|
Northern Bobwhite Quail Initiative
Bobwhite and early-successional songbird
enthusiasts:
The Southeast Quail Study Group (SEQSG) Technical Committee, an arm of the
Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA), completed in
March 2002 the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI). The Initiative
is the first-ever landscape-scale habitat restoration and population recovery
plan for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) in the U.S. NBCI was developed
at the charge of the SEAFWA directors, in recognition of (1) the continuing
serious decline of bobwhite populations across most of the species, range, and
(2) the necessity for large-scale coordinated, collaborative action at the
regional level.
NBCI is not strictly a plan for the SEAFWA states, because some core portions of
the species, range that are addressed in the plan occur outside the SEAFWA
boundaries. Neither is NBCI yet a national plan, because it was commissioned
by the SEAFWA and has not been endorsed by the International Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies, nor by any of its other regional associations. It is a
hybrid that addresses most, but not all, of the species, present and recent
range in the U.S. The SEQSG anticipates endorsement of the NBCI by the
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) in 2002, after
which supplements will be prepared to address omitted areas and elevate the
Initiative to a national plan.
The plan focuses on population and habitat objectives needed to achieve the
overall goal of recovering bobwhite densities to 1980 levels on remaining
improvable portions of the landscape. The plan's building blocks are the Bird
Conservation Regions (BCRs) developed for and utilized by the North American
Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI). The plan consists of separate chapters for
each of 15 BCRs, with population and habitat objectives for each. Another
important foundation of NBCI is the land-use data collected and analyzed every
five years by the National Resources Inventory (NRI), a database of the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The intent of the BCR-based structure of the NBCI is to facilitate seamless
integration of bobwhite habitat restoration efforts with those for migratory
songbirds, and other wildlife that share the bobwhite's habitats. The SEQSG and
the SEAFWA directors anticipate mutual cooperation and collective action by
bobwhite and songbird advocates ultimately will result in more effective and
more substantial habitat restoration efforts for all early successional species.
The first update of NBCI is envisioned in about 2006, upon the public release of
the updated land-use data from the 2002 NRI. In the meantime, a shorter,
easier-to-read popularized version of the NBCI is being produced to facilitate
informational and educational efforts to promote the initiative. This popular
version is targeted to be available sometime in Spring 2002.
The northern bobwhite quail population has endured a
decline of more than 65% over the last 20 years throughout its range. The
decline varies from state to state. The projected continuation of this decline
necessitated a call for immediate and dramatic action. In response, the
directors of the state wildlife agencies from the member states of the
Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies requested preparation of
a plan for recovery of the northern bobwhite.
Biologists, managers and researchers of the Southeast
Quail Study Group Technical Committee prepared the Northern Bobwhite
Conservation Initiative (NBCI). It is designed to meet conservation and
management needs of the northern bobwhite and facilitate integration and
collaboration with other species management plans, such as Partners in Flight
and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The NBCI is based on the Bird
Conservation Regions (BCR) described in the North American Bird Conservation
Initiative.
Conditions that benefit quail benefit a suite of other
birds that have experienced population declines. Some quail habitat management
practices can benefit Bell's Vireo, Orchard Oriole, Painted Bunting, Loggerhead
Shrike, Sedge wren, Grasshopper Sparrow, Dickcissel and Henslow's Sparrow, etc.
NBCI GOAL: Restore
northern bobwhite populations range wide to an average density equivalent to
that which existed on improvable acres in 1980. This will necessitate impacting
habitat on about 7 per cent of 81.1 million acres of farm, forest, and rangeland
so as to increase the current quail population by 2.7 million coveys.
NBCI HABITAT OBJECTIVES:
Agricultural Lands
- Increase the amount and enhance the quality of nesting, broodrearing,
and roosting cover for bobwhites and other grassland wildlife on
agricultural lands, through the establishment and/or management of native
warm-season grasses, forbs and shrubs.
Forests -
Enhance grassland/forb habitat in pinelands and mixed pine-hardwood forests
by thinning, controlled burns, site preparation and forest regeneration in a
fashion that benefits bobwhites and other wildlife, and increase acreage
devoted to longleaf pine where it is ecologically feasible.
Grasslands -
Preserve and enhance the quality of grassland, pasture and range by
utilizing vegetation management practices and grazing regimes that favor the
retention and improvement of native plant communities beneficial to
bobwhites and other wildlife.
The NBCI apportions the responsibility for achieving
these objectives to the individual states within each BCR. It spells out
specific habitat goals by BCR and State. It is a step down design, allowing each
state to know exactly how many acres of various habitat types they need to
achieve the goals.
|
