Boos ot 529, So Be G ape wy SS ae oe ee ifs Bo a abe a very setae eae p P ; tre CER : ~ ae : : oN FRO ie : : “ Saat ; . as ee ey SS: << haut RPA se ae ear Ak Ain tonbato A 0 ink te x = = “A a : 7 a6 - — = SELECTED MINERALS IN SOILS, PLANTS, AND PHEASANTS: AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING PHEASANT DISTRIBUTION IN ILLINOIS Robert L. Jones Ronald F. Labisky William L. Anderson BIOLOGICAL NOTES NO. 63 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY URBANA, ILLINOIS DECEMBER, 1968 STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION W/ISCONS/INAN DRIFT LIVINGSTON al 99.1 KANSAN DRIFT 59 oe 0.1 56 J ssrer a was a SS ere 0.1-— +-50 2229 cs erwoonn | OT | yc CLAY BANEOS 2 = ay RICHLAND Ut if JEFFERSON 3 VD = = = WASHINGTON = w _ [RANDOLPH | PERRY HAMILTON aoe UNTO UNGLACIATED REGION PHEASANT ABUNDANCE APRIL 1963 COUNTY RANK PHEASANTS PER lOO MILES OF DRIVING Fig. 1.—Distribution and abundance of pheasants in Illinois in relation to the most recent (Wisconsinan) and older glacial drifts. The solid and broken lines with projections designate the terminal boundaries of the Wisconsinan and Illinoian ice sheets. A small region of the exposed Kansan drift is located in southwest-central Illinois. The pheasant abundance statistics were derived from a 1963 rural mail carrier census (after Labisky & Anderson 1965:129-130); rank was assigned only to the 61 counties from which pheasants were reported. The 28 southernmost counties, below the heavy black line, are classed as nonpheasant range (Greeley et al. 1962:14). Selected Minerals in Soils, Plants, and Pheasants: An Ecosystem Approach to Understanding Pheasant Distribution in Illinois Robert L. Jones, Ronald F. Labisky, and William L. Anderson IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE UNITED StTaTEs the exotic pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) occupies a band of contiguous range, except along the Mississippi River, from Iowa and southern Minnesota across southeast- ern Wisconsin, northeastern and east-central Illinois, northern Indiana, southern Michigan, and into Ohio and Pennsylvania. Yet, despite repeated introductions following its initial establishment in the eastern United States during the early 1900’s, the pheasant has never established self-maintaining populations south of the 39th parallel. Factors potentially responsible for lim- iting the southward expansion of pheasant range in Illinois {Fig. 1) and elsewhere in the eastern United States, such as land use, climate, and a calcium de- ficiency, have been the subject of considerable research —and of conflicting findings (Labisky et al. 1964). A deficiency of soil minerals, and particularly of calcium, has long been considered one of the major factors affecting pheasant distribution. Leopold (1931:125) pointed out that pheasants were confined mainly to range within the boundary of the most re- cent, or Wisconsinan, glaciation. He suggested that some plant or substance, such as lime (calcium car- bonate) or gravel, present in geologically young soils was necessary for the establishment and maintenance of pheasant populations. Years later Dale (1954:320) revived interest in the “calcium hypothesis” by reporting that pheasant abun- dance in the eastern half of the United States was ap- parently correlated with the availability of calcium in soils. Dale (1955), Dale and DeWitt (1958), and Greeley (1962) then studied the calcium requirements of pen-reared pheasants to establish minimum amounts of calcium necessary to maintain physiological bal- ance, particularly during the reproductive period when demands for calcium are high. At this point it was apparent that the organic items eaten by wild pheasants did not supply sufficient cal- cium to meet their physiological needs, particularly for reproduction. The logical supplementary source of calcium was calcium-bearing grit. McCann (1961: 189-190) reported that wild pheasants in Minnesota were most abundant on soils that contained grit that was relatively rich in calcium and poor in magnesium. Subsequent reports by Harper (1963, 1964) and Korschgen (1964) described the intake of calcium This paper is published by authority of