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Vol. 24, iio. 9 
Page 2 
There was considerable epicormic branching on the marked hickories of both 
species 5 years after clear-cutting. Epicormic branching was significantly more 
prevalent (P < 0.05) on trees growing on good sites and on trees with less than a 
full crown when released. The amount of epicormic branching per tree was not 
significantly affected (P > 0.05) by the species of hickory or the distance from 
the uncut forest. 
The presence of grapevines in the crown was not significantly related to 
mortality in either species. For live trees after 5 growing seasons, grapevines 
were present in 9 (29%) and 7 (26%) of the shagbarks and pignuts, respectively. 
Six of the 9 shagbarks and 4 of 7 pignuts were growing well and apparently 
unaffected by the presence of the grapevine. Grapevines were most prevalent on 
medium or better sites, areas where they can seriously obstruct tree growth 
following clear-cutting. 
Leaving suppressed hickory poles standing after complete clear-cutting 
increases the likelihood of trees reaching seed-bearing age in a dominant or 
codominant crown position. Select trees with at least one-half a full crown and 
without excessive lean or obvious disease or injury. Trees <50 m from the uncut 
forest will survive best. Selection of trees with these characteristics should 
reduce the high mortality rate (nearly 50%) found in our study and also reduce 
the amount of epicormic branching on each tree bole. Foresters will be more apt 
to retain these hickories during thinning operations if epicormic branching, 
▼ which causes a considerable reduction in log grade, covers <25% of the tree bole. 
The goal should be to produce 30-35 seed-producing hickories per ha (12-15 
per acre) at stand age 30 and retain them until rotation age for the site. 
Intermediate thinnings during the life of the stand will allow a new crop of 
suppressed hickory poles to develop in the understory, some of which could be 
retained when the stand is again clear-cut. 
Responses of Prairie Chickens to Habitat Hanip ul ati on-W-66-R R.L. Westemeier, 
J.E. Buhnerkempe 
A total of 522 nests for 11 avian species was found during the search of 
348 acres on the prairie chicken sanctuaries in Jasper County this summer. The 
density of 15.0 nests per 10 acres was an increase of 6.9 nests per 10 acres 
over 1930. The most notable increase was in meadowlark nest density; it jumped 
from 0.3 nest per 10 acres in 19-30 to 1.7, the highest density since 197?-. The 
pheasant nest density was at an all-time high of 0.5 nest per 10 acres, and the 
bobwhite quail nest density showed the first increase in 6 years from 0.1 nest 
per acre in 1930 to 0.3 this year. Other species showing increases were the 
red-winged blackbird (6.2 nests per 10 acres in 1930 to 10.4 this year) and the 
dickcissel (0.5 nest per 10 acres in 1930 to 0.3 this year). Birds for which 
nests were found this year but not in 1980 were the mourning dove (0.2 nest per 
10 acres), field sparrow (0.2 nest per 10 acres), grasshopper sparrow (0.1 nest 
per 10 acres), and mallard (0.1 nest per 10 acres). 
The relative abundance of the nesting fauna at Bogota has been discussed 
as a factor affecting prairie chicken nest success (MV/RL 20(12) :3» 22(7) *2"4, and 
23(2):3-4). Increases in the population level of the other grassland species on 
