f 
i 
TRENDS IN THE BREEDING POPULATION INDEX - 1964 
Eastern Management Unit 
The breeding dove population index for the Eastern Unit 
increased 7*4 percent from its 1963 level (table l). This 
indicates a reversal of the general decline observed in the 
1961, 1962, and 1963 surveys (figure 2 ). The 1964 index is 
3-1 percent below the peal: i960 index and 2.9 percent above 
the Unit’s 10 -year average index ( 1954 - 1963 )- 
The hunting States of the Eastern Unit showed an 11 .5 
percent increase from the 1963 breeding population index. 
The nonhunting States showed a 4.0 percent decline from the 
1963 population index level (figure 3)- 
Central Management Unit 
The breeding dove population index for the Central Unit 
increased 3-6 percent from the 1963 level (table l). The 
increase for this Unit also follows a general decline from 
the peak index reached in i960 (figure 2). 
In hunting States of the Central Unit, the index increased 
4.0 percent from its 1963 level. The index in the nonhunting 
States of the Central Unit showed an increase of 3*0 percent 
above the 1963 levels. Trends in breeding-population indexes 
are depicted in figure 3. 
The Central Unit’s 1964 index is 18.7 percent below the 
peak index reached in i960 and is 2.2 percent below the 10- 
year average index ( 1954 - 19 & 3 )- 
Western Management Unit 
The index for the Western Unit increased 18.7 percent 
from the 1963 level (table l). The 1964 level is 3-4 per¬ 
cent below this Unit’s peak population index, reached in 
1959/ and is 14.7 percent above the 10-year average index 
(195^-1963). 
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