Habitat University

What distinguishes a forest, woodland, and savanna? How does wildlife and plant diversity differ between them? How do we restore woodlands and savannas? Join Jarred as he talks with Dr. Andy Vander Yacht about his research into restoring oak woodlands and savannas and the wildlife that thrive within in. In part 2, we discuss how birds and bats responded to restoration treatments (thinning and fire), and how Andy’s research can inform oak woodland restoration on public and private land. Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Research & Resources discussed in the episode Dr. Andy Vander Yacht - https://www.esf.edu/faculty/vander_yacht/index.php Ecology and Management of Oak Woodlands and Savannahs - https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/PB1812.pdf Bat response to prescribed fire and overstory thinning in hardwood forest on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112715005435 Avian occupancy response to oak woodland and savanna restoration - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jwmg.21097

What distinguishes a forest, woodland, and savanna? How does wildlife and plant diversity differ between them? How do we restore woodlands and savannas? Join Jarred as he talks with Dr. Andy Vander Yacht about his research into restoring oak woodlands and savannas and the wildlife that thrive within in. This is a two-part series. In part 1, we discuss the historical context of forests, woodlands, and savannas in the eastern US, and Andy’s research into how fire and thinning influence plant composition and diversity. Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Research & Resources discussed in the episode Dr. Andy Vander Yacht - https://www.esf.edu/faculty/vander_yacht/index.php Vegetation response to canopy disturbance and season of burn during oak woodland and savanna restoration in Tennessee - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112716311513 Litter to glitter: promoting herbaceous groundcover and diversity in mid-southern USA oak forests using canopy disturbance and fire - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42408-020-00072-2 Reversing Mesophication Effects on Understory Woody Vegetation in Mid-Southern Oak Forests - https://academic.oup.com/forestscience/article/65/3/289/5232699 Restoration of oak woodlands and savannas in Tennessee using canopy-disturbance, fire-season, and herbicides - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112717307776 Fuel dynamics during oak woodland and savanna restoration in the Mid-South USA - https://www.publish.csiro.au/wf/wf18048 Webinar: Litter to glitter: releasing the herbaceous groundlayer potential stored in oak forest floors - https://vimeo.com/493748345

Ahead of a forthcoming mini-series on forest management for birds, Adam and Jarred discuss a paper reviewing the state of the science examining bird responses to forest management in the eastern U.S. The paper published last year by Michael Skresh and colleagues presents a compelling case for the importance of managed disturbances in eastern forests to benefit birds of conservation concern. Jarred also foreshadows some conversations he has planned in the coming episodes. Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Research & Resources discussed in the episode Here's the paper we discussed: Akresh, Michael E., David I. King, Savannah L. McInvale, Jeffery L. Larkin, and Anthony W. D'Amato. 2023. “ Effects of Forest Management on the Conservation of Bird Communities in Eastern North America: A Meta-Analysis.” Ecosphere 14(1): e4315. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4315 Here’s a paper Adam’s written about forest management for birds: https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/15963 h Here’s the episode we mentioned with Marcus Lashley and fire disturbance regimes: https://habitatuniversity.libsyn.com/episode-03-aldos-tools-getting-creative-with-prescribed-fire

In this episode we talk with Dr. Mark McConnell, Assistant Professor of Upland Birds at Mississippi State, about wildlife conservation in agricultural landscapes and his research into creating win-win solutions for wildlife and agricultural producers. We cover a variety of topics in this episode from reacting to Adam’s new mustache, Mark’s use of memes to help wildlife student engage with farmers, and using precision conservation to delivery economically targeted conservation. Themes in the episode: meeting farmer where they are, building your conservation team, economics and Precision Agricultural/Conservation. Targeted Conservation Delivery, Economically Targeted Conservation, Wildlife-Friendly Farming Give us some feedback or potential topics you would like to here by filling out our listener survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Research & Resources discussed in the episode Research on who farmers trust when making decisions about agricultural practices - https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/fnr-488-w.pdf Personal outreach to landowners is vital to conservation program success (article about Lutter et al 2018 paper). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180405093305.htm Bridging the gap between conservation delivery and economics with precision agriculture (McConnell 2021) - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wsb.995 Economically targeting conservation practices to optimize conservation and net revenue using precision agriculture tools (Meng et al. 2022) - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11119-022-09890-7 Farming and the fate of nature (Green et al. 2005) - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1106049 Wildlife-friendly farming benefits rare birds, bees and plants (Pywell et al. 2012) - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22675140/ Crop Advisors as Conservation Intermediaries (Eanes et al. 2019) - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837718310238 Creating Environmentally Resilient Agriculture Landscapes Using Precision Agriculture Technology: An Economic Perspective (McConnell 2019) - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2019-1334.ch007 CRP Menu Tool - https://crpmenu.gri.msstate.edu/