the State of Illinois, IRS Ch. 127, Par. 58.12. Dr. Robert L. Jones is Associate Professor of Soil Mineralogy, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, Urbana. Dr. Ronald F. Labisky and William L. Anderson are Associate Wildlife Specialists, Section of Wildlife Research, Illinois Natural History Survey, Urbana. from grit and foods by wild pheasants in the midwest- ern United States. The finding that the wild pheasant hen apparently has the ability to select calcium-rich grit in preference to calcium-poor or noncalcareous grit constituted an important contribution toward un- derstanding how the pheasant fulfills its requirements for this mineral (Sadler 1961; Harper 1964; Harper & Labisky 1964; Korschgen 1964; Kopischke & Nelson 1966; and Kopischke 1966). In Illinois Harper and Labisky (1964) investigated the possibility that a deficiency of calcium was a fac- tor limiting the southward spread of pheasants. They compared the availability of calcium and its ingestion and physiological use by wild pheasants on two areas, Neoga and Sibley, located on the geographically older Illinoian-age drift and on the comparatively younger Wisconsinan-age drift, respectively (Fig. 1). Harper and Labisky (1964:729-730) concluded that both the availability of calcium on the older drift and its inges- tion by pheasants were adequate to establish self- maintaining pheasant populations. However, as La- bisky et al. (1964:12) later pointed out, this conclu- sion does not contradict the possibility that a deficiency of some other mineral or of some vitamin might pre- vent the establishment of self-maintaining populations of pheasants on pre-Wisconsinan drift. The objectives of the research reported here were 1) to determine if the concentrations of four essential elements—sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium —in the primary feathers of pheasants from a high- density population on Wisconsinan drift differed from those of pheasants from a low-density population on pre-Wisconsinan drift, and 2) to learn if the relative concentrations of minerals in feathers reflected the levels of these elements in the nutrient chain (i.e., from soil to plant to pheasant). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Mr. Emil Marcusiu, Agronomy Department, Uni- versity of Illinois, Urbana, assisted with analyses con- ducted on the optical emission spectrograph. Dr. Alvin H. Beavers and Mr. Victor Gabriel, Agronomy De- partment, University of Illinois, Urbana, expedited an- alyses performed on the X-ray spectrograph. Dr. Harlow B. Mills, Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin, Parkside Campus, Racine, and Dr. Gary L. Jackson, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, kindly reviewed the manuscript. Mr. Richard M. Sheets, Illinois Natural History Survey Illustrator, assisted in the design of the cover, and the manuscript was edited by Mr. Robert M. Zewadski, Survey Associate Editor. This study was partially sup- ported by Federal Aid Project W-66-R, the Illinois Department of Conservation, the U.S, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Illinois Natural His- tory Survey, cooperating. STUDY AREAS The two areas from which soils, plant seeds, and pheasants were collected were the two areas—Neoga and Sibley—studied by Harper and Labisky (1964). The Sibley Area (23,200 acres), which supports thriv- ing populations of wild pheasants, is located on Wis- consinan drift (Fig. 1). In contrast, the Neoga Area (10,240 acres ), which lies in the southern fringe of the contiguous range of the pheasant in Illinois, is found on the geologically older Illinoian drift. The low-level pheasant population on the Neoga Area originated from releases of various strains of propagated pheas- ants and of transplanted wild pheasants (Anderson 1964). Both of these areas are intensively farmed; corn and soybeans are the major crops. These two areas differ markedly in geomorphology, age, and nature of soils. The Sibley Area lies within that region of rolling topography formed by the Nor- mal and Cropsey morainic system; about two-thirds of it lies on a gently undulating morainic ridge and the remainder on a broad, flat outwash