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MDC is working with partners to address
drought
effects on citizens, forest, fish and wildlife.
JEFFERSON CITY–Everything
from trees to fish are feeling the pinch of heat and drought, and the
Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is tracking the effects of
extreme summer weather and doing what it can to help people and nature.
The
period from January through June was the hottest on record nationally.
June was the sixth-driest on record in Missouri. The Show-Me State’s
last rainfall of statewide significance fell on May 7. Meanwhile,
extreme heat, wind and unusually low humidity have sapped what little
moisture once existed in the state’s soil.
One-hundred
degree-plus temperatures began in June and lingered into August. In
July alone, temperatures topped 100 degrees on 15 days in central
Missouri.
As
of July 24, the National Climate Data showed the entire state of
Missouri as being in at least severe drought. More than two-thirds of
the
state was in extreme drought, and the Bootheel and adjacent counties
were in an exceptional drought, the most severe classification
recognized by the National Climatic Data Center.
The
National Weather Service’s long-range forecast is for drought
conditions to persist or intensify across Missouri. No significant
increase
in precipitation is anticipated before October.
FORESTS
Missouri
forests were stressed by several factors even before the drought set
in. Most of the state suffered a severe, late freeze in 2007, killing
flower and leaf buds on many trees. Multiple ice storms that same year
wrecked hundreds of thousands of trees over large swaths of Missouri,
and a freak windstorm, known as a derecho, flattened trees across parts
of the eastern Ozarks in 2009.
The
period from 2008 to 2010 set records for rainfall. Then, in 2011, the
weather abruptly turned hot and dry, a trend that has worsened this
year. Forests in southeastern and southwestern Missouri are hardest hit
by drought, but trees are suffering statewide.
As
if weather challenges weren’t enough, Missouri witnessed the emergence
of a brood of periodical cicadas that covered most of the state in 2011,
followed by an outbreak of jumping oak gall wasps and defoliating
insects.
“All
in all, it has been an extremely tough five years for Missouri
forests,” says Forestry Field Programs Supervisor Nick Kuhn. “While it
is
still too early to know exactly how severe the effects will be, we
expect to see some reduction in acorn and nut production. That could be a
concern for animals that depend on acorns and other nuts for food, and
for Missouri’s nut industry.”
Kuhn
says many trees are dropping their leaves early to cope with the heat
and drought. Shedding leaves reduces the amount of water trees lose
through evaporation, helping them survive. However some trees will
succumb to drought.
Kuhn
says the drought will be hardest on old trees and those already
weakened by disease or parasites. Trees growing on west- and
south-facing
slopes will face greater drought challenges, as will trees that are
crowded or poorly adapted to the sites where they are growing. The drought underscores the importance of proper forest management
and working with a professional forest to properly manage forests.
“Landowners
can help their forests be more resilient to insect and drought stresses
through proper management,” says MDC Forest Products Program
Supervisor Jason Jensen. “Forests need management much the same as a
garden or any other crop. When left unmanaged, forests become
overcrowded. Trees all compete for water, nutrients and sunlight. When
there are too many trees competing for these limited
resources, the trees will become stressed and won't be as healthy and
productive as a managed forest. Trees in well-managed forests grow
faster and provide better wildlife habitat.”
For
landowners who are interested in managing their forest or are seeing
trees that have died as a result of the drought, a timber sale may be
in order. Landowners should seek the assistance of a professional
forester when considering a timber sale. MDC has foresters available to
assist landowners. To find a forester in your county go to
www.mdc.mo.gov and
select “Who's My Local Contact.” Private consulting foresters are also
available to assist landowners. To find a consulting forester in your
area go to
www.missouriforesters.com.
The
ongoing drought also has heightened wildfire danger. Unlike western
states, Missouri’s primary wildfire season is late winter. Once trees
leaf out, the shade they provide causes humidity levels on the
forest floor to increase, reducing fire danger. This year is an
exception. MDC saw a 150-percent increase in the number of reported
fires from May through June. This does not include fires on the
1.5-million acre Mark Twain National Forest. Since Jan. 1, MDC
has recorded 2,280 fires affecting 26,944 acres. Those fires destroyed
15 homes and
l51 outbuildings and damaged 331 other structures.
Causes of these fires included:
·
Debris Burning – 794 fires consuming 4,942 acres
·
Equipment Use – 154 fires consuming 1,937 acres
·
Arson – 117 fires consuming 4,470 acres
·
Smoking – 49 fires consuming 189 acres
·
Campfire – 34 fires consuming 82 acres
·
Children – 34 fires consuming 83 acres
·
Lightning – 23 fires consuming 75 acres
·
Railroad – 7 fires consuming 38 acres
·
Miscellaneous causes – 1,068 fires consuming 15,129 acres
Compared to a normal year, total burned acreage has
tripled.
