OutdoorNebraska

58 TABLE B8. PHEASANT HABITAT MANAGEMENT - SHERMAN RESERVOIR WMA Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Woodland Wetland Misc. Sherman Reservoir - 3,180 acres Future Desired Condi on 1390 (35%) 1590 (40%) 600 (17%) 315 (7%) 150 (3%) 5.0 Current Condi on 2200 (55%) 655 (16%) 650 (17%) 315 (7%) 150 (3%) 5.0 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. Maintain ra o of 35% brood rearing cover, 40% nes ng cover & 25% winter cover (grassland late seral, food plots & woodlands/brushy draws). FUTURE DESIRED CONDITION Increase the amount of grassland func oning primarily as nes ng cover from 16% to 40% (increase of 935 ac.). Nes ng cover defined as mid seral stage grasses/ forb/legumes, with adequate residual cover (12 inches more in height). Decrease the amount of grassland func oning primarily as brood rearing cover from 55% to 35% (reduc on of 810 acres). Brood rearing is cover defined as early seral stage vegeta on, diversity of na ve grasses, annuals, and especially forbs/legumes (introduced & na ve) and idle crop ground. Maintain the amount of cover primarily func oning as winter cover at 25% over the en re area. Winter cover is provided by: late seral stage vegeta on such as warm season grasses, woodlands/brushy draws, wetlands and food plots. Maintain winter food sources at 315 acres. Food sources include: agricultural row-crops (corn, soybeans), small grain food plots, food plots (milo) and annual weeds. ANNUAL WORK PLAN Since 2003 there has been an aggressive treatment on grasslands with a high component of smooth brome grass and Kentucky bluegrass. Habitat management techniques u lized include disking, disking and inter-seeding, prescribe fire, herbicide treatments, inter-seeding grasslands and grazing management. The increase of nes ng cover in mid seral grasslands will be accomplished by adding a year or two of rest within the current graze rota on reduc on of 100 acres annually and a reduc on of prescribed fire by 100 acres annually and reduc on of vegeta on control 100 acres annually. Within a three year me period the reduc on of acres of vegeta on control, fire and grazing will increase mid seral grasslands by 850 acres. Due to the aggressive nature of smooth brome encroachment in grasslands it is important to maintain an adequate vegeta ve disturbance program. Prescribed burning will con nue on a 5 year rota on to treat 1625 acres. This is a reduc on of 100 acres annually (decrease of 33%). Vegeta on Control - decrease of 100 acres annually, 33% decrease; decrease will be combina on of disking & spraying acres.

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