apron. The till is calcareous; the Cropsey moraine, in La Salle County, has a mean calcium carbonate content of 23 percent (Jones et al. 1966:366). The soils, which reflect the fine-textured nature of the glacial till, are silt loams or silty clay loams. The major soil series found on the Sibley Area are Elliott and Saybrook, both classified as Brunizem or Prairie soils, and Drummer, classified as a Humic-Glei soil. Elliott and Drummer occur on the moraine and Saybrook on the outwash apron. All of these soils are near neutral in pH in their surface horizons and have high natural productivity; most of the soils are tile drained. The age of the soils of the Sibley Area is probably about 16,000 years. However, a small amount of younger loess is incorporated in the surface horizons (Jones & Beavers 1963:439-440). The Neoga Area lies immediately south of the out- wash apron bordering the Shelbyville moraine, the terminal moraine of Wisconsinan glaciation (Fig. 1). Topographic relief is slight at Neoga. The soils of the study area, being of pre-Wisconsinan origin, have had a longer and more complicated history of development than those of the Sibley Area. The till is calcareous only at depths greater than 3.4 meters. Two predom- inant soil series, Cisne and Ebert, are found at Neoga. Cisne, a Planosol, is characterized by a shallow clay layer that impedes drainage. Ebert, an intergrade soil having properties between a Planosol and Humic-Glei soil, is more poorly drained than Cisne. Both soils are moderately acid; the pH in the surface horizons ranges 4 from 5.3 to 6.0 in Cisne soils and from 5.6 to 6.5 in Ebert soils. These soils developed in 1.2 meters of loess (Fehrenbacher et al. 1965:568) overlying Lllinoian till that has an ancient soil or paleosol in it. This paleosol is quite impermeable and restricts internal drainage. Thus, these soils, which have low natural productivity, are mostly surface drained. The Neoga soils may be 100,000 or more years old. TECHNIQUES Sample Collections Samples of seeds commonly consumed by pheasants —corn (Zea mays) and Chinese foxtail (Setaria fab- erii)—and soil were collected at 10 sites on both the Neoga and Sibley areas during October 1966. The sampling sites, all located in cornfields, were distrib- uted proportionately among the major soil series on each area. At each site, about 15 meters from the edge of the field, a sample of soil from the 0- to 18-cm layer was taken from within 30 cm of the base of what we judged to be a normal corn plant surrounded by clumps of foxtail. Kernels of corn were harvested from the corn plant and seeds were stripped from the associated foxtail plants to complete the sample collec- tion at each site. Samples of primary feathers were taken from 14 pheasants collected on each area during the autumn of 1966. The feather samples were taken from birds killed by hunters, from birds killed by vehicles on highways, and from birds captured by nightlighting (Labisky 1968:6-S). The collection of pheasants from the Neoga Area included only birds that had been hatched and reared on the area. The depth of the bursa of Fabricius was used to separate juveniles, or young-of-the-year, from adults. The Neoga sample included 12 juvenile males and 2 adult males; the Sib- ley sample, 11 juvenile males, 1 adult male, and 2 juvenile females. Analytical Procedures Soil, including grit, was air dried and ground to pass through a 2-mm mesh screen. A subsample was then taken from each sample and ground until it would pass through a 0.25-mm mesh screen. Calcium and potassium concentrations in the soils were determined by X-ray spectrography; the finely ground soils were compressed into flat discs for analysis. The concen- trations of calcium and of potassium were estimated from calibration curves that we derived for each ele- ment by analysis of National Bureau of Standards samples and by analysis of standards we prepared by the addition of a salt of the element to soil. Sodium and magnesium concentrations were determined by flame photometry and atomic absorption analysis, re- spectively, after the soil had been fused with lithium metaborate (Ingamells 1966:1228). A total elemental analysis, rather than