MDC normally sends crews to help fight fires in the western United
States, but this year the agency’s entire force of 754 firefighters is
at home, responding to calls for help from local fire
departments.
MDC
has mutual aid agreements with more than 800 fire departments and has
assigned approximately $70 million in federal excess property equipment
to these partners for wildfire suppression. MDC also provides training
to volunteer firefighters and awards an average of $400,000 in
cost-share grants annually to fire departments to purchase wild-land
fire suppression equipment.
Burn bans across most of the state discourage trash burning or any other open fire.
MDC has banned open fires on all conservation areas.
“Everyone
needs to be extra careful when working or playing outside,” says
Forestry Field Programs Supervisor Ben Webster. “It doesn’t take much
to start a wildfire.”
At
home and on the farm, barbecue grills should not be left unattended.
Exercise extreme caution when using farm machinery, mowers or other
equipment
that could strike a spark or put hot engine parts in contact with dry
vegetation. This includes driving vehicles off road. Smokers are urged
to put cigarette butts in ashtrays rather than discarding them along
roadways. Homeowners should visit
www.mdc.mo.gov/node/5290 and use the Firewise checklist there to ensure that you can protect your property from wildfire.
WILDLIFE
Native
wildlife is well-adapted to the range of conditions that can occur in
Missouri. That does not mean, however, that weather does not affect
animals, which may have to alter normal behavior patterns to meet their
needs for food, water and shelter.
An
example of such behavioral changes came to light recently when Resource
Scientist Jeff Beringer attached a video camera to the radio collar
he placed on a black bear. When he retrieved the camera and watched the
video, he discovered that the bear had spent pretty much all its time
walking through the water in a small stream.
Resource
Scientist Jeff Briggler’s primary area of expertise is reptiles and
amphibians, but he offers a general observation about how current
weather could affect human interaction with wildlife.
“Wild animals need water, which is extremely scarce right now,” says Briggler. “People
have plenty of water, and watered lawns and gardens, birdbaths, even air-conditioners that drip water are very attractive to all kinds of
wildlife.”
Briggler says people shouldn’t be surprised to find
squirrels
munching their tomatoes or box turtles and frogs around backyard water
features. Similarly, cool basements may attract animals trying to escape
the heat.
“If
an animal can’t get far enough underground to get away from the heat
and find moisture in their normal home area, they have to look for
someplace
they can,” says Briggler.
Deer are traveling farther than usual for this time of year and moving during times of day when they ordinarily
would
be inactive. Aquatic turtles must move or die when ponds or streams
where they live dry up. On the other hand, smaller, less mobile animals,
such as frogs, often take the opposite approach, hunkering
down to wait out the heat.
Hummingbirds
go where there is food, and this summer that means forests, especially
around permanent bodies of water, where flowering plants remain
available. As a result, fewer hummingbirds are visiting nectar feeders
in dry upland areas, causing some people to wonder what has become of
the little birds.
Wildlife Ecologist Brad Jacobs urges people to leave hummingbird feeders out well into the fall, however.
“The southern migration of hummingbirds has begun,” says Jacobs, “with
increasing
reports of adult and young birds at nectar feeders. Artificial feeders
are a welcome supplement for migrating hummers. The ruby-throats will be
mostly gone by October, but several other western
hummingbird species pass through Missouri on up until early December,
and they might just stop by a feeder if you leave one out for them.”
Jacobs
says the current weather has the opposite effect on birds whose primary
foods are seeds and insects. Shortages of these staple foods have
meant capacity crowds at well-stocked feeding stations. Putting out
black-oil sunflower seeds, seed mixes and suet blocks almost guarantees
that mobs of birds will visit your feeder.
Likewise,
people are reporting seeing more herons this year. Jacobs says the
long-legged wading birds are not more numerous this year. They simply
are more visible because they are concentrated around limited water.
Shallow, shrunken pools present a bonanza for these predators of fish
and amphibians.
Waterfowl
hunters have been encouraged by news that near-record numbers of ducks
will head south from nesting grounds in the northern United States
and Canada this year. However, reduced availability of agricultural
crops and natural food plants on wetland areas could prevent ducks from
lingering in Missouri long enough to provide much hunting opportunity.
