Natural Resources University

Collaboration of land-grant universities

Natural Resources University is a podcast network focused on delivering science-based natural resource management. The series housed within this network aim to deliver expert-based knowledge for their corresponding genre of natural resource management.

  1. Landscape level habitat corridor sustains turkeys | Wild Turkey Science #494

    1D AGO

    Landscape level habitat corridor sustains turkeys | Wild Turkey Science #494

    In this episode, we discuss our recent paper quantifying turkey abundance, highlighting the Florida Wildlife Corridor and exploring how this project preserves turkey habitat amidst increasing development pressures. Paper will be linked as soon as it is released.   Resources:    Citizen science for turkeys Episode 119  eBird https://ebird.org/home Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation https://floridawildlifecorridor.org/ FWC Summer Brood Survey https://myfwc.com/hunting/turkey/brood-survey/ iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org/ Merlin Bird ID https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/ Snapshot USA https://www.snapshot-usa.org/   00:00 Introduction to the Conversation 01:23 Exploring Turkey Management and Habitat 02:48 The Impact of Human Population on Turkey Habitats 05:47 Florida Wildlife Corridor: A Case Study 11:38 Quantifying the Effects of the Corridor on Turkeys 20:47 Characterizing the Landscape for Turkeys 22:49 Understanding Turkey Occupancy and Abundance 25:09 The Impact of Human Population on Turkey Habitats 28:42 The Role of the Wildlife Corridor 31:19 Challenges Facing Osceola Turkey Populations 37:33 Management Strategies for Turkey Habitats 41:47 The Importance of Collaborative Conservation Efforts   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   We've launched a comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Donate to our wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

    47 min
  2. 4D AGO

    Burn, Spray, Repeat: Taming Sericea Lespedeza | BGWT #493

    In this episode of Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things, we hear from Kayla Moss, Extension Assistant at Oklahoma State University, about her groundbreaking research in Oklahoma.  Moss shares how she tackled the invasive sericea lespedeza using a combination of fire, herbicide, and grazing. She discusses how growing-season burns, when followed by a well-timed herbicide application, delivered the most effective long-term control - reducing sericea cover from 35% to under 1%. The episode also explores the unexpected return of native legumes after treatment, the resilience of sericea seedbanks, and the practical trade-offs producers face when balancing cattle gains with ecosystem health.  Supported by co-hosts Dr. Laura Goodman, Dr. Mark Turner, and John Weir, this conversation is full of science-backed strategies, real-world challenges, and relatable advice for any land manager facing invasive species. Key Takeaways Sericea lespedeza is highly invasive, with seedbanks that can persist for decades. Growing-season fire followed by herbicide application a year later showed the most effective control. Dormant-season fire alone may increase sericea cover. Herbicide applied post-burn can reduce seed production significantly. Cattle weight gains were not negatively affected by growing-season burns. Native legumes like partridge pea and slender lespedeza can repopulate treated areas. Seed germination of sericea is extremely tough, requiring even sulfuric acid in lab settings. The cost of metsulfuron methyl herbicide is under $4 per acre. Spot spraying and drone tech may offer future precision control options. Integrated management is more practical and effective than standalone treatments. Timestamps 00:01:46 – Meet the hosts and guest, Kayla Moss 00:02:37 – Overview of Osage County research site and plant community 00:03:29 – Introduction to sericea lespedeza and its invasive history 00:05:35 – Existing research gaps and integrating fire, herbicide, and grazing 00:07:04 – Wildlife implications and Bobwhite quail case studies 00:15:13 – Breakdown of treatment methods used in the study 00:19:01 – Impact of dormant vs. growing season fire 00:25:15 – Conditions of prescribed burns and drought effects 00:33:34 – Post-treatment results on sericea cover and seed production 00:40:01 – Native legumes returning after treatment 00:44:01 – Cattle weight gain comparisons and practical advice for landowners 00:51:31 – Final thoughts and takeaways Find all resources at BlazinGrazinWildThings.com

    53 min
  3. Restoring the functionally extinct American Chestnut | Wild Turkey Science #492

    NOV 10

    Restoring the functionally extinct American Chestnut | Wild Turkey Science #492

    We're bringing back our episode exploring the American chestnut's history, ecological importance, challenges faced due to habitat change and disease, on-going conservation efforts, and how you can get involved in its ecological restoration.    Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   Resources:   Diamond, S. J., et al. (2000). Hard mast production before and after the chestnut blight. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, 24(4), 196-201.   The American Chestnut Foundation   The American Chestnut Foundation: Growing Chestnuts   Tree Snapp App   Varner, J. M., et al. (2021). Litter flammability of 50 southeastern north American tree species: evidence for mesophication gradients across multiple ecosystems. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 4, 727042.   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Sara Fitzsimmons sara.fitzsimmons@tacf.org, Website   We've launched a comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Donate to our wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

    1h 2m
  4. Scale of management for wild turkeys | Wild Turkey Science #490

    NOV 3

    Scale of management for wild turkeys | Wild Turkey Science #490

    In this episode, we discuss how management scale and arrangement influence turkey behavior and productivity.    Resources: Chitwood, M. C., et al. (2015). Do biological and bedsite characteristics influence survival of neonatal white-tailed deer?. PloS one, 10(3), e0119070.   Day, M. S. (2024). Factors impacting gobbling chronology and activity of male wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in Alabama (Master's thesis).   Decreases in hen survival may explain declines | #153   Managing nesting & brooding cover | #137   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   We've launched a comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Donate to our wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

    1h 6m
  5. Managing old fields for turkey | Wild Turkey Science #488

    OCT 27

    Managing old fields for turkey | Wild Turkey Science #488

    In this episode, we walk you through the steps on managing your fallow fields for turkey and deer. We cover the plants we're after and those we want to manage against, as well as herbicide preparation, broadcast application, timing of management, and more.   Resources:   iNaturalist Seek App We manage DEER food plots for TURKEYS (video)   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   We've launched a comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Donate to our wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

    1h 10m

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Natural Resources University is a podcast network focused on delivering science-based natural resource management. The series housed within this network aim to deliver expert-based knowledge for their corresponding genre of natural resource management.

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