Agricultural News
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Awards Oklahoma State University with $2.7 for Bobwhite Quail Research
Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:06:39 CDT
There are several factors at play as to why Northern bobwhite quail populations have dwindled statewide, and Oklahoma State University is conducting research to get to the root of the problem.
"Loss and degradation of habitats have certainly played a significant role in thedecline of quail populations throughout their range as well as in Oklahoma," said Chip Leslie, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit leader. "The major problems are urbanization, large-scale agriculture and more recently, changes in landownership patterns."
To answer the question of where Oklahoma's bobwhites have gone, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has committed to a six-year, $2.7 million grant to fund OSU's research.
"Bobwhite quail have been declining in Oklahoma and both ODWC and the public are concerned about the loss," said Dwayne Elmore, OSU Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist. "The objective of this study is to determine how better to manage bobwhite."
Elmore and his team will be primarily focusing on how fire and grazing impact bobwhite quail. Several other factors will also be reviewed.
"It is generally thought that the decline in the population is primarily due to habitat change over the years, such as Eastern redcedar invasion and maturing of forests," said Sam Fuhlendorf, endowed professor of natural resource ecology and management. "They also fluctuate dramatically with weather variation. These are the two primary causes but other factors may be locally important too, such as hunting, disease and predation."
The research will be conducted at the Packsaddle and Beaver River wildlife management areas in northwestern Oklahoma. These areas represent the best remaining public lands containing quality quail habitat in the country.
"Because of so many pressures affecting quail on private lands, our public agencies want to make sure they are providing the best possible conditions for quail on public lands," said Tim O'Connell, NREM associate professor. "The objective is to learn more about several specific stressors that could be affecting quail populations in western Oklahoma to gain insight on how those stressors could be mitigated to ultimately provide insight on ways to augment quail populations statewide."
Researchers from NREM, as well as those from the department of entomology and plant pathology, including Michael Reiskind, Carmen Greenwood and Valerie O'Brien, are eager to get started. The research is slated to begin this fall and continue through summer 2017.
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