Keeping
wetland areas wet enough for ducks could be a problem if the drought
continues. Low water levels in streams and wells have raised concerns
about the availability of water later in the fall at managed wetland
areas, including Bob Brown, Nodaway Valley, Fountain Grove and Otter
Slough.
On
the other hand, low water levels allow maintenance work on boat ramps
and other areas that normally are too wet. Lack of moisture also permits
habitat work in areas where soil normally remains saturated throughout
the summer and provides opportunities to control invasive plants.
For all these reasons, the quality of this year’s waterfowl hunting remains a question mark in spite of the abundance of ducks.
Resource Scientist Emily Flinn specializes in deer biology and management. She
does not expect big changes in deer numbers on account of this year’s weather.
“Deer
are resilient animals and have dealt with extreme conditions for
millions of years,” she says. “Although fawn survival can be affected by
drought, the mild winter and early spring green-up allowed the deer
population to enter the summer in excellent body condition. So I doubt
that fawn recruitment will be significantly affected statewide.”
Flinn
says epizootic hemorrhagic disease and blue tongue (another hemorrhagic
disease) always are concerns in drought years, because deer have
more opportunity to transmit diseases when they are crowded around
limited water supplies. She noted that hemorrhagic diseases are
different and unrelated to chronic wasting disease, or CWD.
She
has received some reports of dead deer around water, which is typical
of hemorrhagic diseases, but she is awaiting test results to confirm
the cause. Such outbreaks are difficult to document, since affected
deer typically die quickly and are immediately consumed by scavengers.
Citizens who see dead or sick deer can report the sightings to the
nearest MDC office.
Flinn
says she is receiving a larger-than-normal number of complaints about
deer damaging crops. She attributes this to reduced availability of
other natural foods. At this time of year, deer normally are browsing
on plant leaves, buds and fruits.
MDC
provides
landowners considerable ability to manage deer by providing depredation
permits to address localized crop damage and free or low-cost deer
hunting permits during the hunting seasons. Flinn
stresses that it is important for neighbors to work together to manage
deer in their area.
MDC
is working with landowners to encourage quality deer management at the
community level. Several deer-management landowner cooperatives have
started across the state where landowners are working together to
better manage the local deer herd.
“Deer
hunting is a rich tradition in Missouri and important to our economy,”
says Flinn. “MDC wants neighbors talking to each other about how
they can work together to better manage the local deer herd “and we’re
here to help.”
MDC
is hosting four deer-management workshops in August and September that
will focus on managing deer on private land. For details, visit
mdc.mo.gov/node/18243.
For more information on deer landowner cooperatives, contact your
county private land conservationist using the “Who’s My Local Contact”
link at
www.mdc.mo.gov.
Weather
conditions do affect deer behavior, and Missourians might be seeing
evidence of that as deer travel longer distances to find food and
water. This could result in deer being active throughout the day,
rather than just from dusk to dawn, as they normally are.
One
thing that is unlikely to be affected by weather is the size of bucks’
antlers. Flinn notes that deer in Texas showed no change in antler
growth last year after experiencing a record drought.
“Again,”
says Flinn, “the mild winter and early spring allowed deer to store
nutrients and enter the summer in great body condition. I don’t think
hunters are going to see any effect on antler size related to the
drought and heat.”
For the same reason,
Flinn said deer don’t need supplemental feeding.
“We
do not need to provide supplemental food or water sources,” says Flinn.
“This mainly increases the risk of disease spread, which could cause
more harm than good.”
Resource Scientist Beth Emmerich says
warm,
dry weather early in the nesting season gave wild turkeys, quail,
pheasant and other upland birds a much needed break from the wet, cold
weather that has plagued them in recent years. She says
quail should have no trouble finding food because grasshoppers – one of
their staple foods – are abundant.
“Most people I’ve talked to are seeing and hearing more quail than they have in the
last several years, when it was wetter,” says Emmerich. “It should be
good for rabbits,
pheasants and other upland
wildlife,
too. Quail can tolerate periods of dry weather well, as they get their
water from dew and food. The mild winter, coupled with a
dry summer should be good news for them. I have my hopes up for good
survival of quail chicks this year.”
FISH
The
most dramatic effects of the current drought on fish and other aquatic
life are occurring in ponds, small lakes and streams. Fisheries
biologists
across the state report increased incidence of fish kills in small
impoundments.
Although
the number of fish kills is up, such events are normal occurrences in
Missouri. In most cases, fish die because they can’t get enough
oxygen. Warm water holds less oxygen than cool water, so hot weather is
naturally more stressful. Fish usually can cope with this unless other
factors come into play.
