Effectiveness of fire, disking, and herbicide to renovate tall fescue fields to northern bobwhite habitat

Fields dominated by tail fescue (Festuca arundinacea) are common throughout the southeastern United States and are poor habitat for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), Our study examined effectiveness of controlled burn ing, disking, and Round-Up(TM) herbicide applications to improve bobwhite h abitat in fescue-dominated fields. We conducted the study on 4 Kentucky Dep artment of Fish and Wildlife Resources Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). On each WMA we divided a field into 16 0.1-ha plots, and at each field we rand omly assigned 2 plots to the following treatments: control, fall burning, f all disking, spring burning, spring disking, spring herbicide application, summer burning, or summer disking. We measured the vegetation structure, se ed production, and floristic composition within each treatment plot from fa ll 1990 to summer 1994. The spring herbicide application most effectively r educed tall fescue coverage. Fescue coverage was reduced for one year follo wing disturbance by fall, spring, and summer disking, but had become simila r to control plots and pre-treatment conditions by the second year post-tre atment. Fall, spring, and summer burning did not reduce tall fescue coverag e. Fall-disked plots improved habitat for bobwhite winter feeding during wi nter 1993, whereas herbicide-treated plots provided the best winter feeding habitat during winter 1994, Herbicide-treated plots provided the best habi tat quality for bobwhite nesting in summer 1993, but no treatment satisfied nesting habitat requirements in summer 1994.