Vo l. 22, No. 8 
Page 3 
Table 1. Postcut abundance (no./ha) of squirrel food producers on each study 
area. The minimum number of trees ^10 inches dbh is based on the amount of 
seed produced by each species and the amount of seed eaten by a squirrel in 
winter (October-March). 
Wh i te 
oak— 
Black 
oak^- 
Black 
Walnut— 
Mockernut 
h i ckory^- 
Shagbark 
hickory^- 
Minimum number of trees 
c: 10 inches dbh 
12 
17 
2 
11 
14 
Massac 
23 
18 
^ 1 
28 
< 1 
Old Barn 
3 
3 
< 1 
12 
7 
Coles 
22 
6 
15 
5 
9 
—Average seed yields for 
a tree 
10 inches 
dbh. 
Responses of Prairie Chickens 
to Habitat Man ip 
ulation 
R. L. 
Westemeier 
During the spring of 1979> 64 groups totaling 384 people made reservations 
and visited the prairie chicken booming grounds in Jasper County. The period 
for visitation by the public began 24 March and terminated 22 April--a total of 
30 mornings. Students and staff from 17 educational institutions represented 
66% of the total number of visitors. Illinois supplied 64% of the visitors, 
Indiana 13%, Ohio 13%, and lesser numbers came from California, Colorado, Iowa, 
Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 
Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. Visits were made only in early 
morning hours when the chickens are most active. As in previous springs, visitors 
aided the research project by recording their observations on standard forms 
during 43 blind mornings (one booming ground under observation for at least 2 
hours by 1 or more observers in 1 or more blinds per morning). All visitors are 
briefed before going out to the blinds and debriefed upon their return from the 
blinds. 
The peak count of hens on the booming grounds occurred on 5 April in 1979* 
about average compared to the previous 13 years. The first observed copulation 
was on 7 April, about 4 days later than average. However, the peak in copulations 
observed in 1979 occurred on 15 April, the latest on record--8 April is average. 