plant-available analysis, was per- formed because we believed it to better represent the minerals to which the pheasant is exposed. Also, a relatively large proportion of the elements in these fine-textured soils occurs in forms available to plants. The corn and foxtail seeds were oven-dried at 60° C. The corn was finely ground in a Wily mill; the fox- tail seeds were left intact (with floret structures at- tached). Except for calcium in corn, the elemental concentrations in seeds were determined by direct- reading emission spectrography. A rotating-disc solu- tion technique, with a-c spark excitation, was used in the analyses; lithium was the internal standard. The samples were prepared for analysis by ashing 1.5 g of material at 500° C. for 24 hours. The ash was taken up in a solution of 4.5 percent HCl, 1.5 percent HNO; (by volume), and 1 percent lithium (as LiCl). The concentration of each element was estimated from calibration curves derived by our analyses of reference plant samples assembled by Kenworthy et al. (1956). The calcium content of corn was determined by X-ray fluorescence; the finely ground corn was compressed into disc-shaped pellets for this analysis. The concen- trations of calcium in the corn samples were estimated from calibration curves that we derived from analyses of similarly prepared corn samples to which known quantities of calcium had been added. The feather samples were prepared by clipping the primaries, at the junction of calamus and skin, from the right wing of each pheasant. The clipped feathers were then cut into 4-cm segments. Each sample was then placed in a conical flask, washed several hours in distilled water on a reciprocating shaker (with fre- quent changes of water), and oven-dried at 60° C. The dried samples, which individually weighed 1.5-2.0 g, were ashed at 500° C. for 36-48 hours. The ash was taken up in hot 6N HCl and then filtered. The filtrate was analyzed for sodium and potassium by flame photometry; the concentrations of these min- erals were estimated from analyses of standards that we prepared from reagent-grade chemicals to approxi- mate the matrix of the feathers. Atomic absorption an- alysis was used to determine the amounts of calcium and magnesium in the filtrate; lanthanum chloride was used as the suppressant. The rationale for using feathers to study the min- eral complex in birds was derived from early work on ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in New Hampshire by McCullough and Grant (unpublished!) and from the later studies on blue and lesser snow geese ( Anser caerulescens caerulescens) by Hanson and_ Jones (1968). In view of the findings of these studies, we considered the concentrations of elements in pheasant feathers to reflect the mineral status of the metabolic pool and interelemental relationships during feather growth. Studies by Robert A. McCullough and C. L. Grant in 1952 and 1953, involving laboratory analyses of fish and game and their foods, under the auspices of New Hampshire Pittman-Robertson and Dingel- Johnson projects. FINDINGS In soils, mean concentrations of potassium, calcium, and magnesium were less, and those of sodium greater, at Neoga than at Sibley. The differences, Neoga versus Sibley, for all four elements were statistically significant (Table 1). These findings illustrate, in a general way, the degree of weathering of the soils on the two areas. Potassium and calcium are among the first elements to respond to weathering processes under Illinois conditions (Jones & Beavers 1966:622). The relatively low concentrations of these alkali and alkaline earth elements in soils at Neoga reflect, in par- ticular, the weathering of calcium-bearing feldspars, magnesium- and potassium-bearing micas, and ferro- magnesian minerals. Sodium, which occurs in the sodium-rich feldspar albite that is resistant to weath- ering, and in rather high levels as an exchangeable cation in planosols, has become relatively concen- trated at Neoga. In corn samples, sodium, potassium, and magne- sium, as well as total ash, were more abundant in sam- ples from Neoga than in those from Sibley (Table 1). However, except for the difference in magnesium, none