Table 1.—Concentrations of elements in soils, plant seeds (corn and foxtail), and pheasant feathers from an area of high. 
density pheasant populations (Sibley) and from an area of very low-density pheasant populations (Neoga) in Illinois. 
Neoga Area 
Sample Num- Stan- Coeffi- 
Type ber dard cient 
and of Mean Error Range of 
Element — gam- of the Vari- 
ples Mean ability 
Soil 
ppm Na 10 815 10 740—840 A 
ppm K 10 ~=19,530 420 16,900—20,900 if 
ppm Ca 10 9,350 843 5,000—14,000 29 
ppm Mg 10 860 (P: 540—1,240 26 
Corn 
Percent ash 10 2.07 0.27 1.67—2.45 4] 
ppm Na 9 ra 8 35—120 33 
ppm K 10 5,150 SILT 4,200—6,300 13 
ppm Ca 10 31 3 JA pill 25 
ppm Mg 10 1,640 123 1,100—2,400 24 
Foxtail 
Percent ash 10 7.20 0.50 4.53—10.04 22 
ppm Na 10 102 iss 77—161 78 
ppm K 10 5,230 268 3,700—6,700 16 
ppm Ca 10 920 36 800—1,200 12, 
ppm Mg 10 2,140 54 1,900—2,500 8 
Feathers 
Percent ash 14 0.37 0.02 0.23—0.54 Dil 
ppmNa 13 221 6 123-348 10 
ppm K 14 ( 7 10—117 38 
ppm Ca 14 207 Ales 118—273 31 
ppm Mg 14 ja 6 41—126 19 
° All tests at 0.05 level of probability; s denotes significance, and ns, the lack 
+Variances dissimilar; test degrees of freedom equal n—1 rather than 2(n—1) 
at Neoga (815 ppm) than at Sibley (678 ppm) and 
was also more abundant in pheasant feathers from 
Neoga (221 ppm) than in those from Sibley (45 ppm). 
Potassium was present in greater concentrations in 
soils from Sibley (25,910 ppm) than in those from 
Neoga (19,530 ppm), but was more abundant in fox- 
tail and feathers at Neoga (5,230 and 72 ppm) than at 
Sibley (3,180 and 28 ppm). Concentrations of cal- 
Sibley Area Test of Means* 
Num- Stan- Coeffi- De- 
ber dard cient grees t 
of Mean Error Range of of Val 
Sam- of the Vari- Free- a 
ples Mean ability dom 
10 678 14 590—760 ff 18 7.805 
10 25,910 640 23,500—29,800 8 18 8Als 
10 12,550, S72 9,300—18,400 22 18 Bie 
10 1,874 139 1,400—2,460 2S Ot 6.49s 
10 ise L 123-223 56 18 —0..73ns 
8 60 9 25—93 Al 15 0.95ns 
10 4540 231 3,700—6,200 16 18 1.94ns 
10 38 2 28—51 19 18 2.00ns 
10 1,170 62 800—1,500 nye 18 34g 
10 6.38 0.10 5.03—8.64 5 18 1.39ns 
10 103 5 75—125 17 18 0.1 5ns 
10 SIO 3,000—5,300 18 18 4,12s 
10 910 V2, 700—1,400 25 18 0.12ns 
10 2,180 144 1,400—3,200 21 18 0.828 
14 O88 Oe 0.21—0.67 om 26 1.21ns 
13 45 8 19—105 1 12¢ 8.07s 
14 28 $) 17—58 47 13¢ 5.62s 
14 168 7 114—218 16 13¢ 2.07ns 
14 83 4 belie! 18 26 4.00s 
of significance. 
cium were greater in soils from Sibley (12,550 ppm) 
than in those from Neoga (9,350 ppm), but differed 
very little in samples of corn, foxtail, and feathers 
from the two areas. Magnesium was more abundant 
in soils from Sibley (1,874 ppm) than in soils from 
Neoga (860 ppm), but was more abundant in corn 
and feathers from Neoga (1,640 and 111 ppm) than 
in those from Sibley (1,170 and 83 ppm). Thus, the 
Table 2.—Sodium:potassium and calcium:magnesium ratios in soils, plant seeds (corn and foxtail), and pheasant feathers 
from an area of high-density pheasant populations (Sibley) and from an area of very low-density pheasant populations (Neoga) in 
Illinois. 
Neoga Area 
Elemental Ratios 
Sibley Area Test of Means* 
and Samples Number Standard Coefficient | Number Standard Coefficient Degrees 
of Mean Error of of of Mean Error of of of t Value 
Samples the Mean Variability Samples the Mean Variability Freedom 
Na/K Ratios 
Soil 10 0.42 0.010 ff 10 0.26 0.010 12 18 3.81s 
Corn 9 0.01 0.002 37 8 0.01 0.002 40 15 0.288 
Foxtail 10 0.02 0.003 42 10 0.03 0.002 20 18 2.258 
Feathers 13 2.90 0.150 19 13 1.58 0.128 13 24 6.75s 
Ca/Mg Ratios 
Soil 10 10.98 0.699 OAT 10 7.00 0.633 29 18 4,238 
Corn 10 0.02 0.002 33 10 0.003 0.0101 30 18 2.758 
Foxtail 10 0.43 0.017 13 10 0.42 0.025 19 18 0.3308 
Feathers 14 2.04 0.088 16 14 2.05 0.102 19 26 0.0728 
*All tests at 0.05 level of probability; s denotes significance, and ns, the lack of significance. 
