Population Ecology Of The Bobwhite

This book presents the results and con­clusions of the longest continuous study ever undertaken for a local North Ameri­can game bird population. Since 1950 abundance has been deter­mined seasonally by direct count, nesting ecology by field searches and observation, and hunting pressure and harvest by field interviews. Land use and weather condi­tions also have been recorded. The period of the study saw considerable change in regional land use and included several of the most severe winters in recorded weather history. Continuing harvest of the study popu­lation did not have a progressively de­pressing effect on standing densities; rather it held breeding stock somewhat below K at a more productive point on the growth curve. Roseberry and Klimstra report that there was clear evidence of an 8 to 10-year cycle within the study population. They found after examining a number of cycle theories that a close temporal relationship existed between their bobwhite data and the nodal lunar cycle described by Archibald (1977). Sound field techniques, long-term data acquisition, and appropriate mathe­matical and statistical treatment of the data combine to provide a significant contribution to what is known of not only bobwhite but basic population ecology.

Texas Quails presents the first complete assessment of the four species of quail found in this vast state. Experts describe each of them and examine all geographic regions of the state for historical and current population trends, habitat status, and research needs. These experts also discuss management practices, hunting issues, economics, and diseases.

Understanding wildlife population ecology is vital for all wildlife managers and conservation biologists. Leopold draws on 30 years of research and teaching experience to give students and natural resource professionals the foundation they need to effectively manage wildlife populations. He begins with the key statistical concepts and research approaches necessary to gain insight into various models of population dynamics. The many factors that influence wildlife populations are thoroughly explored and their consequences are investigated. In addition, the author presents techniques for analyzing wildlife harvest data and a lucid discussion of valuable wildlife census methods. Frequent examples of foundational literature supplement each chapter with applications of the theories and provide a concise compendium of fundamental concepts of population ecology. Abundant statistical exercises reinforce students’ learning throughout the text.

"Adaptive Strategies and Population Ecology of Northern Grouse" was first published in 1988. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. This book is at once a major reference to the species of grouse that inhabit North America and the Holarctic and a synthesis of all the available data on their ecology, sociobiology, population dynamics, and management. The book undertakes to answer two long-standing questions in population ecology: what actually regulates the numbers within a population, and what are the breeding and survival strategies evolved in this northern environment? For Volume I, editors Arthur T. Bergerud and Michael W. Gratson have drawn together their own work and that of colleagues in North America, Iceland, and Norway--in all, eleven research studies, averaging six years' duration, on eight species of grouse. These studies deal with the blue and ruffed grouse of the forest habitat; the sharp-tailed grouse, prairie chicken, and sage grouse of the prairie or steppe; and the white-tailed, rick, and willow ptarmigan found in alpine and arctic tundras. The authors describe the rich repertoire of behavior patterns developed by the hen and the cock to achieve their two primary objectives--first, to stay alive, and then to breed. Volume II, primarily the work of Bergerud, synthesizes the evidence in Volume I and in the grouse research literature from a theoretical perspective. Several potentially controversial sociobiological hypotheses are advanced to account for flocking behavior, migration, dispersal, roosting and feeding behavior, mate choice and mating systems. The demographic analysis provides new insights into cycles of abundance, the limitation of numbers, and the demographic factors that determine densities. The contributors, besides Bergerud and Gratson: R.C. Davies, A. Gardarson, J.E. Hartzler, R.A. Huempfner, D.A. Jenni, D.H. Mossop, S. Myrberget, R.E. Page, R.K. Schmidt, W.D. Svedarsky, and J.R. Tester.

This book documents the biology of six species of New World quails that are native to North America north of Mexico (mountain, scaled, Gambel's, California, and Montezuma quails, and the northern bobwhite), three introduced Old World partridges (chukar, Himalayan snowcock, and gray partridge), and the introduced common (ring-necked) pheasant. Collectively, quails, partridges, and pheasants range throughout all of the continental United States and the Canadian provinces. Two of the species, the northern bobwhite and ring-necked pheasant, are the most economically important of all North American upland game birds. All of the species are hunted extensively for sport and are highly popular with naturalists, birders, and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Introduction to Population Ecology is an accessible and up-to-date textbook covering all aspects of population ecology. Discusses field and laboratory data to illustrate the fundamental laws of population ecology. Provides an overview of how population theory has developed. Explores single-species population growth and self-limitation; metapopulations; and a broad range of interspecific interactions including parasite-host, predator-prey, and plant-herbivore. Keeps the mathematics as simple as possible, using a careful step-by-step approach and including graphs and other visual aids to help understanding. Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at www.blackwellpublishing.com/rockwood and by request on CD-ROM.