Nonburned Plots 
Vol. 9, No. 9 
Page 6 
Go!den rod 
(Solidago spp.) 
99 
48 
Rough but'tcnweed 
(Diodia teres) 
53 
26 
Serecia lespedeza 
(Lespedeza serecia) 
32 
1 5 
Whiteheath aster 
(Aster pilosus) 
30 
14 
Rush 
(Juncus spp.) 
28 
14 
Korean lespedeza 
(Lespedeza stipulacea) 
27 
1 3 
Panic grass 
(Panicum huachucae) 
Tickle grass 
23 
11 
(Aqrostis hyemalis) 
21 
10 
Lance-leaf ragweed 
(Ambrosia bidentata) 
19 
9 
Broom-sedge 
(Andropoqon virqinicus) 
17 
8 
5- Ml^ojises of Prairie Chickens to Habitat Manipulation R. L. Westemeier 
The search for prairie chicken nests on the Bogota Study Area in 1 966 involved 
a total of 2p2 acres searched on foot and 54 acres searched with a truck-mounted 
flushing bar. As in past years., local farmers cooperated by reporting nests found 
during their farming activities. 
Although two nests were found in 20 acres of annual weeds and forbs, cover 
composed predominantly of perennial grasses continued to be highly important for 
nesting prairie chickens in 1966 . As shown in Table 4, 915 acres of grassland 
cover types have been searched since 19&3 > n which 41 nests were found (a density 
of 22.3 acres per nest). By contrast, a search of 490 acres of legumes (mostly red 
clover) revealed only two nests during the 4-year period (density, 245.0 acres 
per nest). 
However, on the basis of reports from local residents, leguminous types of 
cover may be more attractive as nesting cover than is generally appreciated. For 
example, in 1966 a 36 -acre field of red clover near the oldest and most stable 
booming ground on the Bogota Area contained at least 6 nests according to the land- 
owner, but possibly as many as 13 nests according to another farmer who assisted 
the landowner in plowing the field. All nests were destroyed by the plowing 
operation. Greater consideration was given to the two reports after searches on 
fool, had been made on a nearby 20-acre undisturbed field of timothy which contained 
no nests, and a nearby 20-acre redtop seed meadow (McGraw Sanctuary) which contained 
only one nest. 
Thus, for the 89 prairie chicken nests actually seen by or reported to project 
personnel since 19&3 (Tables 4 and 5) ,> 48-9 percent have been in grassland cover 
