D. E. Steffen

Seed Yields of Four Moist-soil Plants on Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge

Emphasis on use of moist-soil management for waterfowl has increased in recent years. One component of this form of management which is not well documented are seed yields of many native plants produced. Seed yields of 4 moistsoil plant species were measured during the growing season of 1985 and 1986 on the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi. Seed yields of 3 species, Polygonum hydropiperoides (Michaux), Polygonum densiflorum (Meissner), and Rhyncospora corniculata (Gray), were measured using a specially designed seed trap. The fourth species, Ludwigia glandulosa (Walter), was...

Two Tree Climbing Techniques for Wildlife Tasks

We modified top-rope and lead-climbing techniques to develop safe, efficient methods for climbing trees. Two individuals, the climber and belayer, were required for each technique. An ll-mm belay rope, tree pruners saddle, tree climbing gaffs, adjustable lineman's pole strap, and 2.54-cm tubular webbing were required. Top-rope climbing was favored over lead-climbing, and was preceived as substantially safer. Bark characteristics of tree species affected climbing difficulty. Both climbing techniques have application in forestry, botany, and wildlife research.

Home Ranges of Wild Turkey Gobblers in Central Mississippi

Fifty-two eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) gobblers were monitored by telemetry on Tallahala Wildlife Management Area, Bienville National Forest, Mississippi, from January 1986 to September 1987. Annual home range (HR) for 6 adults and 3 juveniles averaged 1,680 ha. Annual HR's averaged 1,409 ha when the very large HR (3,850 ha) of I juvenile was not included. Based on 79 seasonal HR's, average HR in spring 1986 was 812 ha, summer 688 ha, fall 447 ha, and winter 506 ha; and average HR for spring 1987 was 1,441 ha and for summer, 775 ha. Pre-hunting season HR's were not...

Evaluation of a Sampling Design Used to Estimate Waterfowl Abundance on Catfish Ponds

A stratified random survey design proposed to increase the efficiency of estimating numbers of waterfowl wintering on Mississippi catfish ponds was evaluated. The optimally allocated sample generally produced estimates with coefficients of variation <50%, similar to those obtained from a completely random design used previously. Coefficients of variation were not associated with survey date. Stratified random sampling reduced the number of catfish pond clusters surveyed and flight time, compared to completely random sampling. We recommend using the stratified random design to estimate...