Journal of Wildlife Management最新文献

{"title":"Habitat characteristics along spring migration routes of elk, mule deer, and pronghorn in the southern San Juan Mountains","authors":"Joanna R. Ennis,&nbsp;Nicole M. Tatman,&nbsp;Steven E. Sesnie,&nbsp;James W. Cain III","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70248","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Conservation of migratory ungulate populations requires collaborative, large-scale planning efforts that identify critical spatial components, habitat conditions, and resources necessary to support migratory populations. Yet our understanding of large herbivore migration ecology is limited for the southwestern United States, particularly in New Mexico. We assessed habitat characteristics within population-level spring migration routes, stopover sites, and available reference locations for adult female elk (<i>Cervus canadensis</i>), mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>), and pronghorn (<i>Antilocapra americana</i>) from migratory herds in the southern San Juan Mountains in 2021–2022. Spring stopover sites for elk were characterized by taller browse and tree canopy heights compared to their migratory routes. Additionally, elk migration route habitats had minimal coarse woody debris and open understory compared to available reference locations. Although elk migration routes experienced a 48.5% higher overall extent of vegetation green-up during spring migration periods (i.e., cumulative sum of the instantaneous rate of green-up values) relative to available reference locations, the overall low values across site types suggest green-up was low to moderate. Mule deer spring stopover sites were characterized by relatively flat terrain compared to their migration routes, which were located on ridgelines with sparse grass cover and were closer to agricultural areas compared to available reference locations. Relative to spring migration routes, stopover sites of pronghorn were defined by lower tree canopy heights and tree canopy cover, reduced cover and height of browse, lower understory cover, and more heterogeneous understory vegetation. In contrast to available reference locations, pronghorn migration routes had 70% lower instantaneous rate of green-up values during the spring migration period and were located farther from mixed conifer forests. Additionally, aspen (<i>Populus tremuloides</i>) forests were found within pronghorn migration routes and stopover locations, although distances to aspen did not differ among site types. Our results can aid in directing habitat enhancement efforts toward migratory routes and stopover sites, facilitating the prioritization of management actions in areas with limited financial resources and competing land uses.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70248","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seabird population responses after the removal of an introduced predator","authors":"Samuel B. Stark,&nbsp;Daniel D. Roby,&nbsp;David B. Irons,&nbsp;Robert S. A. Kaler,&nbsp;Erik E. Osnas","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70242","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Removal of introduced predators is an effective tool for restoration of island-nesting birds; however, the effects of predator removal on target species recovery remain understudied. Pigeon guillemots (<i>Cepphus columba</i>), a crevice-nesting seabird in the family Alcidae, declined by 95% from 1979 to 2008 at the Naked Island Archipelago (NIA) in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA, following the introduction of American mink (<i>Neogale vison</i>) and the 1989 <i>Exxon Valdez</i> oil spill. Following the initiation of mink removal from guillemot nesting areas in 2014, we studied guillemot breeding biology at the NIA from 2014 to 2023. By 2023 guillemot numbers detected on shoreline transects at the NIA had increased by 3.3 times. The number of active guillemot nests at the NIA increased by 4.7 times in the first 5 years following the initiation of mink removal. During 2014–2023, the numbers of guillemots at other nearby islands where mink were absent decreased 17% and the guillemot population trend throughout Prince William Sound was approximately stable. Following mink removal, we also observed an increase in the proportion of active guillemot nests in substrates accessible to mink and an increase in survival rates of nestling guillemots at the NIA. The immediate recruitment of guillemots to the NIA after the initiation of mink removal suggests that immigration occurred from nearby mink-free islands. Our results indicate that the removal of mink from guillemot nesting areas at the NIA was effective in initiating the rapid recovery of a declining local breeding population of guillemots that was formerly the largest in the region. Our findings may be applicable to other insular bird populations subjected to predation from invasive species.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70242","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variation in forage quantity and quality among plant communities on summer ranges of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep","authors":"Kristin Denryter,&nbsp;Thomas R. Stephenson,&nbsp;Kevin L. Monteith","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70256","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70256","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nutritional resources during summer are important for supporting fat accretion, growth, survival, and reproduction and generally set upper limits on population productivity. We aimed to quantify the nutritional resources in plant communities available to endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis sierrae</i>; hereafter Sierra bighorn) during summer and evaluate whether forage quantity (biomass) and forage quality (digestible energy [DE], crude protein [CP]) were adequate to meet nutritional requirements of Sierra bighorn in California, USA. From