of these differences was statistically significant. The mean concentrations of calcium in corn were low, being only 38 and 31 ppm in the samples from Sibley and Neoga, respectively. Foxtail seeds contained 25-30 times more calcium than corn did on both areas. In foxtail, potassium and total ash exhibited higher mean concentrations among samples from Neoga than among those from Sibley; the difference for potas- sium was significant. The high ash content of foxtail, in contrast to that of corn, was due in part to the fact that the entire foxtail floret was ashed. The struc- tures of the floret, compared with the seed, are rich in minerals, particularly silicon. Concentrations of sodium, calcium,.and magnesium in foxtail did not differ appreciably between areas. In pheasant feathers, mean concentrations of all four elements and of total ash were higher for samples from Neoga than for those from Sibley (Table 1). The differences exhibited by sodium, potassium, and mag- nesium were significant. Sodium was almost five times and potassium about two and one-half times more abundant in feathers from pheasants at Neoga than in those from Sibley pheasants. The ratio of sodium to potassium was notably greater in soils, foxtail seeds, and pheasant feathers from Neoga than in those from Sibley (Table 2). Al- though the ratio of calcium to magnesium was greater in soils and corn from Neoga than in those from Sibley, it was identical in foxtail seeds and pheasant feath- ers from the two areas. The flow of minerals in the ecosystem—from soil to plants (seeds) to pheasants (feathers )—did not gen- erally reflect a direct relationship (Table 1). The one exception was sodium; it was more abundant in soil 5 Table 1.—Concentrations of elements in soils, plant seeds (corn and foxtail), and pheasant feathers from an area of high- density pheasant populations (Sibley) and from an area of very low-density pheasant populations (Neoga) in Illinois. Neoga Area Sibley Area Test of Means® Sample Num- Stan- Coeffi- Num- Stan- Coeffi- De- ype ber dard cient ber dard cient grees and of Mean Error Range of of | Mean Error Range of of V i Element Sam- of the Vari- Sam- of the Vari- Free- eee ples Mean ability ples Mean ability dom ppm Na 10 815 10 740—840 4 10 678 14 590—760 7 18 7.80s ppm K 10 19,530 420 16,900—20,900 w 10 25,910 640 23,500—29,800 8 18 8.Als ppm Ca 10 9,350 843 5,000—14,000 29 10 12,550 872 9,300—18,400 22 18 2.64s ppm Mg 10 860 72 540—1,240 26 10 1,874 139 1,400—2,460 23 9+ 649s Com Percent ash 10 2.07 0.27 1.67—2.45 41 10 1.77 0.31 1,.23—2.23 56 18 0.73ns ppm Na 9 71 8 35—120 33 8 60 9 25—93 41 15 0.95ns ppm K 10 5,150 211 4,200—6,300 13 10 4540 231 3,700—6,200 16 18 1.94ns ppm Ca 10 31 3 24-51 25 10 38 2 28—51 19 18 2.002s ppm Mg 10 1,640 123 1,100—2,400 24 10 1,170 62 800—1,500 17 18 3.42s Foxtail Percent ash 10 7.20 0.50 4.53—10.04 22 10 6.38 0.10 5.03—8.64 5 18 1.39ns ppm Na 10 102 25 77-161 78 10 103 5 75—125 17 18 0.15ns ppm K 10 5,230 268 3,700—6,700 16 10 3,180 216 3,000—5,300 18 18 4.12s ppm Ca 10 920 36 800—1,200 12 10 910 72 700—1,400 25 18 0.12ns ppm Mg 10 2,140 54 1,900—2,500 8 10 2,180 144 1,400—3,200 21 18 0.82ns Feathers Percent ash 14 0.37 0.02 0.23—0.54 27 14 0.32 0.03 0.21—0.67 37 26 1.21ns ppm Na 13 221 6 123—348 10 13 45 8 19—105 17 12+ 8.07s ppm K 14 72 7 10-117 38 14 28 3 17—58 47 13¢ 5.62s ppm Ca 14 207 17 118—273 31 14 168 tf 114-218 16 13¢ 2.07ns ppm Mg 14 111 6 41—126 19 14 83 4 53-114 18 26 4.00s ° All tests at 0.05 level of probability; s denotes significance, and ns, the lack }Variances dissimilar; test degrees of freedom equal n—1 rather than 2(n—1) at Neoga (815 ppm) than at Sibley (678 ppm) and was also more abundant in pheasant feathers from Neoga (221 ppm) than in those from Sibley (45 ppm). Potassium was present in greater concentrations in soils from Sibley (25,910 ppm) than in those from Neoga (19,530 ppm), but was more abundant in fox- tail and feathers at Neoga (5,230 and 72 ppm) than at Sibley (3,180 and 28 ppm). Concentrations of cal- of significance. cium were greater in soils from Sibley (12,550 ppm) than in those from Neoga (9,350 ppm), but differed very little in samples of corn, foxtail, and feathers from the two areas. Magnesium was more abundant in soils from Sibley (1,874 ppm) than in soils from Neoga (860 ppm), but was more abundant in corn and feathers from Neoga (1,640 and 111 ppm) than in those from Sibley (1,170 and 83 ppm). Thus, the Table 2.