Symposium Wrap-Up: What is Missing?

The program committee requested that I provide a symposium wrap-up. Generally such presentations provide 1 individual the opportunity to summarize and integrate the information presented during the meeting. That overview is often helpful, if there are several concurrent sessions or if most of the attendees spend their time interacting in the hallways and, thus, miss some of the presentations. Also, the wrap-up speaker can congratulate the organizers of the meeting for a job well done. I intend to neither summarize the information presented nor thank the organizers for doing a good job. Neither of these is necessary, because you all attended the majority of presentations and can summarize and integrate the data in your own head; the fact that the sessions were so well attended attests to an extremely good job done by the organizing committee. So, rather than doing what is not necessary, I intend to discuss what was missing in this symposium, the problems that were not addressed in the papers, and the data gaps that must be filled if we are to successfully manage quail populations in North America. From my perspective, these fall into 6 categories

Body Fat Content of Bobwhites in Relation to Food Plantings in Kansas

A wildlife habitat improvement program was initiated on the Fort Riley Military Reservation in 1961 to increase winter food supplies for bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). As part of an ongoing evaluation of this program, 164 bobwhite quail were collected during the fall and winter of 1968-72 for fat analysis. Fat content in carcasses of birds collected \u3c600 m from a food plot was compared with fat content of birds collected \u3e900 m from a food plot. During winter months, birds collected near a food plot were significantly (P\u3c0.10 to P\u3c0.05) heavier than birds not having access to a food plot. Fat content of birds close to a food plot was likewise greater (P\u3c0.10 to P\u3c0.01) than fat content in birds not using food plots. Calculations indicate that birds close to food plots have sufficient energy reserves to provide a 79% greater protection against brief periods of food deprivation than birds far from a food plot. Fat energy reserves alone in a quail close to a food plot could provide sufficient energy for 2.0 days of survival whereas quail far from food plots contained fat energy reserves sufficient for only 1.1 days of survival. Reserve energy for animals is stored in the body mainly in the form of fatty acids. The quantity of stored reserve energy (fat) may be critical to the animal\u27s survival during periods of food scarcity or extremely cold weather. Much work has been done on fat content, composition, and regulation in songbirds (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 23, 24). Only recently has any attention been given to body fat reserves of wild gallinaceous birds under natural conditions. West and Meng (25) reported on the relationship of total fat and fatty acid composition to diet of willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) in Alaska while Moss and Lough (14) presented similar data for 3 species of grouse in Scotland. Almost no attention has been given to fat reserves of bobwhite quail even though it is known that fat reserves may be essential for bird survival during periods of dietary stress (15, 23 and others). The most recent book on bobwhite quail (22) does not even discuss the importance of maintaining adequate fat reserves in quail for winter survival and spring breeding. In fact, not until only very recently has any attention been focused on basic energetics of bobwhite quail (3). Earlier I included a small amount of body-fat data in an evaluation of food plantings for bobwhite quail in Kansas (18). The purpose of the study described herein was to gather more extensive data on body fat content in bobwhite quail, especially as related to seasonal changes and food plantings in Kansas

Influence of Food Plots on Nothern Bobwhite Movements, Habitat Use, and Home Range

Natural resource managers at the Fort Riley Military Reservation in Kansas have established plantings to provide winter food for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) since 1959. These food plots have the potential for reducing movements and home range sizes of bobwhites during winter because birds should apparently need to forage over less area to obtain sufficient food. To determine if this was occurring, we conducted a 3-year radio telemetry study of bobwhites on Fort Riley. We equipped 511 bobwhites with radio transmitters and followed their movements and habitat use from October through March, beginning in 1994. Daily movements of bobwhites near food plots varied by field season and study site, but generally did not differ significantly between food plot and non-food plot areas. Home ranges of bobwhites did not differ significantly between food plot and non-food plot areas, study site, or field season. Prairie habitat always was used significantly less than its proportional availability by bobwhites. Food plots were used significantly more than their proportional availability during 2 of 3 field seasons. Habitat use by bobwhites on the 2 study sites differed between food plot and non-food plot areas

