Questions About Wild Turkey Presence Continue
These questions are relevant and timely, as next week, the USGS is holding a conference in Flagstaff, Arizona, entitled, Collaborative Conservation in Rapidly Changing Landscapes.
Long Island, NY, October 03, 2009 --(PR.com)-- "Questions about wild turkey presence continue well beyond our participation in the NYSDEC Summer Wild Turkey Survey," said Mindy Block, Quality Parks President. These questions are relevant and timely, as next week, the USGS is holding a conference in Flagstaff, Arizona, entitled, Collaborative Conservation in Rapidly Changing Landscapes. The online abstracts reveal at least 16 immediately relevant stories, out of nearly 200 presentations.
Presenter Jody Hilty said, "It is increasingly clear isolated protected areas are unlikely to be adequate in conserving biodiversity especially given already apparent shifts in species’ ranges due to climate change." According Paul Beir and Tabitha Graves, there are five sequential planning tasks: identifying parks, linkages between them, and prioritizing, optimizing, and evaluating alternatives.
Additionally, J.S. Jenes and Paul Beir emphasized planning need be based on focal species rather than political and financial constraints. Geographic Information System can map and evaluate natural areas to focal species in terms of frequency, distribution, and shape to ensure biodiversity, because focal species are more sensitive to human development pressures. And Kristen Penrod's abstract illustrates that even such developed places as Los Angeles County, can also benefit from working with planning and mapping connectivity overlays.
As for Quality Parks, though they mailed in their 2009 Wild Turkey survey data to Albany this week, by mid August, Mindy Block realized that more time was needed to cooperatively (see below) pursue and better explain on the ground field conditions. Notably, a Smithtown park manager suggested, "Wild turkeys are traveling along stream corridors and the along coastal areas like our North Shore bluffs." Surprisingly, wild turkey are still absent from Caumsett State Park, a North Shore with 1750 acres, according to park staff. Yet just south and west of the State Park, "there is a flock of 16 around Farm Hill Court in Muttontown," observed another Cooperator.
And to further complicate the story, Connetiquot River State Park has none - - even though it once had plenty. According to park staff, "Wild turkeys were introduced here in the early nineties, just as they were out East. The population grew to about 80, but then they got bumblefoot which is a bacterial infection of the feet. It makes the birds stumble. Then the fox got after them and wiped them out as well."
Mindy Block concludes, "Though wild turkey may not be a focal species of concern, as it is not as sensitive to development as other species, why hasn't it distributed more evenly across Long Island, especially into our larger parklands? Maybe the USGS conference in Arizona can learn something from us."
To help with this ongoing survey or for more information, contact Mindy Block at: 631-473-6760; Quality Parks, P.O. Box 143, Port Jefferson, NY. 11777-0143; mblock@qualityparks.org; or visit them on the web at: www.qualityparks.org .
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Presenter Jody Hilty said, "It is increasingly clear isolated protected areas are unlikely to be adequate in conserving biodiversity especially given already apparent shifts in species’ ranges due to climate change." According Paul Beir and Tabitha Graves, there are five sequential planning tasks: identifying parks, linkages between them, and prioritizing, optimizing, and evaluating alternatives.
Additionally, J.S. Jenes and Paul Beir emphasized planning need be based on focal species rather than political and financial constraints. Geographic Information System can map and evaluate natural areas to focal species in terms of frequency, distribution, and shape to ensure biodiversity, because focal species are more sensitive to human development pressures. And Kristen Penrod's abstract illustrates that even such developed places as Los Angeles County, can also benefit from working with planning and mapping connectivity overlays.
As for Quality Parks, though they mailed in their 2009 Wild Turkey survey data to Albany this week, by mid August, Mindy Block realized that more time was needed to cooperatively (see below) pursue and better explain on the ground field conditions. Notably, a Smithtown park manager suggested, "Wild turkeys are traveling along stream corridors and the along coastal areas like our North Shore bluffs." Surprisingly, wild turkey are still absent from Caumsett State Park, a North Shore with 1750 acres, according to park staff. Yet just south and west of the State Park, "there is a flock of 16 around Farm Hill Court in Muttontown," observed another Cooperator.
And to further complicate the story, Connetiquot River State Park has none - - even though it once had plenty. According to park staff, "Wild turkeys were introduced here in the early nineties, just as they were out East. The population grew to about 80, but then they got bumblefoot which is a bacterial infection of the feet. It makes the birds stumble. Then the fox got after them and wiped them out as well."
Mindy Block concludes, "Though wild turkey may not be a focal species of concern, as it is not as sensitive to development as other species, why hasn't it distributed more evenly across Long Island, especially into our larger parklands? Maybe the USGS conference in Arizona can learn something from us."
To help with this ongoing survey or for more information, contact Mindy Block at: 631-473-6760; Quality Parks, P.O. Box 143, Port Jefferson, NY. 11777-0143; mblock@qualityparks.org; or visit them on the web at: www.qualityparks.org .
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Quality Parks
Mindy Block
631-473-6760
www.qualityparks.org
Mindy Block
631-473-6760
www.qualityparks.org
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