=3.5) were most effective at reducing woody cover. Percentage cover of desirable legumes (Chamaecrista spp., Desmodium spp., Lespedeza spp.) was greatest in growing-season burn (54.2%, SE=6.7), imazapyr (28.3%, SE=5.9), and dormant-season burn (24.5%, SE=5.2) treatments. Imazapyr increased coverage of blackberry (Rubus spp.), while triclopyr increased coverage of warm- and cool-season grasses. Our results suggest growing-season fire in September was best at reducing woody plants and enhancing habitat for northern bobwhites. Growing-season fire resulted in the greatest coverage of desirable legumes, reduced litter depth, and increased percent bare ground. If burning is not possible, applications of imazapyr or tryclopyr may be suitable alternatives
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Messaging, Marketing, and Identity: Content Analysis of Waterfowl Hunting Videos
Abstract
Media has been documented to significantly impact children and adolescents’ behavior, attitudes, cultural norms, identity development, and normative behaviors. We conducted a content analysis of three waterfowl hunting videos to determine what images and words were being conveyed to hunters, and a mail survey of Illinois waterfowl hunters to test how age may influence viewing of waterfowl hunting media. In particular, we hypothesized that: 1) age will influence whether hunters have watched waterfowl hunting media, and 2) age will influence how often hunters watch them. Overall, 82% of waterfowl hunters had watched waterfowl hunting media. Age influenced whether hunters, and how often hunters, had watched them; younger hunters were more likely to have watched the media and watched them significantly more often. Media watching also influenced hunters’ expectations, their identity as a waterfowl hunter, and their perception of the number of birds they harvest when compared to others. Results suggest that media influences waterfowl hunters’ expectations, identity, and behavior, all of which play an important role in how we will manage for waterfowl hunters in the future
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Causes and sources of water quality impairment in the Upper Chehalis River, Washington
Water quality problems have been identified in the Chehalis River in the vicinity of Centralia and Chehalis since the 1960's. In 1992, the Washington State Department of Ecology listed four Chehalis River segments, three segments of the Newaukum River, two segments of the Wynoochee River, and three other tributaries - Salzer, Dillenbaugh, and Wildcat Creeks - as Water Quality Limited. Of these twelve waterbody segments, seven either include, or are tributary to, the 9.4 mile stretch of the Chehalis River from Scammon Creek to the Newaukum River (River Mile LRMI 65.8 to RM 75.2), referred to as the Centralia reach. The Chehalis River displays the hydrologic characteristics typical of Western Washington rivers with minimal snowmelt input. Critical low flows occur in later summer, and high flows are almost exclusively associated with intense rainfall. Ambient water quality data show long-term and widespread problems from water quality impairment caused by low dissolved oxygen and high water temperatures during summer low flows, and elevated bacteria counts and turbidity during winter high flows. Since the passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act amendments of 1972, water pollution from point source discharges has decreased. This is true in the Chehalis River Basin, yet water quality in the Centralia reach remains badly impaired. Sources of persistent water quality impairment in the Centralia reach include "natural" conditions (the Centralia reach is deep, slow, and stratified); point sources discharges (waste water treatment plants. food-processing waste); storm water runoff from a variety of nonpoint sources; and poor quality water from the Chehalis River upstream and other tributaries of the Centralia reach. Water quality conditions in the Centralia reach resemble the nutrient-rich conditions of many eutrophic lakes in Western Washington, except that nitrogen rather than phosphorus limits algal growth. Data indicate that the Chehalis waste water treatment plant is probably the greatest contributing source of phosphorus loading to the Centralia reach
Measuring public perceptions of sex offenders: reimagining the Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders (CATSO) scale
The Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders (CATSO) scale is an 18-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure respondents’ attitudes toward sex offenders. Its original factor structure has been questioned by a number of previous studies, and so this paper sought to reimagine the scale as an outcome measure, as opposed to a scale of attitudes. A face validity analysis produced a provisional three-factor structure underlying the CATSO: ‘punitiveness,’ ‘stereotype endorsement,’ and ‘risk perception.’ A sample of 400 British members of the public completed a modified version of the CATSO, the Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders scale, the General Punitiveness Scale, and the Rational-Experiential Inventory. A three-factor structure of a 22-item modified CATSO was supported using half of the sample, with factors being labeled ‘sentencing and management,’ ‘stereotype endorsement,’ and ‘risk perception.’ Confirmatory factor analysis on data from the other half of the sample endorsed the three-factor structure; however, two items were removed in order to improve ratings of model fit. This new 20-item ‘Perceptions of Sex Offenders scale’ has practical utility beyond the measurement of attitudes, and suggestions for its future use are provided
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