Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) occur intermittently throughout Trans-Pecos, Texas. In the lower desert of the Trans-Pecos, turkeys are associated strongly with the limited riparian habitat where roosting habitat is found. We initiated a study to document microhabitat characteristics of roost sites in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. We measured microhabitat characteristics (canopy cover, density of stand, visual obstruction, understory herbaceous cover, height of tree, diameter at breast height (dbh), height-to-lowest live branch, slope, and aspect) at 15 winter roosts and 15 random sites in three habitats in the Trans-Pecos region: ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), live oak (Quercus virginiana), and sugar hackberry (Celtis laevigata). All roost sites were <1 km from riparian corridors and located in riparian regions. Among the three habitats, large diameters and height of trees were a prerequisite for roost trees in live oak and sugar hackberry habitat, where live oaks used as roost trees were larger (mean dbh = 57.78 cm) than non-roosting trees (mean dbh = 39.13 cm). Roost trees in live oak habitat had a greater height than trees in random sites (13.58 and 11.28 m, respectively). Sugar hackberries used as roost trees had larger dbh, height, height-to-lowest live branch, and canopy cover than nonroost trees in random sites. Due to the sparse density of trees, we recommend that riparian corridors with potential roosting habitat be protected throughout the Trans-Pecos. In addition, exotic species (e.g., Tamarix) should be controlled and native riparian habitats should be preserved.
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1 December 2009
Habitat Characteristics of Winter Roost Sites of Wild Turkeys in Trans-Pecos, Texas
Kory B. Perlichek,
Louis A. Harveson,
Bonnie J. Warnock,
Billy Tarrant
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The Southwestern Naturalist
Vol. 54 • No. 4
December 2009
Vol. 54 • No. 4
December 2009