^ r>w . Oc -^uul 
Department of 
Glen 
NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY 
MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER NOV 7 1973 
Conservation and Natural History Survey, Cooperating LIBRARY 
C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schultz, Editors 
Urbana, Illinois 
October, 1973 
Vol. 16, No. 10 
Manipulatio n of Pheasant Habitat « „ 
*-— -— u. d. Joselyn 
P re ceding two reports (MWRL 16 ( 8 , 9 )) outlined three possible approaches to 
road!?^ /r f d°d d e' d ! ^ ver ’ ° ver a lar9e area ’ that would Evolve the seeding of 
roadsides (Graded Roadside Program, Volunteer Program, Block Seeding Program) and 
discussed the potential of the Graded Roadside Program. This report presents the 
known or presumed advantages and disadvantages of the Graded Roadside Program. 
Advantages 
(a) Sizable acreages of annually graded roadsides appear to be 
throughout the prime pheasant range. 
available 
. . . . ^ Experience in seeding graded roadsides in Ford County shows that a 
"PL**.? of . cooperat ' on can be expected from farmers and from maintenance officials 
eL^n W pH K P C0Unt y r ° adS * Cooperatio " with maintenance officials is probably 
enhanced because erosion and problems of weed control are mitigated by seedings. 
(c) Because of the potentially wide area to be covered, many different 
armers and governmental units would be brought into contact with the program, which 
could have a positive public relations value for the Department of Conserved 
inten«iiri d nf ^ nagers of roadside cover can retain some degree of control over the 
nee^be^aDnl ip^ 6 ' r op ? rat ,0 ^ s > as dictated by availability of funds, because seedings 
need be applied only in predetermined townships. y 
rpnia „ , The mOSt s '9 nl f icant advantage is that the seedings would promptly 
destrove^h easb partial 1 y) the usual low-quality nest habitat that is being 
destroyed by grading operations. If the graded roadsides are left unseeded, it will 
be several years before even inferior nest habitat develops. 
Disadvantages 
scattered. 
The primary disadvantage of this program is that graded roadsides are wide 
»y 
of rnpH<Jwp . Expenan ^ e ha * sh °wn that there are approximately 1.3 farmers per mile 
of roadside (one side) to be contacted before seedings can begin. It is difficult 
I? e ;i?H U : in9 t0 , find OUt Wh ° farms the ,and a ^ a cent to 9 each parcel of roal 
side selected for seeding and where these individuals reside, so that contacts can 
lorpr^ perm, ^ s, ? n to P^ceed. Another problem-the difficulty of actually 
ting these indi vi duals —1 s greater where roadsides to be treated are farther apart. 