In the final episode of our second season, Jarred and Adam review the conversations we’ve had on the theme of private lands habitat conservation, discuss some things “left on the bone,” and share with the listeners where Habitat University is heading in the new year! Be sure to check out the previous episodes in the podcast, including those from Season 2 discussed in this episode, and Season 1 if you haven’t already! And as always please help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources mentioned in the episode: Bird friend coffee: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly Bird friendly beef: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/ranching Learn more about the Land sparing and land sharing debate with this article: https://e360.yale.edu/features/sparing-vs-sharing-the-great-debate-over-how-to-protect-nature For a much more thorough treatment of the history of Native peoples’ relationships to much of what we today know as private land, check out the exceptional book: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

We are joined this week by Matt Ross from the National Deer Association to chat about the importance of private lands and private land management for America’s favorite game species, the white-tailed deer. We discuss how whitetails can be a catalyst for private lands habitat management and all the work NDA does to assist private landowners. Resources discussed: National Deer Association – https://deerassociation.com/ 2023 Deer Report - https://deerassociation.com/2023-deer-report/ Deer Steward Program - https://deerassociation.com/steward/ Land Certification Program - https://deerassociation.com/land-certification/ Cooperative Program - https://deerassociation.com/coop/ Golden, K. E., M. N. Peterson, C. S. DePerno, R. E. Bardon, and C. E. Moorman. 2012. Factors shaping private landowner engagement in wildlife management. Wildlife Society Bulletin 37:94–100. https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wsb.235 Macaulay, L. 2016. The role of wildlife-associated recreation in private land use and conservation: Providing the missing baseline. Land Use Policy 58:218–233. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837716306159 Mitterling, A. M., B. A. Rudolph, and D. B. Kramer. 2021. The Influence of Private Land Deer Management Cooperatives on Harvest Outcomes and Hunter Satisfaction. Wildlife Society Bulletin 45:456–464. https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wsb.1209?af=R Pruitt, H. P., B. B. Boley, G. K. D’Angelo, and M. D. McConnell. 2022. Deer management cooperative members’ likelihood of engaging in conservation initiatives: an importance-likelihood analysis. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 0:1–20. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10871209.2022.2077483

In this episode, Jarred and Adam explain the Wildlife Habitat Education Program, which engages kids from throughout the country in wildlife habitat management through 4-H and FFA. Adam and Jarred first discuss the structure of the program and how it’s implemented in states across the country, and then they explore the national competition, including featuring voices of competitors from the 2022 National Competition in Kentucky. If you’re interested in starting a WHEP club in your community, you should reach out to your local or state 4-H or FFA leaders. Learn more about the program and how to get involved at the link below. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources from the episode: Learn more about WHEP at: https://www.whep.org/

When it comes to getting boots on the ground for private lands conservation, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever is a leader. This episode we are joined by Quail Forever Tennessee State Coordinator, Brittney Viers, to discuss all the work PF & QF does for wildlife on private lands. From Farm Bill Biologists to Precision Ag & Conservation Specialists, tune in to learn about the wide-ranging roles of PFQF employees, and how they work to create and enhance habitat on private lands. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources from the episode: Find your local Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever Biologist: https://quailforever.org/Habitat/findBiologist.aspx Contact a Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/Conservation/Precision-Agriculture/Contact.aspx

