626 OFSIGMXC GROUSE COVERTS AND SETTING UP MANAGEMENT PLANS 



the cover improvements that need to be carried out. Later it will form the basis for devel- 

 oping a covert management plan should one so desire. 



The Cover Survey 



Through an inventory of the current situation one seeks to learn the distribution of plants 

 producing food and shelter and the various combinations (called cover types) in which they 

 occur. Another purpose is to find out whether these types are so arranged as to produce 

 few or many desirable grouse territories. Incidentallv one may gain some idea of the wild- 

 life relationships existing between game, predator and buffer species and the hunter. 



The degree of precision to which the analysis should be carried depends upon the pur- 

 pose to be served. If one is merely interested in periodic changes in cover and in the abun- 

 dance of grouse on a given area, a brief reconnaissance will suffice. If time and effort are 

 to be expended on improving habitat conditions, a broad biophysical survey, covering many 

 or all of the items listed below, is desirable. If one is not certain as to the degree of use to 

 be made of a cover survey, it is wise to secure the maximum amount of information which 

 time and funds will permit. 



Among the items one may wish to consider are: — 



1. The distribution and character of the physiographic features of the area — topog- 

 raphy, soils, water conditions and climate. 



2. The distribution, size, composition and density of cover types (crown cover, un- 

 dergrowth and ground cover).* 



3. The degree to which each type fulfills seasonal grouse requirements, particularly 

 as regards food and shelter. 



4. The distribution and relative abundance of grouse predators and l)uffer species. 



Cover Type Mapping 



One effective way of securing much of this information is to make a cover-type map of each 

 covert.^ Such a nmp conveys graphically much useful information. With it one may visu- 

 alize the arrangcMicnt of cover and thus more easilv plot the changes which need to be 

 made lliercin. Also, the close ins[)ection which such work necessitates luiturally draws at- 

 ti'iilioii Id many details otherwise likely to be overlooked. The field notes may be expanded 

 to cover as inan\ other |)oiiits. in addition to those here listed, as seems desirable. 



It is wise to make u() the type map rea^onabh accurate. Where substantial iinpro\onicnts are 

 planned, it is almost essential. Suitable mapping i)ra(tices. in general, follow those described 

 in standard texts on forest management. The technique developed by ihe Investigation is de- 

 scribed in the Appendix^. The scale should be the smallest that will dearly show the requisite 

 details. Tlie Investigation's survev areas were niap|K'(l on a scale of one inch to 10 chains 

 (660 feet). This was found not only to meet the alxivc rcfpiirenienl Iml In facilitate easy 

 acreage computations. 



Wlierevcr it is possible to se<ure a good base map. such as those published by the United 

 States Geological Survev. the sections covering the area under considcialioii and locating 

 prominent existing landmarks (roads, watercourses, houses and bills) nun be enlarged to 



• A nvntcrn n( rnvrr typoti anil tiymbnU miiljililr for dmcrihinp (!rmi*r linliilalw in tin- Norllii-ii*! ib ilr-tail«-t) in Oiaplor Ul. p. 120. 

 A A aamplr mnp it rr*pr<»(liirr(l nn p. 17!1. 

 t See Melhodi and Techniques, p. 695, 