Lesser Prairie-chicken Use of Harvested Corn Fields during Fall and Winter in Southwestern Kansas

The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has declined in numbers in Kansas primarily due to the conversion of sand sagebrush (Artemisia .filifolia) prairie to cropland. The lesser prairie-chicken in Finney County, Kansas exists primarily in large fragments of sand sagebrush prairie, and it forages during fall and winter on waste grain in harvested com (Zea mays) fields adjacent to prairie fragments. We used radio-telemetry to monitor lesser prairie chicken locations and found no significant relationship between numbers of bird locations and amounts of waste grain on the ground in harvested com fields. Even the harvested fields with the least amount of waste grain seemed to have sufficient amounts of food available for foraging lesser prairie-chicken. There appeared to be no need to develop supplemental food sources for wintering lesser prairie-chicken populations that have access to harvested fields of irrigated com in Finney County

Brood Break-up and Juvenile Dispersal of Lesser Prairie-chicken in Kansas

Natal dispersal is critical for genetic interchange between subpopulations of birds and little is known about the timing and extent of lesser prairiechicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) dispersal movements. We monitored movements of 51 transmitter-equipped female lesser prairie-chicken known to have hatched a nest. Average minimum daily brood movements differed (t = -2.94, df = 829, P \u3c 0.01) between the early (273 m; 0 to 14 days post-hatch) and late (312 m; 15 to 60 days post-hatch) brood rearing periods. We captured 71 juvenile lesser prairie-chicken from 10 broods at 3 to 11 days post-hatch and marked them with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. We subsequently captured 41 chicks from 20 different broods and fitted them with necklace-style transmitters. Transmitter- equipped brood hens and individual chicks were monitored daily and the average date of brood break-up was September 13 (85 to 128 days post-hatch). Both males and females exhibited bimodal dispersal movements in the fall and spring. Autumn dispersal movements peaked between late October and early November for both sexes. Spring dispersal movement of males peaked during late February. Female dispersal movements in the spring peaked in late March and were much more extensive than fall dispersal movements. Natal dispersal distance for all marked males averaged 1.4 km (SE= 0.2, n = 9). The approximate dispersal distances of three transmitter-equipped females ranged from 1.5 to 26.3 km. Because of greater dispersal distances, females will contribute more to genetic exchanges between fragmented subpopulations. To ensure genetic connectivity, we recommend that a distance of less than 10 km be maintained between lesser prairie-chicken subpopulations through protection or establishment of suitable habitat

Lesser prairie-chicken brood habitat in sand sagebrush: invertebrate biomass and vegetation

Invertebrates are an important food source for grouse chicks, especially within the first 2 weeks of life. Invertebrate abundance is highly patchy and dependent upon herbaceous cover and vegetation structure. We examined the relationship between invertebrate biomass (from sweepnet samples) and habitat structure at lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) brood-use and non-use areas during 2001 and 2002 in a sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) prairie vegetation community of southwestern Kansas. We delineated use and non-use areas from paired sampling points within and outside 95% utilization distributions of radiomarked brood females, respectively, during the first 60 days post-hatch. We measured vegetation cover and invertebrate biomass (Acrididae and "other" invertebrates) at 71 paired points on 2 study sites (Site 1=4 broods, Site 11 = 12 broods). Both Acrididae and other invertebrate biomasses were greater at brood areas than non-use areas on both study sites, suggesting this food source likely had a greater influence on brood habitat use than vegetation type. Vegetation structure described brood-use areas better than vegetation type because brood-use areas had greater visual obstruction readings (VORs) than non-use areas regardless of dominant cover type. We also examined the predictive relationship between vegetation type and invertebrate biomass. Sand sagebrush density was the best linear predictor of Acrididae biomass, with lower densities having the greatest Acrididae biomass. We propose experiments to determine best management practices that produce abundant invertebrate biomasses for lesser prairie-chicken brood habitat, using our study as a baseline.Keywords: invertebrate biomass, habitat use, sand sagebrush, Acrididae, Kansas, Artemisia filifolia, lesser prairie-chicken, Tympanuchus pallidicinctu

