OutdoorNebraska

68 TABLE B13. PHEASANT & QUAIL HABITAT MANAGEMENT - DOGWOOD WMA Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Woodland Wetland Misc. Dogwood WMA - 407 ac. Future Desired Condi on 50 ac. (50%) 50 ac. (50%) 0 ac. (0%) 55 ac. 270 ac. 30 ac. 2 ac. Current Condi on 35 ac. (49%) 27 ac. (38%) 9 ac. (13%) 37 ac. 326 ac. 30 ac. 2 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 Increase the amount of grassland by 41% (increase of 29 acres) by clearing trees from por ons of the woodland. Once grasslands are established, increase the amount of grasslands func oning primarily as nes ng cover by 43% (increase of 15 acres). Nes ng cover defined as mid seral stage grass and forb/legumes, as well as legumes and idle small grains. Increase the amount of grassland func oning primarily as brood rearing cover by 64% (increase of 41 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 13% to 0% (decrease of 9 acres). Woodland vegeta on will be managed at 25% (67.5 acres) early seral stage, 50% (135 acres) mid seral stage, and 25% (67.5 acres) at late seral stage. Woodland vegeta on will add another 67.5 acres of winter food sources across the en re area and will also add 135 ac. 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. 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 3 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 67% (20 acres) 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 40% (10 acres) by using a 4-5 year rota on to treat 100 acres of grassland and 75 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. Grazing will be increased annually by 100% (30 acres) by implemen ng a 4-5 year rota on throughout the area where

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