State Wildlife Grant - T2-10-R

The USFWS Devils Lake Wetland Management District plans to re-seed 7,500 acres of formerly cropped uplands on several Waterfowl Production Areas to diverse, multi-species native seed mixes over the next 15-years. This represents a novel restoration practice in this region, and therefore limited data is available related to migratory bird response. The goal is to develop a graduate project in partnership with the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and likely the Delta Waterfowl Foundation to study waterfowl use of the previously described restorations in an attempt to begin to fill this data gap. This is a management-driven study that embraces the process of adaptive management in the CWCS. The project will evaluate and compare nest density and success of waterfowl and sharp-tailed grouse in fields of varying habitat types, including diverse, multi-species native mixes and dense nesting cover mixes.