Age-specific variation in apparent survival rates of male lesser-prairie-chickens

We used mark-recapture methods to estimate age-specific apparent survival rates for male Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a gamebird of conservation concern. A total of 311 male prairie-chickens (135 yearlings, 176 adults) were captured and banded during a 5-year study in southwest Kansas. Time-since-marking models were used to estimate apparent survival after first capture (ϕ¹), apparent survival among returning birds (ϕ²⁺), and probability of capture (p) for yearling and adult prairie-chickens. Apparent survival is the product of true survival and site fidelity, and our model-averaged estimates of this parameter were ranked: yearlings after first capture (ϕ̂¹[subscript]yr = 0.60 ± 0.12) > adults after first capture (ϕ̂¹[subscript]ad = 0.44 ± 0.10) > returning birds (ϕ̂²⁺ = 0.36 ± 0.10). In contrast, movement data showed that site fidelity to communal display sites (or leks) increased with male age; yearlings returned to leks at lower rates (80%, n = 60) than adults (92%, n = 65). Thus, true survival rates of male Lesser Prairie-Chickens likely decline with increasing age, an unusual pattern found in few species of birds. We hypothesized that declines in survival as males' age may be a feature of promiscuous mating systems where competition for mating opportunities are intense. A review of annual survival rates for holarctic grouse did not support this idea; age-specific declines in male survival were not restricted to lek-mating species, and appear to be a general feature of most grouse populations.Keywords: age-specific demography, mark-recapture, grouse, Kansas, Tetraonidae, Tympanuchus pallidicinctu

Regional variation in mtDNA of the lesser prairie-chicken

Cumulative loss of habitat and long-term decline in the populations of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) have led to concerns for the species’ viability throughout its range in the southern Great Plains. For more efficient conservation past and present distributions of genetic variation need to be understood. We examined the distribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken across Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Throughout the range we found little genetic differentiation except for the population in New Mexico, which was significantly different from most other populations. We did, however, find significant isolation by distance at the rangewide scale (r = 0.698). We found no relationship between haplotype phylogeny and geography, and our analyses provide evidence for a post-glacial population expansion within the species that is consistent with the idea that speciation within Tympanuchus is recent. Conservation actions that increase the likelihood of genetically viable populations in the future should be evaluated for implementation.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by Cooper Ornithological Society and published by Central Ornithology Publication Office. It can be found at: http://www.aoucospubs.org/loi/condKeywords: prairie grouse, Tympanuchus pallidicinctus, genetic diversity, Lesser Prairie-Chicken, DNA, mitochondrial DNAKeywords: prairie grouse, Tympanuchus pallidicinctus, genetic diversity, Lesser Prairie-Chicken, DNA, mitochondrial DN

Expression of Msx1 and Dlx1 during Dumbo rat head development: Correlation with morphological features

The Dumbo rat possesses some characteristics that evoke several human syndromes, such as Treacher-Collins: shortness of the maxillary, zygomatic and mandibular bones, and low position of the ears. Knowing that many homeobox genes are candidates in craniofacial development, we investigated the involvement of the Msx1 and Dlx1 genes in the Dumbo phenotype with the aim of understanding their possible role in abnormal craniofacial morphogenesis and examining the possibility of using Dumbo rat as an experimental model for understanding abnormal craniofacial development. We studied the expression of these genes during craniofacial morphogenesis by RT-PCR method. We used Dumbo embryos at E12 and E14 and included the Wistar strain as a control. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated that Msx1 and Dlx1 are expressed differently between Dumbo and Wistar rats, indicating that their low expression may underly the Dumbo phenotype