—Sodium:potassium and calcium:magnesium ratios in soils, plant seeds (corn and foxtail), and pheasant feathers from an area of high-density pheasant populations (Sibley) and from an area of very low-density pheasant populations (Neoga) in Illinois. Neoga Area Elemental Ratios and Samples Number Standard Coefficient of Mean Error of of Samples the Mean Variability Na/K Ratios Soil 10 0.42 0.010 vf Com 9 0.01 0.002 37 Foxtail 10 0.02 0.003 42 Feathers 13 2.90 0.150 19 Ca/Mg Ratios Soil 10 10.98 0.699 21 Corn 10 0.02 0.002 33 Foxtail 10 0.43 0.017 13 Feathers 14 2.04 0.088 16 Sibley Area Test of Means® Number Standard Coefficient Degrees of Mean Error of of of t Value Samples the Mean Variability Freedom 10 0.26 0.010 12 18 3.81s 8 0.01 0.002 40 15 0.28ns 10 0.03 0.002 20 18 2.25s 13 1.58 0.128 13 24 6.75s 10 7.00 0.633 29 18 4.23s 10 0.003 0.0101 30 18 2.75s 10 0.42 0.025 19 18 0.33ns 14 2.05 0.102 19 26 0.0718 *All tests at 0.05 level of probability; s denotes significance, and ns, the lack of significance. differences in concentrations of elements in soils were not directly proportional to the levels in either plant seeds or pheasant feathers. DISCUSSION The amounts and rates of flow of minerals through the ecosystem, i.e., from soils to plants to animals and eventually back to soils, have profound and _far- reaching effects on all living organisms. In the present study, sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were not, for the most part, incorporated into plant seeds and pheasant feathers in the same proportions that they occurred in soils. For example, significant differences existed in the amounts of potassium in foxtail seeds and of magnesium in corn between the Sibley and Neoga areas. Yet correlation analyses indi- cated that a significant inverse relationship existed between the concentrations of potassium in soil and in foxtail seeds (r= — 0.445, 18 df) and between the con- centrations of magnesium in soil and in corn (r= — 0.618, 18 df). Clearly the flow of elements through the environmental complex was not straightforward. As the uptake and use of elements by plants and ani- mals are influenced by many factors, this finding was understandable. Interactions among elements are par- ticularly effective in altering translocation and storage of minerals in plants and animals (Schiitte 1964). The role of calcium is central to the many consid- erations of ion uptake by plants (Emmert 1961). Calcium is reported to antagonize the uptake of man- ganese, potassium, iron, boron, zinc, and magnesium in some plant structures (Schiitte 1964:41). Corre- spondingly, we found the concentrations of magne- sium in corn were inversely and significantly corre- lated with the amounts of calcium in this grain (r= — 0.623, 18 df). Yet we found no significant correla- tions between soil calcium and the subsequent uptake of potassium by foxtail seed (r—0.041, 18 df) or of magnesium by corn (r—0.306, 18 df). However, these relationships are tempered by the fact that our deter- minations were for total soil calcium and not for plant- available calcium. The low levels of calcium in corn, the staple diet of the pheasant, are noteworthy. If pheasants are to ob- tain a sufficient level of calcium—at least the minimum dietary requirement of 1.2 percent as indicated by Dale and DeWitt (1958 In Greeley 1962:186) and Scott et al. (1958:1421)—they must obtain it from calcareous grit. To illustrate, if a pheasant consumes 35 g of corn (R. F. Labisky & W. L. Anderson unpublished) con- taining 35 ppm of calcium per day, its dietary intake of calcium is only 0.0035 percent. To attain the 1.2 percent level, the pheasant must then ingest daily, and totally utilize, 1.04 g of limestone containing 40 per- cent calcium. In this case, the limestone grit consti- tutes 99 percent of the pheasant’s calcium intake. The differences detected in the concentrations of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the