June through August 2017–2018, we sampled forage biomass in 5 plant communities (barren, dry shrub, herbaceous dry, herbaceous wet, and wet shrub) available to Sierra bighorn using double-sampling techniques, and assayed 2018 forage samples for DE and CP content. We related DE and CP content within plant communities to nutritional requirements of lactating Sierra bighorn. All 5 plant communities sampled provided adequate CP to meet nutritional requirements for lactation, whereas only 4 of 5 plant communities provided adequate forage biomass and only 2 of 5 plant communities provided adequate DE. Wet shrub plant communities provided the greatest forage biomass and high levels of CP and DE for Sierra bighorn during summer, and barren communities provided the least forage biomass. Combined forage biomass and forage quality data suggested nutritional value was greatest in wet shrub communities, followed by herbaceous wet, dry shrub, herbaceous dry, and barren. Our findings indicate that DE and, to a lesser extent, forage biomass during summer set an upper limit for population productivity of Sierra bighorn, but CP did not. Understanding the nutritional value of plant communities available to Sierra bighorn during summer can help inform recovery efforts, including translocations, and provide a biological basis for recovery goals relative to nutrition.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping landowners' willingness to allow recreational deer harvest on their property for managing chronic wasting disease","authors":"Eric C. Palm,&nbsp;Matthew A. Williamson,&nbsp;Nathan P. Snow,&nbsp;Sonja Christensen","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70254","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70254","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Effective wildlife management balances ecological benefits and sociopolitical costs. Predicting spatial variation in stakeholder values and attitudes can help identify where certain management actions best align with local preferences and values. Private landowners can facilitate or impede landscape-scale management goals by controlling access to their property. Strategic implementation of management actions informed by data on landowner preferences has the potential to improve outcomes. We used a multi-step approach to map the probability of landowner willingness to allow recreational harvest on their property to reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disease in wild and captive cervid populations. First, we used multilevel Bayesian logistic regression to model landowner willingness to allow recreational deer harvest on their property using data from an attitudinal survey administered in Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming, USA, from August 2023 to March 2024. We found that landowners with larger properties were more likely to allow recreational harvest on their land, as were younger and wealthier landowners and those whose properties were predominantly wetland. We suggest that managers target areas with large properties to increase the effectiveness of recreational deer harvest to mitigate CWD transmission. Next, we used poststratification to generate spatial predictions from the fitted model at the census tract level across the contiguous United States by combining demographic data from the United States Census Bureau, tax parcel polygons from state and county repositories, and land cover data. Our modeling framework combined datasets from different spatial extents and resolutions to highlight geographic variation in predicted landowner responses, including estimates of uncertainty, from an attitudinal survey. This approach can be applied to many social-ecological challenges and provides decision-makers with a valuable tool for identifying areas where efforts to involve stakeholders in management programs might be more successful than efforts using a less strategic approach for public engagement.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70254","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential conservation consequences of public misidentification of wildlife in an urban residential community","authors":"Masumi Hisano","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70261","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Opportunities to observe local wildlife can foster well‑being, ecological literacy, and pro‑conservation attitudes. Correct species identification is critical to achieving these outcomes. I documented a case of cross‑family misidentification in an urban residential area of Uji City, Kyoto, Japan, based on a photograph shared through a community circular. A native, endemic Japanese badger (<i>Meles anakuma</i>) was misidentified as a native raccoon dog (<i>Nyctereutes procyonoides</i>). The circular further included information on the non‑native raccoon (<i>Procyon lotor</i>), compounding confusion. This error misdirected residents' perceptions and recommended actions, producing a false negative for Japanese badger presence in local knowledge. Even a single well-communicated misidentification can influence biodiversity records, legal framing, and conservation messaging. Addressing such errors offers an opportunity to improve public recognition of regionally important species and strengthen human–wildlife relationships in urban landscapes.