432 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY No. of birds per township 1-20 20-40 40-60 —Area included— Sq. miles Per cent 4,130 59 1,750 25 1,120 16 —Flocks included— No. per township Per cent 34 32 34 1.6 3.8 5.9 The greatest concentration is in the southwestern portion of the range, particularly in Taney and Ozark Counties. Comparison with the 1935 estimates shows that there has been a decided increase of turkeys in this region, which has more than offset the shrinkage in range and number of birds in other parts of the state. The 20 per cent increase in the state total is largely due to the high densities recently attained in the southwestern counties. Additional smaller spots of local high density in the central and northern parts of the range are in most cases associated with successful refuges. RELATION OF TURKEY DISTRIBUTION TO SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY Some interesting correlations may be noted between the present distribution of turkeys and the occurrence of certain soil types as classified by Miller and Krusekopf (9). A single soil type, the Clarksville stony loam, now supports 79 per cent of the turkeys in Missouri. This soil, of residual limestone origin, is characteristic of the very rugged and completely dissected parts of the Ozark Plateau, and only 40 per cent of it is farmed. A distinctive feature is the occurrence of “balds,” or open-faced hillsides, whose shallow soils support only herbaceous vegetation with occasional scattered shrubs, patches of cedar, and scrubby post oak. The region of heaviest concentration of turkeys in the southwestern Ozark area conforms closely to the “bald” country of Clarksville stony loam. Extensive reaches of this same soil type in other parts of the Ozarks where balds are absent support, in general, lower turkey populations, with local concentrations only around certain refuges. This suggests some definite relationship between the occurrence of balds and the unusual abundance of turkeys in the southwestern Ozarks. Another soil of the same series and similar origin, the Clarksville gravelly loam, supports 15 per cent of the turkeys, making a total of 94 per cent of the birds in the state that occur on the two Clarksville soils. The Clarksville gravelly loam, while steep and hilly in many places, contains more broad, shallow valleys and flat ridge tops, and therefore more tillable land. Seventy per cent of this type is classed as being in farms. In general, turkey populations on this soil type are continuing to decline. Ashe stony loam and Hanceville loam together support only 3 per cent of the turkeys. The Ashe stony loam, source material of which is the granite of the eastern Ozarks, is limited in extent but, like the Clarksville stony loam, is associated with very rough topography largely covered by mixed oak-hickory forest. Superficially, the areas of Ashe and Clarksville stony loam look very much alike, and the land-use patterns are similar; yet turkeys occur on the Ashe soil only as isolated islands in the lowest zone of density (1-20 birds per township), and the populations are apparently still declining. It appears, therefore, that rough topography and associated extensive forests are not as closely correlated with turkey distribution as the type of soil (inherent fertility being perhaps the deciding factor) and the character of the vegetation itself. On the basis of present turkey distribution and of recent trends in population densities it seems safe to predict that the area of Clarksville stony loam will continue to produce four-fifths or more of the turkeys in the state. LAND USE AND AGRICULTURE IN RELATION TO TURKEY ENVIRONMENT The extent and nature of human occupation of the Ozark area has had, of course, manifold effects upon the turkey population. Hunting and other direct influences will be mentioned later. The equally important indirect effects, particularly alterations in the environment, may be briefly considered here. The agricultural economy of the region as a whole is characterized by overcultivation of thin soils and often steep fields, and by overgrazing of pastures and woodlands. This continuous abuse can result only in a steady decline in the productivity of the land for agricultural crops, livestock, and forest products, as well as wildlife. The adverse effects reach the turkeys most directly through overgrazing of the woodlands, which reduces both the variety and the total supply of turkey foods. This condition is further aggravated by recurring annual fires that sweep most of the Ozark woodlands each year (6). Much of the area was originally open or savannah-like with a rich ground cover of grass and herbaceous vegetation. The combination of grazing, burning, and indiscriminate lumbering