In this episode, we wrap our mini-segment on approaches to private lands habitat management with a visit to a state with only about 30% private land: Idaho! Sal Palazzolo is the State Wildlife Habitat Program Manager for the Idaho Department of Fish & Game. He works with staff and partners to manage habitat throughout the state on private and public lands and took Adam on a tour of the state and its diversity to admire their unique challenges and share some of their successes! Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Learn more about private land programs in Idaho here: https://idfg.idaho.gov/wildlife/lands

On this episode Adam is joined by Bill White and Lisa Potter from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Join them for a wide-ranging conversation about the MDC private lands program and how 80+ biologists work to get wildlife conservation done on private land. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources from the episode: Missouri Private Lands Program - https://mdc.mo.gov/your-property Please help us justify this effort by taking our quick survey: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ZdpHVy5wwkAt4q Enroll now in our free wildland fire course! For more information, follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

Join Jarred from the Bluegrass State as he talks with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Private Lands Coordinator, Jacob Stewart, and Small Game Coordinator, Cody Rhoden. Listen in as Jacob and Cody discuss their philosophy on private lands conservation and how Kentucky is trying to make wildlife a by-product of everyday land management. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources from the episode: KDFWR Private Lands Program - https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Improve-Your-Land-for-Wildlife.aspx KDFWR Bobwhite Restoration Plan 2020 - https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Documents/QuailPlan2020.pdf Your Bluestem Grazing Resource - https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/bluestem.aspx Please help us justify this effort by taking our quick survey: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ZdpHVy5wwkAt4q

State wildlife resource agencies are often on the front lines of wildlife habitat management and conservation on private lands by providing technical expertise and custom-tailored programs to help wildlife and people. But each state has its own unique approach. To learn more about these approaches, we’re going to be taking a tour of state-led private land programs around the country in the next few episodes! To get us started, Adam visited with Ray Aberle, the private lands program manager with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the director of the Private Lands Working Group of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Ray shared some really interesting insights about the approaches states use across the country for private lands work and then discussed the specific programs he oversees in Colorado. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources and references mentioned in the episode: Learn more about AFWA and the Private lands working group here: https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-acts/afwa-committees/private-lands-working-group Learn more about the variety of private lands programs in Colorado that Ray mentioned here: https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/PrivateLandProgramsResources.aspx Ray mentioned Rick Knight at Colorado State University—find his work here: https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/richardknight/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/02/CV.pdf Ray mentioned the Meadowlark Initiative in North Dakota. Learn more here: https://gf.nd.gov/meadowlark-initiative

This week we shift our inquiry from the U.S. Department of Agriculture into the Department of the Interior where we find a litany of wildlife biologists working to conserve wildlife habitat on private lands through various programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In this episode, Adam interviews biologist Gwen Kolb from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in New Mexico and Kraig McPeek from the Ecological Services Office in Illinois. Kraig and Gwen provide a detailed overview of how the USFWS works with private landowners throughout the country to help conserve a diversity of wildlife species and help landowners and managers achieve their own goals! Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources and references mentioned in the episode: Learn more about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, including state contacts, at this website: https://www.fws.gov/program/partners-fish-and-wildlife Find a U.S. FWS office near you with this link: https://www.fws.gov/visit-us?type=%5B%22Conservation%20Office%22%5D Learn more about federally endangered species here: https://www.fws.gov/program/endangered-species Learn what species are listed in your state here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/species-listings-by-state-totals?statusCategory=Listed Learn more about Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA’s) here: https://www.fws.gov/service/candidate-conservation-agreements Learn more about the Topeka Shiner conservation success story in this article from NRCS featuring interviewee Kraig McPeek!: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ia/newsroom/stories/nrcs142p2_008651/ Learn more about the Rio Grande Cutthroat (https://westernnativetrout.org/rio-grande-cutthroat-trout/) from the Western Native Trout Initiative.