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of age class on the survivorship and spatial movement patterns of headstarted Texas horned lizards soft-released into an urban population","authors":"Forrest P. Nielsen,&nbsp;Raymond W. Moody,&nbsp;Rebecca J. Snyder,&nbsp;Cameron R. Forehand,&nbsp;Katharine A. Marske,&nbsp;Hayley Lanier,&nbsp;Jessa L. Watters,&nbsp;Cameron D. Siler","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70244","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Texas horned lizards (<i>Phrynosoma cornutum</i>) have experienced population declines and localized extirpations throughout their historical range, largely due to anthropogenic habitat loss. Consequently, there is broad interest in reinforcing persisting natural and urban populations and reintroducing the species into previously occupied environments. To this end, headstart programs have been established that temporarily rear young wild-sourced or captive-bred hatchlings in captivity before their release into the wild. To understand the effect of age on short-term reintroduction objectives, we implemented a 2-year radio-telemetry study (April 2023–October 2024) on an urban wildlife reserve at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, USA. We compared the spatial movement patterns and survivorship of 2 soft-released cohorts of headstarted lizards, raised either to juvenile or adult age, to resident lizards of the corresponding age class. The headstarted adult cohort (<i>n</i> = 16) exhibited lower daily movement distances, smaller home ranges, and lower survivorship compared to resident adults (<i>n</i> = 19). However, despite these differences, the majority of headstarted adults survived approximately 3 months before a mass predation event, and the 4 surviving adults successfully underwent and survived brumation. In contrast, we did not observe significant differences in spatial movement metrics between the headstarted juvenile cohort (<i>n</i> = 8) and the resident juveniles (<i>n</i> = 9). Although we did not detect a difference in survivorship between the headstarted and resident juveniles, the statistical power of our survival analysis was limited by small sample size. Nearly all recorded mortality was attributed to predation; notably, nearly a third involved unusual decapitations. Our findings highlight the necessity of post-release monitoring and suggest that headstarting Texas horned lizards to juvenile age before reintroduction may serve as a worthwhile supplement to the current method of releasing headstarted hatchlings before brumation. For threatened urban populations, future reintroduction efforts should be coupled with predator management strategies to mitigate mortality risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70244","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of off-highway vehicle activity on Arizona wildlife: a systematic literature review","authors":"Hayden K. Hutcherson,&nbsp;Cassidy A. Klovanish,&nbsp;Samuel D. Lisak,&nbsp;Esther S. Rubin,&nbsp;Reilly T. Jackson","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70252","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation has dramatically increased in Arizona, USA, prompting concerns about potential effects on wildlife across the state. Wildlife professionals in Arizona face unique challenges in managing a diversity of wildlife species that may respond differently to OHV presence. As such, we conducted a systematic literature review to synthesize existing research on the effects of OHV activity on native Arizona wildlife. Our review included 46 publications that focused on OHV effects on 83 species native to Arizona, ranging across birds (<i>n</i> = 51 species), mammals (<i>n</i> = 18 species), reptiles (<i>n</i> = 13 species), and amphibians (<i>n</i> = 1 species). Over 30% of study species were considered species of greatest conservation need in Arizona (<i>n</i> = 26 species). Included publications primarily focused on indirect effects on wildlife (<i>n</i> = 44 publications), such as altered habitat use or movement, with fewer publications focused on direct effects (i.e., OHV-induced mortality; <i>n</i> = 4 publications). Reported effects of OHVs on wildlife abundance and density were the most numerous across included publications (<i>n</i> = 169 reported effects). Existing literature indicated that off-highway vehicles predominantly negatively affected native Arizona amphibians, mammals, and reptiles, while effects of OHVs on birds were mostly unknown or neutral. Publications focused on a small percentage of species in the state, and we documented an overall scarcity of studies conducted on many of Arizona's wildlife taxa. We summarized best management practices identified in the literature (e.g., regulations on 4 primary characteristics of OHV activity, increased communication and enforcement of existing OHV regulations) and discussed key remaining knowledge gaps. Our findings provide an evidence-based foundation to guide future research and inform wildlife and land management decisions regarding OHV recreation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70252","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Annual survival and resource selection of juvenile male wild turkeys in central Tennessee","authors":"Christian R. Smith,&nbsp;Craig A. Harper,&nbsp;Lindsey M. Phillips,&nbsp;Joseph O. Quehl,&nbsp;Vincent M. Johnson,&nbsp;James A. Fordyce,&nbsp;David A. Buehler","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70255","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Documenting juvenile male wild turkey (<i>Meleagris gallopavo</i>) resource selection, survival, and harvest is important to better manage this life stage, which is the direct source for harvestable adult male wild turkeys. To better understand the relationship between resource selection and survival and how harvest impacts survival rates, we trapped and attached backpack very high frequency (VHF) radio transmitters to juvenile males (<i>n</i> = 136) in 5 counties of south-central Tennessee, 2017–2021. We modeled resource selection using case-controlled conditional logistic regression and fit known-fate survival models to estimate annual survival. We calculated landscape metrics and land cover proportions associated with each turkey's home range using the National Land Cover Database to determine if landscape characteristics were related to resource selection and annual survival. We also analyzed state-reported hunter harvest data using a generalized linear model to determine if changing harvest regulations affected harvest of juvenile males during the spring hunting season. Juvenile male wild turkeys selected smaller