EASTERN WILD TURKEY REPRODUCTION IN AN AREA SUBJECTED TO FLOODING

We used cohort analyses and population cohort matrices to model a wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) population under perturbed (i .e., man-induced flooding on 3-yr intervals) and unperturbed (i.e., no n-flood) conditions. The net reproductive rate (R-o) of a cohort in wh ich reproduction in the hatching-year (HY) age class was perturbed by flooding dropped to 0.460 from R-o = 1.383 for unperturbed cohorts. Th e R-o of cohorts in which only after-hatching-year (AHY) age classes w ere exposed to flooding was >1.0. Cohort analyses demonstrated the imp ortance to the population of nesting by HY hens and the significant ef fects on cohort reproductive potential of exposing the HY age class to flooding. Evaluation of population cohort matrices also suggested tha t flooding on a 3-year interval precludes sufficient reproduction to m aintain this wild turkey population.