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Wild Turkey Movements During Flooding After Opening of the Morganza Spillway, Louisiana Author(S): Michael J

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Wild Turkey Movements During Flooding After Opening of the Morganza Spillway, Louisiana Author(S): Michael J Wild Turkey Movements During Flooding After Opening of the Morganza Spillway, Louisiana Author(s): Michael J. Chamberlain, Michael E. Byrne, Norman J. Stafford III, Kevin L. Skow and Bret A. Collier Source: Southeastern Naturalist, 12(1):93-98. Published By: Eagle Hill Institute DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1656/058.012.0108 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1656/058.012.0108 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/ page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non- commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. 2013 SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST 12(1):93–98 Wild Turkey Movements During Flooding After Opening of the Morganza Spillway, Louisiana Michael J. Chamberlain1,*, Michael E. Byrne2,3, Norman J. Stafford III4, Kevin L. Skow5, and Bret A. Collier5 Abstract - The opening of the Morganza Spillway in Louisiana on 18 May 2011 to relieve KLVWRULF ÀRRGLQJ DORQJ WKH ORZHU 0LVVLVVLSSL ULYHU VXEVHTXHQWO\ LQXQGDWHG WKRXVDQGV of acres of bottomland forest in the Atchafalaya basin. Since 2001, we have conducted Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Eastern Wild Turkey) population ecology research on the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area, located approximately 30 km south of the Morganza spillway. In expectation of the Morganza spillway opening, between 11 and 14 0D\ZHFDSWXUHGDQG¿WWHG 0) DGXOW(DVWHUQ:LOG7XUNH\VZLWKȝ*36WUDQVPLW- WHUVWRPRQLWRUWXUNH\UHVSRQVHWREDVLQÀRRGLQJ%\0D\RXUVWXG\DUHDZDV LQXQGDWHGZLWK!PRIÀRRGZDWHUVDQGUHPDLQHGFRPSOHWHO\LQXQGDWHGXQWLO-XQH 9LDUDGLRWHOHPHWU\ZHFRQ¿UPHGRQHIHPDOHZDVGHSUHGDWHGLPPHGLDWHO\EHIRUH ÀRRGZDWHUVLQXQGDWHGRXUVWXG\VLWHDQGRQHIHPDOHVXUYLYHGDQGUHDFKHGGU\JURXQG created by receding water on 16 June. A second female lived 21 days and made circu- itous movements within the tree canopy before dying, and the lone male died after 31 GD\V0RYHPHQWVRIWKHVHFRQGIHPDOHWKURXJKWKHFDQRS\GXULQJÀRRGLQJVXJJHVWHGD GHOLEHUDWHVHDUFKIRUWRSRJUDSKLFDOO\KLJKHUDUHDVZLWKLQKHUUDQJH2XU¿QGLQJVVXJJHVW WKDWUDSLGZLGHVSUHDGÀRRGLQJFRQGLWLRQVFUHDWHGE\RSHQLQJRIWKH0RUJDQ]DVSLOOZD\ likely negatively affected Wild Turkey populations across the Atchafalaya basin through GLUHFWUHGXFWLRQVLQVXUYLYDO)XUWKHUUHVHDUFKLVQHHGHGWRDVVHVVKRZÀRRGPLWLJDWLRQ HIIRUWVDIIHFW:LOG7XUNH\SRSXODWLRQVLQÀRRGSODLQVDORQJWKH0LVVLVVLSSL5LYHUDQG RWKHUDOOXYLDOÀRRGSODLQV Introduction %RWWRPODQGKDUGZRRGIRUHVWVKDYHORQJEHHQFRQVLGHUHGKLJKTXDOLW\KDEL- tat for Meleagris gallopavo silvestris Vieillot (Eastern Wild Turkey; Dickson 1992). Bottomland forests are inextricably linked to hydrologic conditions, often WKURXJKGLUHFWRUEDFNZDWHUÀRRGLQJ,QUHVSRQVHWRWKH*UHDW)ORRGRI H[WHQVLYHÀRRGFRQWUROHIIRUWVRFFXUUHGWKURXJKRXWWKHORZHU0LVVLVVLSSL$OOX- vial Valley, including channelization and construction of water control structures )UHGHULFNVRQHWDO 7KH0RUJDQ]DVSLOOZD\LQ3RLQWH&RXSHH3DULVK/$ ZDVGHVLJQHGE\WKH8QLWHG6WDWHV$UP\&RUSVRI(QJLQHHUVWRGLYHUWÀRRGZDWHUV LQWRWKH$WFKDIDOD\D5LYHUEDVLQDQGXOWLPDWHO\LQWRWKH*XOIRI0H[LFR*LYHQ WKHUDULW\RIZLGHVSUHDGÀRRGLQJHYHQWVOLWWOHUHVHDUFKKDVGRFXPHQWHGUHVSRQVHV 1:DUQHOO6FKRRORI)RUHVWU\DQG1DWXUDO5HVRXUFHV8QLYHUVLW\RI*HRUJLD$WKHQV*$ 30621. 