Ground Roost Resource Selection for Merriam's Wild Turkeys |
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| Authors: | CHAD P. LEHMAN DANIEL J. THOMPSON MARK A. RUMBLE |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA;2. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 8221 South Highway 16, Rapid City, SD 57702, USA |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Concealment cover is important for ground-roosting wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) poults immediately following hatch during the vulnerable, preflight stage. We compared concealment cover resources selected at ground roosts to those of nest sites and available resources for Merriam's turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Females with preflight poults selected ground roosts that were similar in structure to nest sites. Ground roosts and nests were greater in visual obstruction (unit odds ratios ≥1.19) than random sites. However, ground roosts were closer to meadow-forest edges than either nests or random sites (unit odds ratios ≤0.98). Structure at ground roosts may provide visual protection from predators, and management for shrub vegetation or woody debris along meadow-pine forest ecotones will provide cover for Merriam's turkey broods. |
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| Keywords: | Black Hills ground roost Merriam's ponderosa pine resource selection wild turkey |
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