soils of the Neoga and Sibley areas (Table 1) illustrate, some- what axiomatically, that older (Illinoian) glacial drift is relatively poor in three, and probably several more, important inorganic nutrients. These findings sup- port the contention that a deficiency of calcium, and perhaps of other minerals, may limit the distribution of pheasants in many areas in the eastern United States. If, however, pheasants on the Neoga area were suffer- ing from insufficient levels of potassium, calcium, or magnesium, the insufficiencies were not expressed in the mineral composition of their feathers (Table 1). Inasmuch as Burns et al. (1953:327) reported that a wide disparity in the ratio of sodium to potassium was toxic to domestic chicks (Gallus gallus), the high ratios of sodium to potassium in soils, foxtail, and pheasant feathers from Neoga suggest that a nutri- tional imbalance may exist on the I]linoian drift (Table 2). In this particular case, the disparity in the sodium: potassium ratio in soils from Neoga and Sibley (0.42 versus 0.26) was similar to that reflected by the feath- ers from the respective areas (2.90 versus 1.58). Al- though calcium:magnesium ratios differed signifi- cantly for soils and corn from the two areas, no differ- ences were found for the feathers. Little is known of how the relative levels of these elements affect the uptake and metabolism of other minerals by the pheas- ant. None of the elemental differences, as such, found in the soils, plant seeds, or pheasant feathers from the pheasant-poor area on Illinoian drift (Neoga) and from the pheasant-rich area in Wisconsinan drift (Sib- ley) is satisfactory—with our present knowledge of the mineral needs of pheasants—to explain the magnitude of difference in population levels between the two areas. Nevertheless, differences did exist between the areas in concentrations of sodium, potassium, cal- cium, and magnesium in soils; of magnesium in corn; of potassium in foxtail; and of sodium, potassium, and magnesium in pheasant feathers. These findings, to our knowledge, represent the first documentation of clear-cut elemental differences in both birds and en- vironment between areas of contrasting pheasant abundance. SUMMARY Concentrations of four essential elements—sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium—were measured in soils, plant seeds (corn and Chinese foxtail), and pheasant feathers from two areas of contrasting pheas- ant abundance in Illinois. The low-density pheasant population was located on the geologically older Illi- noian glacial drift and the high-density population on the younger Wisconsinan drift. Potassium, calcium, and magnesium were less abundant, and sodium was more abundant, in Illinoian drift soils than in Wiscon- sinan drift soils. Magnesium was more abundant in corn, and potassium was more abundant in foxtail on the Illinoian drift. And higher concentrations of so- dium, potassium, and magnesium were found in feath- 7 ers of pheasants on the Illinoian drift than from those of pheasants on the Wisconsinan drift. Thus, the differ- ences in the concentrations of elements in soils were mirrored neither in plant seeds nor in pheasant feath- ers. If pheasants were suffering from a deficiency of calcium, potassium, or magnesium on the more weath- ered IIlinoian drift, the deficiency was not reflected by the mineral composition of their feathers. How- ever, high sodium-to-potassium ratios in soils and feathers on the Illinoian drift, in contrast to those on the Wisconsinan drift, may indicate a nutritional im- balance. Survival and reproduction of Master of Arts ANDERSON, WILLIAM L. 1964. pheasants released in southern Illinois. Thesis. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. 62 p. Burns, C. H., W. W. Cravens, and P. H. Pues. 1953. The sodium and potassium requirements of the chick and their interrelationship. Journal of Nutrition 50(3):317—329. Dare, Frep H. 1954. Influence of calcium on the distribu- tion of the pheasant in North America. North American Wildlife Conference Transactions 19:316—323. 1955. The role of calcium in reproduction of the ring-necked pheasant. 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