26FKRRORI5HQHZDEOH1DWXUDO5HVRXUFHV/RXLVLDQD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\$JULFXO- WXUDO&HQWHU%DWRQ5RXJH/$3&XUUHQWDGGUHVV:DUQHOO6FKRRORI)RUHVWU\DQG 1DWXUDO5HVRXUFHV8QLYHUVLW\RI*HRUJLD$WKHQV*$4Louisiana Department of :LOGOLIHDQG)LVKHULHV32%R[%DWRQ5RXJH/$5,QVWLWXWHRI5HQHZDEOH 1DWXUDO5HVRXUFHV7H[DV$ 08QLYHUVLW\&ROOHJH6WDWLRQ7;*Corresponding author - [email protected]. 94 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 12, No. 1 RIWXUNH\VWRVHYHUHÀRRGLQJ(DUOLHUZRUNVLPSO\QRWHGWKDWWXUNH\VZHUHIRUFHG to spend time in trees (Dalke et al. 1946), whereas Kimmel and Zwank (1985), =ZDQNHWDO &REEHWDO DQG&REEDQG'RHUU UDGLRWUDFNHG :LOG7XUNH\V GXULQJ VSULQJ ÀRRGLQJ HYHQWV DQG GRFXPHQWHG FRPSOHWH UHSUR- ductive failure. Turkeys tended to concentrate activities in riverfront hardwood stands and in fragmented habitats not completely inundated, regardless of habitat type. Notably, the forest system studied in Kimmel and Zwank (1985) and Zwank HWDO LVLQÀXHQFHGE\VSULQJÀRRGLQJGLUHFWO\IURPWKH0LVVLVVLSSL5LYHU where water rises are relatively gradual over time, and turkeys have access to dry ground on the river levee. Since 2001, a comprehensive research program on Wild Turkeys has been FRQGXFWHG ZLWKLQ WKH $WFKDIDOD\D 5LYHU EDVLQ RI /RXLVLDQD 7XUNH\ UHVHDUFK in the basin has examined ecological and behavioral characteristics of females (Byrne and Chamberlain 2011a; Wilson et al. 2005a, b) and males (Collier and &KDPEHUODLQ*ULVKDPHWDO DQGHYDOXDWHGUHSURGXFWLRQDQGQHVW SUHGDWLRQ %\UQHDQG&KDPEHUODLQE DVZHOODVVXUYLYDO:KLOHÀRRGLQJKDV been documented to reduce nest success in our study area (Wilson et al. 2005a), EDFNZDWHUÀRRGLQJFRPPRQWRWKH$WFKDIDOD\DEDVLQLVQRWVHYHUHHQRXJKWR QRWLFHDEO\LQÀXHQFHWXUNH\PRYHPHQWVRUYLWDOUDWHV+RZHYHUWKHÀRRGLQJRI WKH0LVVLVVLSSL5LYHUDQGLWVWULEXWDULHVZKLFKUHTXLUHGRSHQLQJRIWKH0RUJDQ]D spillway in 2011, resulted in complete inundation of portions of the Atchafalaya EDVLQ+HUHLQZHGHWDLOPRYHPHQWVDQGIDWHRI:LOG7XUNH\VFDSWXUHGEHIRUHDQG monitored during inundation of our study site. Our objective was to describe re- sponsive movements of Wild Turkeys immediately before and during inundation RIWKHLUHQWLUHEUHHGLQJVHDVRQUDQJHVE\ÀRRGZDWHUV Field-site Description :HFRQGXFWHGRXUUHVHDUFKRQDKDWUDFW KHUHDIWHU6KHUEXUQH RIERW- WRPODQGKDUGZRRGIRUHVWLQ,EHUYLOOH6W0DUWLQDQG3RLQWH&RXSHHSDULVKHV /$ORFDWHGLQWKH$WFKDIDOD\DÀRRGZD\V\VWHP6KHUEXUQHLQFOXGHG6KHUEXUQH :LOGOLIH 0DQDJHPHQW$UHD KD RZQHG E\ WKH /RXLVLDQD 'HSDUWPHQW RI :LOGOLIH DQG )LVKHULHV >/':)@ %D\RX GHV 2XUVHV KD RZQHG E\ WKH United States Army Corps of Engineers), and the Atchafalaya National Wild- OLIH5HIXJH KDRZQHGE\WKH8QLWHG6WDWHV)LVKDQG:LOGOLIH6HUYLFH 6KHUEXUQHZDVERUGHUHGRQWKHVRXWKE\,QWHUVWDWHRQWKHQRUWKE\+LJKZD\ RQWKHZHVWE\WKH$WFKDIDOD\D5LYHUDQGRQWKHHDVWE\WKH(DVW3URWHFWLRQ *XLGH/HYHH6KHUEXUQHZDVORFDWHGDSSUR[LPDWHO\NPVRXWKRIWKH0RUJDQ]D VSLOOZD\DÀRRGFRQWUROVWUXFWXUHDORQJWKHZHVWEDQNRIWKH0LVVLVVLSSL5LYHU FRQVWUXFWHGWRGLYHUWÀRRGZDWHUVIURPWKH0LVVLVVLSSL5LYHULQWRWKH$WFKDIDOD\D EDVLQGXULQJH[WUHPHÀRRGHYHQWV%HIRUHWKHÀRRGHYHQWWKHVSLOOZD\KDG EHHQRSHQHGRQO\RQFHEHIRUHGXULQJ Methods 7KHÀRRGLQJDORQJWKH0LVVLVVLSSL5LYHUGXULQJUHDFKHGKLVWRULFOHYHOV prompting the United States Army Corps of Engineers to open the Morganza 2013 M.J. Chamberlain, M.E. Byrne, N.J. Stafford, K.L. Skow, and B.A. Collier 95 Spillway on 14 May 2011. Just prior to the spillway opening, we captured 5 Wild 7XUNH\V )0 EHWZHHQ±0D\XVLQJURFNHWQHWVEDQGHGHDFKLQGLYLGXDO ZLWKDQDOXPLQXPOHJEDQGDQG¿WWHGHDFKELUGZLWKDJȝ*36WUDQVPLWWHU unit (Sirtrack Wildlife Tracking Solutions, New Zealand) programmed to collect ORFDWLRQDOGDWDHYHU\KRXUV *XWKULHHWDO 7KHȝ*36XQLWVDOVRFRQWDLQD YHU\KLJKIUHTXHQF\ 9+) WUDQVPLWWHUWKHUHIRUHLWLVSRVVLEOHWRPRQLWRUUDGLR marked birds for survival and movements. We released birds immediately at the capture site. All capture and handling procedures were covered under Louisiana 6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\,QVWLWXWLRQDO$QLPDO&DUHDQGXVH3URWRFROQXPEHU$( )URP WR 0D\ ZH PRQLWRUHG UDGLRPDUNHG ELUGV WR FRQ¿UP VXUYLYDO DQGGHWHUPLQHDSSUR[LPDWHORFDWLRQRQWKHVWXG\DUHD2Q0D\ÀRRGZDWHUV began to inundate Sherburne, although lower-elevation sites had begun seeing increases in groundwater several days prior. During a 24-hour period between the afternoon of 18 May and 19 May, the entire study area was inundated with !PRIÀRRGZDWHU:HVXEVHTXHQWO\PRQLWRUHGELUGVZLWKDKDQGKHOGDQWHQQD and receiver once weekly by boat to determine fate and approximate location of HDFKELUGRQWKHVWXG\DUHD:KHQDFFHVVZDVIXUWKHUUHVWULFWHGDVÀRRGZDWHUV continued to rise, we used aerial telemetry weekly to locate birds. Results One adult female (150.220) was killed by a Lynx rufus Schreber (Bobcat) on 0D\DQGLWVWUDQVPLWWHUZDVUHFRYHUHGWKHIROORZLQJGD\'XULQJUHFRYHU\ RI WKLV ELUG ÀRRGZDWHUV KDG EHJXQ WR FRYHU URDGV DQG E\ WKH HYHQLQJ RI 0D\DOOWXUNH\VRQWKHVWXG\DUHDZHUHFRQ¿QHGWRWUHHV)HPDOH was captured before incubation and exhibited movements typical of movements within a breeding-season range or core area. The adult male captured on 14 May was regularly located during boat and aerial surveys until 20 June when we detected a mortality signal. We were unable WRUHWULHYHWKHELUGDVZDWHUÀRZDQGGHSWKFRXSOHGZLWKYHJHWDWLRQSUHYHQWHG ERDWDFFHVVWRWKHPRUWDOLW\VLWH:HZHUHDEOHWRFRQ¿UPWKDWWKHELUGZDVLQGHHG LQWKHZDWHUUDWKHUWKDQURRVWLQJRYHULWEDVHGRQ9+)VLJQDOVWUHQJWKFRXSOHG with azimuths recorded surrounding the bird’s location. We were not able to de- tect a signal from this bird after June 20 by boat or air at the mortality location; ZHDVVXPHWKHFDUFDVVVDQNXQGHUWKH±PÀRRGZDWHUV One (150.159) of the 3 females that were alive following 18 May died, where- DVZHORVWFRQWDFWZLWKDQRWKHUDQGDVVXPHHLWKHUWKH9+)UDGLRIDLOHGRUVKHGLHG DQGVXEVHTXHQWO\VDQN)HPDOHZDVUHFRYHUHGE\ERDWRQ-XQHÀRDWLQJ RQWKHZDWHU¶VVXUIDFHLQÀRDWLQJZRRG\GHEULV%DVHGRQWKHGDWDUHWULHYHGIURP WKHȝ*36VKHUHWXUQHGWRDORFDWLRQDSSUR[LPDWHO\NPIURPWKHFDSWXUHVLWH
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