OutdoorNebraska

72 TABLE B15. PHEASANT & QUAIL HABITAT MANAGEMENT - ALEXANDRIA WMA Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Woodland Wetland Misc. Alexandria - 670 acres Future Desired Condi on 400 ac. (65%) 46 ac. (8%) 178 ac. (27%) 116 ac. 75 ac. 2 ac. 3.0 Current Condi on 406 ac. (69%) 46 ac. (8%) 136 ac. (23%) 138 ac. 75 ac. 2 ac. 3.0 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 amount of early successional forbs/legumes. Late Seral Stage: > 6 years following disturbance. Dominated by grass or later successional plants. Few forbs/legumes present. FUTURE DESIRED CONDITION Maintain the current 400 acres (65%) in grassland and second year idle crop ground func oning primarily as brood rearing cover which will also include nes ng cover, especially for quail. Brood rearing cover is defined as early seral stage vegeta on, especially forbs/legumes, crop ground, idle crop ground. The 46 acres (8%) in nes ng cover will be maintained around edges of na ve pastures, woodland and crop fields where edge feathering has been established. Nes ng cover will also include 16 acres of alfalfa/clover fields which will be rotated through the crop acres in the future. Nes ng cover is defined as mid seral stage grass and forb/legumes, as well as legumes and idle small grains. Increase the amount of cover primarily func oning as winter cover from 23% to 27% (increase of 42 acres- edge/feathering) totaling 178 acres over the en re area. Winter cover is provided by: late seral stage vegeta on such as warm season grasses, woodlands, shelterbelts, edge-feathering and wetlands. Winter food sources will be maintained at approximately 65 acres. Food sources include small grain food plots, agricultural row crops and sunflower plan ngs. Target 3-4 acres of standing milo for winter food. ANNUAL WORK PLAN A total of 55 acres of smooth brome and reed canary grass were sprayed in fall of 2015 and annual spraying of 14 acres of smooth brome and reed's canary grass will take place as these invaders encroach into the grasslands. This will be a maintenance ac vity. There is 11 acre grassland that will be disked in 2016 to ini ate early succession habitat. There will be a 75% (31 acres) reduc on in vegeta on control (spraying and disking combined). Prescribed fire will be maintained on a 5 year rota on to treat 660 acres. Grazing infrastructure has been in place for over a decade and will be maintained throughout the area on 425 acres. Grazing is currently on a 3 year rota on but will move to a 4 year rota on beginning in 2016 to graze a pasture for 2 yrs. and then rest for 2 years. Con nue to use burning in the grazing rota ons through the patch/burn system where applicable.

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