CRP, EQIP, WRE, ACEP, CP, SAFE, MA, FRPP.....OK you get the point –there are A LOT of acronyms when it comes to federal programs for conservation work on private lands in the U.S. The Natural Resources Conservation Service –NRCS –is integral in the implementation of many of these programs. So this week, Jarred and Adam visited with Indiana’s NRCS State Wildlife Biologist Brianne Lowe to get the skinny on all these acronyms and how the programs they represent can be used to create habitat for wildlife on private lands! Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources and references mentioned in the episode: Find a library of the “CP’s” or “Conservation Practices” under the CRP here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/crp-practices-library/index Learn more about the ACEP program here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/easements/acep/ Find your local NRCS office here: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app We apologize for the technical difficulties associated with this episode and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

There is A LOT of private land in the U.S. and that means there are A LOT of challenges and opportunities for wildlife habitat conservation there! This season, Adam and Jarred will be joining guests from across the country to admire these challenges and opportunities thoroughly. In this first episode of Season 2 of Habitat University, they set the stage for the season and discuss what some of these challenges and opportunities will look like and how they’ll be exploring them in the episodes to come! Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources and references mentioned in the episode: Morgan et al. (2019) study that reports area of private land and numbers of private lands wildlife biologists in each state. Morgan, J. J., Rhoden, C. M., White, B., & Riley, S. P. (2019). A state assessment of private lands wildlife conservation in the United States. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 43(3), 328-337. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.997 Overview of private lands wildlife conservation in the U.S. with reference to the 71% private land ownership statistic. Burger, L. W., Evans, K. O., McConnell, M. D., & Burger, L. M. (2019). Private lands conservation: A vision for the future. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 43(3), 398-407. doi:10.1002/wsb.1001 National Woodland Owner Survey from the U.S. Forest service with information on family forest ownership: https://www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos/ The dashboard shows customized information for each state, including those shared in the episode: https://ffrc.shinyapps.io/NWOSdashboard/ Report on landownership statistics in Iowa. Zhang, W. A. Plastina, and W. Sawadgo. 2018. Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey 1982-2017: A Thirty-five Year Perspective, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, FM 1893. https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/6492 Macaulay study that shows the impact of wildlife associated recreation on private lands management in the U.S. Macaulay, L. (2016). The role of wildlife-associated recreation in private land use and conservation: Providing the missing baseline. Land Use Policy, 58, 218-233. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.06.024 USFWS Report showing the impacts of CRP on private lands in the northern US on breeding duck production. Drum, R. G., Loesch, C. R., Carrlson, K. M., Doherty, K. E., & Fedy, B. C. (2015). Assessing the biological benefits of the USDA-Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for waterfowl and grassland passerines in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States: Spatial analyses for targeting CRP to maximize benefits for migratory birds. Final Report for USDA–FSA Agreement. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/EPAS/PDF/drumetal2015_crp_prr_final.pdf

Not sure what to get the habitat manager on your list this holiday season? Have no fear! In this episode, Adam and Jarred chat about what’s on their holiday habitat wishlist. Take a listen and you are sure to find the perfect gift idea. You will also get a sneak peek about what’s coming up on Habitat University in 2022. You can find Adam and Jarred’s wishlist below along with some helpful links. Adam’s WIshlist https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/about/native-plants https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/lawrence-newcomb/newcombs-wildflower-guide/9780316604420/ https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/wildlife/woodworking-wildlifehttps://www.trailcampro.com/collections/cellular-trail-camerashttps://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass Jarred’s Wishlist https://extension.purdue.edu/uav/natural-resources/https://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/pdf/ABH_Tool_Info.pdfhttps://www.deerassociation.com/steward/ https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/C%201148_1.PDF https://research.cnr.ncsu.edu/blogs/southeast-fire-update/2019/09/09/ppe-for-landowners-practical-clothing-options/ https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/products.php?mi=15801&itemnum=85022 Disclaimer Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of any kind by Purdue Extension. Persons using such products assume responsibility for their use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer.

