Vol. 16, No. 12 
Page 2 
Ecology and Management of Sguirrels C. M. Nixon, 
S. P. Havera 
The availability of a plentiful crop of tree seed may be of critical importance 
in the survival, dispersal, or both, of summer-born gray squirrels during the post- 
weaning period. When tree seed crops are light, these juvenile squirrels may have 
difficulty competing with older, more experienced squirrels for a limited food 
supply. 
The tree seed crop per acre was estimated for 9 years, using seed traps, on 
a public shooting area located within an extensive oak-hickory forest. The total 
seed crop was used as an independent variable (X) and was compared with the number 
of spring-born young shot per adult female (Y.) and with the number of summer-born 
young shot per adult female (Y 2 ) the same fall in a multiple correlations analysis. 
The number of summer-born young shot per adult female (Y 2 ) was significantly 
correlated with the total seed crop the same fall (r = +O. 67 , £<0.05), but there 
was no significant correlation between the size of the seed crop and the number 
of spring-born young per adult female (Yj). 
Examination of the linear plot of the regression of the number of summer- 
^ born young shot per adult female on the seed crop suggests that the true relation¬ 
ship is curvilinear and that the rate of survival, dispersal, or both, of summer- 
born young is drastically reduced (survival rate) or increased (dispersal rate) 
when the seed crop falls below 130 pounds of sound seed per acre. 
These data emphasize the importance of culturing a variety of seed producers 
over a range of sites to help reduce the possibility of a seed crop failure. 
Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipulation J. A. Ellis 
It was possible to calculate survival rates of juvenile and adult males from 
fall to summer on the Dale and Forbes areas. The ratio of juveniles to adult 
males was determined from the harvested samples. The subsequent summer age ratios 
among subadult and adult males were obtained from cock-and-hen trapping. 
Nine years of data have been examined for each area. For all years, juvenile 
males on the Dale Area exhibited a higher rate of survival than adult males from 
fall to summer. Similar results were noted on the Forbes Area in 6 of the 9 years. 
Several factors were thought to influence this population phenomenon. Higher 
mortality among the adult male segment of the population could account for this 
differential survival. The higher ratios of subadult to adult males in the breed¬ 
ing season could be attributed to a behavioral difference between the two age- 
classes of males. Subadult males may be more mobile and trappable than adults, 
and adult males may be more territorial than subadults and less prone to capture 
by the cock-and-hen technique. 