row crop fields, less mature forest interior (≥120 m from patch edge), and lower proportions of developed land and young forest. Mean annual survival was 0.73 (95% CI = 0.65–0.81) with a harvest rate of 0.03 (95% CI = 0.01–0.09). Survival increased as hay and pasture interior increased in the home range, but this positive effect was reduced as the interspersion of young forest increased. Survival decreased as the interspersion of developed land increased in the home range, but this negative effect was reduced as the percentage of deciduous forest increased. The proportion of juvenile males in the spring harvest decreased from 14.1% to 13.7% to 8.9% as the male bag limit decreased from 4 to 3 to 2. Our results suggest that young forest, which represents dense woody cover, may reduce survival as a result of increased cover and ambush opportunities for wild turkey predators, whereas increased proportions of cover types that provide enhanced visibility and food resources benefit juvenile male wild turkey survival. Given a relatively robust survival rate, regulatory restrictions on the harvest of juvenile male turkeys could increase the adult male population and likely increase turkey hunter satisfaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70255","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Farmers versus wolves: how geographic, social cognitive, and experiential factors influence attitudes towards a predator in Italy","authors":"Gianluca Damiani,&nbsp;Sarah Droghei,&nbsp;Riccardo Mattea,&nbsp;Andrea Gallizia,&nbsp;Giovanna Jona Lasinio","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70250","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As the Italian wolf (<i>Canis lupus italicus</i>) population has increased in recent years, so have conflicts with human activities. Although wolves feed mainly on wild ungulates in Italy, predation on livestock is also well-documented. Despite efforts to minimize depredation events, wolf predation on livestock seems to be increasing and many farmers express negative attitudes towards wolves. We hypothesize that the management of livestock causes conflicts between farmers and wolves, and that years of cohabitation with this species plays a major role in this conflict. To better understand the relationship between wolves and humans throughout Italy, we interviewed 426 farmers in 2023-2024 using anonymous questionnaires and analyzed their attitudes towards wolves, exploring potential correlates such as geographic and demographic information, knowledge and beliefs about wolves, and personal experience with livestock and wolves. Our results highlight differences in attitudes towards wolves based on 1) geographic areas (farmers in northern Italy have more negative attitudes compared to central and southern Italy), 2) level of knowledge and beliefs about wolves (farmers with less knowledge of wolves expressed more negative attitudes; more years of cohabitation with wolves correlate with positive attitudes), and 3) prevention methods or personal experience with wolves (use of guard dogs and electric fences was related to positive attitudes). Despite the limited sample size, this study represents one of the first attempts to collect data on farmers' perceptions of wolves across Italy. Our findings underscore both the need for further representative investigations focused on controversial carnivore species and the importance of tailoring wildlife management strategies to diverse social and geographical contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70250","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Northern bobwhites select for native grasses on working grazing land","authors":"Douglas B. Mitchell,&nbsp;Patrick D. Keyser,&nbsp;Joseph D. Clark,&nbsp;David A. Buehler,&nbsp;James A. Martin,&nbsp;Cody M. Rhoden,&nbsp;Bridgett Costanzo","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70253","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Northern bobwhite (<i>Colinus virginianus</i>; bobwhite) populations have experienced an 85% decline across most of its range since the 1960s. The most drastic decreases have been in the southeastern United States where biologists attribute the decline to widespread habitat loss, including conversion of native grasslands to tall fescue (<i>Lolium arundinaceum</i>) and other exotic cool-season grass (CSG) pasture and hayfields. Including agricultural lands in conservation programs could improve habitat conditions on a regional scale. One working-lands conservation strategy involves the use of native warm-season grasses (NWSGs) rather than cool-season exotic grasses as economically viable cattle forage. To evaluate this management practice for creating bobwhite habitat, we conducted a field study on a bobwhite population in eastern Kentucky, USA, where grazed NWSG and burned NWSG fields were adjacent to exotic grazed and exotic hayed CSG fields. Between April 2019 and October 2022, we used radio telemetry to track bobwhites to evaluate resource selection at second- and third-order scales. Bobwhites used traditionally managed CSGs less than would be expected by chance at the second-order scale in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Bobwhite use of grazed NWSG and burned NWSG was greater than would be expected by chance at the second-order scale in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Similarly, at the third-order scale, bobwhites used CSGs less than would be expected by chance, whereas NWSGs and woody stems were used more than by chance alone. Our study suggests that bobwhites select NWSGs at multiple spatial scales despite broad-scale availability of managed exotic CSGs. Under a working-lands framework, the integration of NWSGs into working lands could create bobwhite habitat in the southeastern United States, especially if woody stems are present.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70253","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148816560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}