dgibson
New member
According to this glorified advertisement for BASF products, the "encroachment" of hardwoods is largely responsible for the reduction in quail habitat. Since we don't allow forest fires to burn anymore we must start using handy-dandy BASF products to control the hardwoods: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Over the passage of time, a forest goes through a succession of stages, some of which are more well-suited to quail. Bare ground — such as an old, abandoned farm field — doesn't stay vacant for long. Mother Nature's aggressive band of vegetative squatters quickly invade and set up camp. The first green flush of weeds and grasses is soon followed by fast-growing pine trees. As a result, the first time the overgrown field really looks like a forest, it's covered with tall pines and beneficial plants and provides ideal quail habitat.
But if forest succession continues unchecked for decades, the pines gradually cede their ground to hardwood trees that choke out the beneficial vegetation. In the end, the pine forest will be replaced by a hardwood forest. That is, unless an outside force steps in to control the hardwoods and allow pines to continue their dominance, essentially freezing the forest successional clock in an earlier stage, one that is better for quail.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> http://espn.go.com/outdoors/conservation/s/c_fea_BASF_quail_habitat.html
MY OPINION: Sounds like quite the oversimplification to me.
Over the passage of time, a forest goes through a succession of stages, some of which are more well-suited to quail. Bare ground — such as an old, abandoned farm field — doesn't stay vacant for long. Mother Nature's aggressive band of vegetative squatters quickly invade and set up camp. The first green flush of weeds and grasses is soon followed by fast-growing pine trees. As a result, the first time the overgrown field really looks like a forest, it's covered with tall pines and beneficial plants and provides ideal quail habitat.
But if forest succession continues unchecked for decades, the pines gradually cede their ground to hardwood trees that choke out the beneficial vegetation. In the end, the pine forest will be replaced by a hardwood forest. That is, unless an outside force steps in to control the hardwoods and allow pines to continue their dominance, essentially freezing the forest successional clock in an earlier stage, one that is better for quail.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> http://espn.go.com/outdoors/conservation/s/c_fea_BASF_quail_habitat.html
MY OPINION: Sounds like quite the oversimplification to me.
