OutdoorNebraska

50 TABLE B4. PHEASANT HABITAT MANAGEMENT - ELK POINT BEND WMA Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Woodland Wetland Misc. Elk Point Bend WMA - 660 ac. Future Desired Condi on 70 ac. (20%) 200 ac. (60%) 70 ac. (20%) 150ac. 130 ac 0 ac. 40 ac Current Condi on 70 ac. (20%) 200 ac. (60%) 70 ac. (20%) 200 ac. 80 ac 0 ac. 40 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 the stand. Late Seral Stage: > 6 years following disturbance. Dominated by grass or later successional plants. Few forbs/legumes in the stand. FUTURE DESIRED CONDITION At this me Elk Point Bend WMA is func oning very well for grassland birds. Prior to Game Commission ownership a cropping history was present on over 90% of this property. This cropping history allowed managers to start with a blank slate. Few exo c species were present and desirable vegeta on quickly established. 340 acres of highly diverse grasslands have been established with annual weeds and perennial forbs well represented. What is unique about this tract is how heterogeneity has helped each acre meet the life needs of grassland birds. Approximately 60% of this habitat will be maintained in mid seral stage of succession and func on very well as both nes ng and brood rearing cover. The remaining 40% will fluctuate between early and late seral stage habitat as disturbances are incorporated. Early and Late seral stages work to accommodate nes ng, roos ng, and brood rearing requirements of grassland species. Food plots have been established and are included in the early succession rota on. This rota on should provide a large food source with the abundant annual weeds and high volume of small grains. It will also func on much like early seral stage grassland providing nes ng, brood rearing, and roos ng covers for grassland species. The Missouri River borders this property and maintains a high flow volume. In the last 15 years the river has already taken approximately 20 acres off of the east boundary. Allowing a co onwood riparian buffer to establish will help prevent further bank degrada on. An addi onal 50 acres of early succession habitat will be allowed to revert back to late seral stage to fully establish the riparian woodland corridor. The remaining 40 acres includes parking lots and sand bar habitat. This sand bar is periodically sprayed by the Corps of Engineers to prevent vegeta on from establishing and to provide nes ng habitat for interior least tern and piping plover. ANNUAL WORK PLAN Annual work plans will focus on maintaining the exis ng percentages. Smooth brome grass and exo c tree species will be the main focus for management ac ons as they are star ng to cause habitat degrada on. Fall vegeta on spraying with glyphosate will be ini ated as brome grass starts to encroach on grassland habitats. Two herbicide applica ons, one spring and one fall, are planned for 10 acres annually. A third pass may be scheduled in year 4 or 5 of this rota on. At this me disking will not be used in the grassland tract as diversity remains high and exo c

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