Adam and Jarred are joined in this episode by award-winning instructor, Dr. Liz Flaherty, to chat about teaching undergraduate students all about habitat management. Dr. Flaherty is an Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology & Habitat Management at Purdue University. Take a listen to learn about the insights you can take from a college classroom and apply on your own property. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Dr. Liz Flaherty - https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/Pages/profile.aspx?strAlias=eflaher The research Jarred mentioned about the value of CRP fields based on their distance from bobwhite populations. Private land conservation has landscape-scale benefits for wildlife in agroecosystems - https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1365-2664.13136

Ask anyone what they’re doing for wildlife habitat and you’re sure to hear mention of the challenges of invasive species. From aquatic invasive species that restructure entire food webs of Great Lakes to carpets of exotic grasses changing fire regimes in the west, invasive species are everywhere. In this episode, Jarred and Adam first dig in on the science of invasive species and discuss the challenges they present for wildlife and wildlife habitat. Then, we feature short discussions with Dawn Slack of The Nature Conservancy in Indiana to hear about her team’s hand-to-hand combat with invasive plants and Bronson Strickland to get the scoop on invasive feral pigs in the southeast. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm This episode's guests included Dawn Slack from the the Nature Conservancy in Indiana (https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/) and Dr. Bronson Strickland from Mississippi State University (http://extension.msstate.edu/wildlife-fisheries-aquaculture/dr-bronson-strickland). From our discussion of invasive plant definitions, USDA’s definitions (https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ct/technical/ecoscience/invasive/?cid=nrcs142p2_011124) and Grace College’s definition (https://lakes.grace.edu/native-non-native-invasive-species/). Learn more about the idea of the “Invasion triangle” we discussed in the episode with this paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.47 Download the paper from Iowa that discusses the characteristics of exotic invasive woody plants in Iowa: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=ncrpis_pubs References mentioned in the discussion with Dawn Slack: Indiana Invasive Species Council - https://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/index.html Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasive Management - http://www.sicim.info/ Find a Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area - https://www.invasive.org/cismas/ Invasive and Exotic Species of North America - https://www.invasive.org/ Learn more about invasive pigs here: https://www.wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/index.php Midwest Invasive Plant Network: https://www.mipn.org/ Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council: https://www.se-eppc.org/index.cfm University of Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health - https://www.bugwood.org/index.cfm Iowa State resources: https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/invasives

When you’re managing habitat for wildlife do you think more about plants than wildlife? Yeah, us too. So who better to chat with than one of the nation’s leading researchers and educators on plant-wildlife interactions? In this episode, Jarred and Adam chat with author and University of Tennessee Extension Wildlife Specialist Dr. Craig Harper. Tune in for a masterclass on the importance of plants and plant id for all habitat managers. But, don’t worry, you don’t have to be a botanist for this episode; Craig gives some helpful tips for anyone interested in learning more about plants, wildlife, and habitat management on their land. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Learn more about this week’s guest, Dr. Craig Harper: https://fwf.tennessee.edu/craig-harper/ Wildlife Food Plots and Early Successional Plants by Dr. Harper: https://nocsopublishing.com/ American Wildlife and Plants book quoted in the episode, a great resource, and where we sorta borrowed the title of this episode from! - https://bookshop.org/books/american-wildlife-and-plants/9780486207933 Flicker color and honeysuckle study: https://www.audubon.org/news/mystery-solved-invasive-berries-blame-turning-flickers-feathers-pink 2020 paper titled “Seeding is not always necessary to restore native early successional plant communities” that Dr. Harper referenced in the episode: https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13249

What do baseball and wildlife habitat management have in common? Take a listen to this week’s episode as Adam and Jarred discuss what Adam calls “the Moneyball problem” of habitat management. They chat about how lessons learned from the best-selling book (and movie) - Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game – can be applied to habitat management. Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources mentioned: Moneyball: The art of winning an unfair game, by Michael Lewis - https://bookshop.org/books/moneyball-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game/9780393324815 Read a synopsis on the book from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball The famous, Van Horne paper, Density as a misleading indicator of habitat quality: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3808148 “Streetlight effect” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetlight_effect Moneyball and Shorebirds - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/moneyball-for-shorebirds-how-precision-analytics-are-changing-habitat-conservation/ Rosy retrospection hypothesis - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_retrospection Article about University of Tennessee white oak and fertilizer research project - https://www.deerassociation.com/for-more-acorns-dont-fertilize-oak-trees-maybe-cut-some-down/