Quail Forever: Creating Habitat
Managing Weeds In A Grassland Habitat Project
Vibrant and beautiful grassland habitats are a sight to behold. Switch grass and big blue stem waving in the wind, and butterflies drawing nectar from New England aster and leadplant make for an aesthetic and enjoyable landscape. Like all meaningful projects, your prairie grassland will need some TLC to get started. Particularly, it requires weed control.
Weed control techniques vary according to regional and local habitat conditions. Local habitat professionals will have the inside scoop on best practices. Pheasants Forever has established Habitat Teams in many states and regions, while state or area natural resources agencies can also help.
A rugged midsize tractor and 3-point hitch mounted mower effectively manages weeds in any grassland habitat project.
"Weed control the first few years gives the native grasses a competitive advantage," explained Dave Courtad, of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Courtad, a farmer, hunter and conservationist, transformed 95 acres of his 200-acre farm into native grassland habitat. "It's important to knock down the weeds until the prairie takes over."
Fortunately, habitat professionals have honed weed control techniques and developed affordable equipment that is readily available to all landowners.
Mowing
The most common piece of equipment for weed control is a mower. Three kinds of mowers work well: A mid-mount, or "belly" rotary mower; a three-point hitch mounted rotary mower; and a flail mower.
Mid-mount mowers offer excellent maneuverability and are suitable for mowing smaller stands of weeds. Mowers mounted on the three-point hitch of midsize tractors such as New Holland's Boomer or TN series (www.newholland.com/na) offer adjustable height mechanisms that allow for flexibility.
Flail mowers offer the added benefit of mulching vegetation matter. In addition, they can be offset to extend beyond one side of the tractor, allowing for weed control along edges and among young trees and shrubs.
Because cool season weeds grow faster than warm season natives, mowing weeds when they reach 18 to 20 inches in height can stunt their growth and prevent reproduction. Most importantly, this allows sunlight and moisture to reach slower growing native plants giving them a competitive advantage.
"I can mow any time of the year with an adjustable height mower on my tractor's three-point hitch and PTO," said Courtad. "I react to need: I walk the land and monitor the stand, and then can respond to what's going on right away."
After a few years of mowing, native plants will crowd out the weeds, and a different management technique known as controlled burning can begin. (Controlled burning will be discussed in part 3 of this series.)
Chemical Sprays
Weeds can also be controlled with herbicides. Herbicides are categorized for selective and non-selective management. You can selectively manage broadleaf plants, such as thistle and ragweed; or selectively manage grasses, such as quack grass and foxtail. In non-selective management, all plants are killed. Environmental and personal safety should be discussed with a habitat professional whichever herbicide is utilized.
Herbicides are typically applied using a spray system. Spray systems for small stands of weeds, up to half an acre, can be hand held or backpack mounted. These are reasonably priced and widely available.
For stands up to two acres, you can mount a small reservoir, under 50 gallons, on a midsize or larger tractor and plug the electric pump into the tractor's AC outlet. A boom system is installed below the tank and is a nifty way to quickly treat the acreage. A 16-foot boom sprayer covers one acre in about 15 minutes. These systems are available through implement dealerships and farm supply stores.
For more than 20 acres, local agricultural COOPS can provide assistance.
"I use some herbicide to kill thistle and foxtail, which are really aggressive," said Courtad. "Where mowing will set back the weeds, herbicides will take them out. There is a lot of value in herbicides, but I'm hesitant to use too much for environmental reasons."
Managing weeds in your wildlife habitat helps minimize competition and provides opportunities for a diversity of plant species to mature. Where healthy and diverse habitat thrives, wildlife soon follows.
This article courtesy of Living the Country Life
Recent Habitat News
Paulson Named PF/QF Regional Wildlife Biologist in Washington and Oregon
May 12, 2008
Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever announce that Kraig Paulson of Crane, Montana, has been named the organization's new regional wildlife biologist in Washington State and Oregon. Paulson assumes the position after spending two years as a Pheasants Forever habitat specialist in Montana.
Paulson's primary duties with Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) include starting and servicing chapters, raising and expending mission funds and building partnerships that expand habitat conservation efforts on behalf of all PF/QF chapters.
...moreQF and PF Launch Build a Wildlife Area Campaign in Illinois
May 12, 2008
Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) recently announced the launch of the first annual Illinois Build a Wildlife Area campaign. Through the campaign, PF/QF and its partners will raise funds to be used for the acquisition of public game production areas in Illinois. All funds raised through the campaign will be tripled by matching grants.
"Illinois is a state where 95 percent of land is in private ownership, so we're excited to be launching a Build a Wildlife Area campaign as a way to ensure we'll always have places to enjoy the great outdoors," said Aaron Kuehl, PF/QF Director of Conservation in the state, "And what really makes the campaign unique it that it stretches one dollar into three, one hundred dollars becomes three hundred. The Build a Wildlife Area campaign gives you the most conservation bang for your conservation buck."
...moreTall Timbers Researcher Leading Florida's Second Quail Forever Chapter
May 12, 2008
Bobwhite quail conservationists have formed Florida's second Quail Forever chapter (QF), the Kissimmee River Valley Chapter of QF. The chapter has focused its attention on quail habitat efforts in Polk, Highlands, Osceola, Hardee and Okeechobee Counties in south-central Florida.
Leading the new Kissimmee River Valley chapter is James Martin of Kenansville, a graduate student and PhD candidate at the University of Georgia who is part of the game bird research team for the Tall Timbers Research Station. Tall Timbers conducts a wide variety of research projects to develop the best management practices for bobwhites, and manages over 3,500 acres of upland habitat for bobwhites in the southeast United States.
...moreCongressional Leaders Reach Farm Bill Agreement
May 09, 2008
After nearly four months of extensions, House and Senate Farm Bill conferees have reached an agreement on the main elements of the 2008 Farm Bill. Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) urge both the House and the Senate to pass the legislation, and for President George W. Bush to sign the bill into law as quickly as possible. If passed, the bill would provide an additional $5.3 billion in new funding for conservation programs; welcome news for wildlife conservation and hunters.
"The Farm Bill is the single biggest opportunity for conservation. Any further delay to a new bill would have jeopardized three decades worth of progress toward cleaning our water, protecting our soils and creating habitat for wildlife," said Dave Nomsen, PF/QF's Vice President of Government Affairs who has played a critical role in shaping the Farm Bill's conservation title.
...moreCongress Inches Closer on New Farm Bill
May 02, 2008
Late last night, congressional leaders reached a framework agreement on the 2008 Farm Bill's Conservation Title. Lawmakers are still ironing out other titles to complete the new Farm Bill. Full conservation program specifics will not be publicly released until early next week, but the new Farm Bill appears to be moving forward with the possibility of floor votes in both the Senate and House next week.
"The framework for the Farm Bill's Conservation Title as agreed upon does contain a strong array of programs and new policies. I'm excited to report that major conservation priorities have been addressed," said Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Vice President of Government Affairs, "This framework appears to include $4 billion in new conservation spending. The action taken last night by Senate and House Farm Bill conferees represents significant movement toward a final Farm Bill soon. Wildlife and hunters have patiently waited and they both look to be rewarded in new conservation opportunities in the next several weeks."
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