Habitat ffragmentation is most prevalent and problematic for quail management and restoration in landscapes where closed canopy hardwoods and pines, exotic grass pastures, large agricultural fields and suburban sprawl have replaced the low intensity, but extensive, farming and forestry of the past. This results in:
1) loss of the original habitat;
2) reduction in size of the remaining habitat fragments; and
3) Increased isolation of remaining habitats from other areas that support quail populations.

Land fragmentation and resulting habitat fragmentation has been shown to disrupt dispersal and movements of animals, result in increased predation and nest parasitism, disturb animal social structure and diminish habitat health because natural events such as animal grazing and natural fires are prevented.

Something we as steward of the land need to serious consideration is the consequence of the projects at our face right now such as: Wind power, Gas and oil exploration and production, TTC, underground pipelines such as the monster TB Picken water project, and there resultant further fragmentation of prime habitat. Roadways, equipment sites, UG and overhead utilities right of ways. Get with the leasing agents before hand and make them write in agreement for reestablishment of beneficial grass and habit for the wildlife as part of their trepass and surface damage agreement. Take picture before and after and put in a time penalty completion clause. Get with your neighbors and set up coops and guidelines for reestablishment of the prime habitats.

There's an energy boom going on in the "oil patch" region of Oklahoma and Texas the likes of which has not been seen in decades. This time around, though, the prize isn't under our feet, it's in the swirling currents above our heads. A rapidly growing number of domestic and international energy companies have targeted western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle with plans for massive wind farm projects. Nowhere is this more evident than on the sage-covered prairies of northwestern Oklahoma. Hundreds of wind turbines stretch like a giant picket fence across the landscape, towering above the game-rich high plains. At first glance it would seem to be a win-win for both the environment and society ...When it comes to energy production, however, you never get something for nothing. Case in point: as a result of this boom, one of the nation's top public land bobwhite quail hunting destinations may soon be covered with a network of roads, high-tension power lines, and wind turbines.