OutdoorNebraska

62 TABLE B10. PHEASANT & QUAIL HABITAT MANAGEMENT - BASSWAY STRIP WMA Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Woodland Wetland Misc. Bassway Strip WMA - 884 ac. Future Desired Condi on 75 ac. (50%) 75 ac. (50%) 0 ac. (0%) 83 ac. 432 ac. 190 ac. 6 ac. Current Condi on 133 ac. (89%) 13 ac. (9%) 4 ac. (2%) 151 ac. 432 ac. 190 ac. 6 ac. DEFINITIONS Early Seral Stage: The disturbance year and 1 -3 years following disturbance, i.e. burning, grazing, spraying, disking, lling. Cover is also provided by second year idle crop ground, forb/legume interseeding. Dominated by early successional forbs/legumes. Mid Seral Stage: 4 - 6 years following disturbance. Not dominated by one vegeta on type. Reduced early successional forbs/legumes in stand. Late Seral Stage: > 6 years following disturbance. Dominated by grass or later successional plants. Few forbs/legumes are present. FUTURE DESIRED CONDITION Increase the amount of grassland func oning primarily as nes ng cover from 9% to 50% (increase of 62 acres). Nes ng cover defined as mid seral stage grass and forb/legumes, as well as legumes and idle small grains. Decrease the amount of grassland func oning primarily as brood rearing cover from 89% to 50% (decrease of 58 acres). Brood rearing is cover defined as early seral stage vegeta on, especially forbs/legumes, crop ground, idle crop ground. Reduce the amount of grassland primarily func oning as winter cover from 4% to 0% (decrease of 4 acres). Woodland vegeta on will be managed at 25% (108 acres) early seral stage, 50% (266 acres) mid seral stage, and 25% (108 acres) at late seral stage. Woodland vegeta on will add another 30% (108 ac.) of winter food sources across the en re area and will also add 254% (266 acres) of nes ng and winter cover. Winter cover for quail is provided by mid seral stage vegeta on and idle food plots. Food sources include early successional vegeta on, small grain food plots and to a lesser extent mid seral stage vegeta on. Total provided nes ng and brood rearing cover for bobwhite quail will be 341 acres and 191 acres, respec ully, encompasses 89% of the WMA. ANNUAL WORK PLAN Grasslands have been dominated by smooth brome grass in the past and all acres have recently been sprayed and/or disked within the last two years and converted to early successional habitat, which is why the percentage of early seral stage is currently high. Large cedar tree clearing projects have also recently taken place within the last 2 years and so the majority of woodland vegeta on is currently classified as early seral stage. Sprayed and/or disked grassland acres will be increased annually by 50% (10 acres) by using a 4-6 year rota on depending on how quickly smooth brome infesta on occurs as well as how fast the forb component in the grassland decreases. Prescribed burning will be increased annually by 116% (35 acres) by using a 4-5 year rota on to treat 150 acres of grassland and 175 acres of woodland acres. Woodland acres are con ngent on firebreak construc on and addi onal cedar tree removal projects. As always, burning is weather dependent and especially important on this WMA because of its proximity to Interstate 80.

• Cover