Population Dynamics of Pheasants in Relation to Landscape Changes in NorthernIowa. Study No. 32

摘要

By the 1980's most of Iowa's prime ringnecked pheasant range in the northern halfof the state had deteriorated so badly that once-abundant pheasants could be found only in low numbers at scattered locations. Ever-intensifying agriculture had eliminated most winter and nesting cover over extensive areas, leaving only road ditches, drainage ditches, occasional farmsteads and a few cattail marshes for pheasant cover. Only a small number of state-owned wildlife management areas provided blocks of cover greater than a few hundred acres in continuous blocks. This study was begun in the mid 1980's to relative physical characteristics of the landscape to ringnecked pheasant population levels and determine which aspects of pheasant population ecology were most critical in determining annual and long term popoulation levels.