152 



COVER CHARACTERISTICS AND SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



hand. The Connecticut Hill area was; therefore selected as the one on which these changes 

 could best be noted. Thus the following tables from which the pattern of adult grouse be- 

 havior here described, is drawn, may represent one area, all four, or records from the entire 

 State depending upon the complexity of the situation to be analyzed. 



No exact way of taking into account differences in the arrangement or interspersion of 

 cover types was found. Realizing the im|)ortance of having each type well scattered over 

 an area selected for study, only units supporting a good admixture of cover were chosen. To 

 the extent to which each varied in this respect (and others such as the quantity and quality 

 of the vegetation making up a cover type) inaccuracies may have crept into the tables to 

 influence the trends here presented. In sampling the effect of the environment on a species 

 such as grouse, no way of compensating for these has been discovered. Fortunately they are 

 probably not too large in most instances to obscure seriously the more pronounced trends. 



With this understood, let us see what evidences of grouse reactions to cover have been 

 fiiiind. 



Types of Cover Used by Adult Grouse 



Grouse broods love the lush confusion of slashing and brushlot. As the birds mature and 

 the broods disperse, the approaching winter poses new problems of finding food and shelter. 

 The overgrown lands and brier patches rid longer provide the same luxuriant protection once 

 the leaves have fallen. Only the conifers and the broad-leaved evergreens maintain their prom- 

 ise of sanctuary against winter winds and winged predators alike. Tangles of vines too dense 

 to be attractive while the leaves were on. now, with a mantle of snow, furnish places to doze 

 in fair security. As winter gives way to spring, and spring to suinnier. cover use reflects the 

 vegetative changes in the face of field and woodlot that accompany the seasons. The habits 

 of adults are modified accordingly. 



Remembering the brood cover preferences, one nia\ be surprised to find indicated in table 



TABLE \?>. TYPES OF COVEK USED BY ADULT c;HOUSE>— 

 CONNECTICUT HILL AREA— 1930-1936. 



* The odjustt^d number of adiilu is the niimber tn br rxpcrlcd if riirli cover type hsd had the averace acrcaice of 189.0 acres. 

 and if fjich cover \y[>e had been surveyed the avorafcc number of yearit, 5.1 ycarti. Adjusted number of adults = Y — 0,8609Xl 

 — O.IMOXi': in whirh Y = the tibm-rved number of aduttn in a rover type. Xi — llie deviation of th^ niinibrr of years a cover 

 type Willi Nurvcvetl from thr avcrAge number of years surveyed per rover type; Xs =: the deviation of ruiiiihcr of acres in a cover 

 lv|»r- from the averace number of acres per cover type; 0.6609 = average increase in number of adult?* with each year increase 

 in time» surveyed; 0.11(0 '=■ averace increase in number of adults with each acre increase in cover type. 



A The number of adults observed in cover type A was so few thai it was apparent that this type is little used by (rouse adults. 