Warm,
fertile water sometimes promotes excessive growth of tiny aquatic
plants known as algae. That’s fine as long as the sun shines and the
tiny
plants are using sunlight to put oxygen in the water. But cloudy
weather turns algae from oxygen producers into oxygen consumers, so a
couple of overcast days can have disastrous results for fish.
Fish
gulping air at the surface of a pond is an early warning of an
impending kill. Sometimes pond owners can improve the situation by
running
an outboard boat motor with the propeller close enough to the surface
to mix air and water, increasing dissolved oxygen. However, they must be
sure not to stir up mud, as this can make things worse. They also must
ensure that the motor’s cooling-water intake
remains submerged to avoid overheating.
More information about how to prevent and deal with fish kills is available at
mdc.mo.gov/node/4891.
Fish
in large lakes are not immune to drought and heat. Most of Missouri’s
large reservoirs still have reasonably good water levels, but
temperatures
are climbing and dissolved-oxygen levels are declining. Fish grow
sluggish as water warms and oxygen grows scarce, and this makes for poor
fishing. Fish also are more susceptible to diseases and parasites in
tepid lakes. The longer such conditions continue,
the greater the likelihood that fish will die. At present, fisheries
biologists worry about the possibility of isolated die-offs of large
muskellunge at Pomme de Terre or the loss of walleyes and other prized
game fish at other big lakes.
Fish
in streams also feel the effects of heat and drought. Streams with
healthy watersheds – including good soil-conservation practices,
vegetated
stream-side buffer zones and trees that provide shade – generally have
good water quality and avoid fish kills. But even fish in healthy
streams can experience stress in extreme droughts. Trout in the Current
and Niangua rivers and small spring-fed streams
currently are at risk because reduced flow from springs has raised
their water temperatures.
Pools
that serve as refuges for fish in small streams statewide are
disappearing, leaving fish with nowhere to go. Even where pools remain,
severe
flow reductions can leave fish vulnerable to pond-like fish kills.
Anglers
may find the water level in some streams so low that boat ramps are
unusable. Until the drought breaks, it’s a good idea to inspect the
bottom ends of boat ramps before launching to ensure the concrete apron extends far enough to support your boat trailer.
Four
of MDC’s five cold-water fish hatcheries rely on natural springs to
supply water for their operations. Some of those springs are down to
less than half their normal flows. This has forced some hatcheries to
transfer part of their fish to Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery, which has
an abundant supply of cool water from Table Rock Lake.
MDC’s four warm-water hatcheries are making do with reduced flows, but hatchery managers are watching conditions closely.
“Hatchery
improvements completed the past couple years, such as dissolved oxygen
systems, aerators, and renovated raceways have really helped
us cope with the drought and low water levels,” says Hatchery Systems
Manager James Civiello. “I’d hate to imagine where we would be in this
drought without the hatchery improvements.”
PRIVATE LAND
Livestock
forage is critically scarce this summer, and MDC supported a request by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency to
allow farmers to graze cattle on some land enrolled in the Conservation
Reserve Program and permit haying on land enrolled in the Wetland
Reserve Program.
MDC
also offers cost share to landowners interested in establishing native
warm-season grasses for forage production. Native grasses are more
drought-tolerant than introduced cool-season grasses such as brome and
tall fescue. During the drought, native grasses like big bluestem and
switchgrass are still growing and providing forage for livestock and
cover for wildlife. For more information on native
warm-season grasses contact your local private land conservationist or
regional MDC office.
Private Land Field Programs Supervisor Rex Martensen reminds landowners that the
Missouri Wildlife Code allows them to protect crops and property
from deer, bears, raccoons, coyotes, beavers and other wildlife with MDC
permission. A call to the nearest MDC office is all that is needed to
get help from a wildlife damage biologist.
CONCLUSION
Good
news related to the drought is scarce, but there are a few silver
linings. One is that ticks and mosquitoes are not as troublesome this
summer
as they have been in recent years. Invasive
zebra mussels can’t tolerate warm water well and apparently were
devastated by high water temperatures at Lake of the Ozarks last year.
This year’s more
extreme conditions could help contain the destructive mussels.
While individual animals and local populations may suffer, MDC experts agree that forests,
fish and wildlife overall will bounce back from the current drought and heat.
“The
resiliency of wild animals and the stability of natural systems is
truly remarkable,” says Briggler. “Trees and animals don’t fret over the
present or the future. They just persevere.”
-Jim Low-
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