OutdoorNebraska

74 TABLE B16. PHEASANT & QUAIL HABITAT MANAGEMENT - ALEXANDRIA SW Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Wood- land Wetland - Big Sandy Creek Misc. Alexandria SW- 535 acres Future Desired Condi on 371 ac. (54%) 82 ac. (12%) 234 ac. (34%) 88 ac. 191 ac. 26 ac. 0.0 Current Condi on 382 ac. (57%) 73 ac. (11%) 224 ac. (32%) 114 ac. 191 ac. 26 ac. 0.0 DEFINITIONS Early Seral Stage: The disturbance year and 1 -3 years following disturbance, i.e. burning, grazing, spraying, disking, lling. This 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 approximately 371 acres (54%) 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 is cover defined as early seral stage vegeta on, especially forbs/legumes, crop ground, idle crop ground. There will be an increase from 73 acres (11%) to 82 acres (12%) that will be maintained as nes ng cover around edges of na ve pastures, woodland and crop fields where edge feathering has been established. It will also include 19 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 32% to 34% (increase of 10 acres- edge/feathering) 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 (did not include creek as winter cover). Winter food sources will be maintained at approximately 52 acres which is 10% of the area. Food sources include small grain food plots, agricultural row crops and sunflower plan ngs. Annually provide 3-5 acres of standing milo for winter food. ANNUAL WORK PLAN Approximately 36 acres of smooth brome and reed canary grass were sprayed in fall of 2015 and will annually treat approximately 13 acres, a reduc on of 63%, as the smooth brome grass and reeds canary grass encroaches into the grasslands. This will be a maintenance ac vity. There are 27 acres of grassland that will be disked in 2016 to ini ate early succession habitat. Prescribed fire will be on a 5 year rota on to treat 339 acres. Grazing infrastructure has been in place for over a decade and will con nue to be maintained throughout the area on 260 acres. Currently a 3 year rota on is being used but will transi on to a 4 year rota on beginning in 2016 where paddocks will be grazed for 2 years and then rest for 2 years. This system will con nue to use burning in our grazing rota ons through the patch/burn system when possible.

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