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Grazing Influence Objective Development And Management In Wyomings Greater Sage Grouse Habitat With Emphasis On Nesting And Early Brood Rearing
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Book Synopsis Grazing Influence, Objective Development, and Management in Wyoming's Greater Sage-grouse Habitat with Emphasis on Nesting and Early Brood Rearing by :
Download or read book Grazing Influence, Objective Development, and Management in Wyoming's Greater Sage-grouse Habitat with Emphasis on Nesting and Early Brood Rearing written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Author :United States. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Publisher : ISBN 13 : Total Pages :88 pages Book Rating :4.F/5 ( download)
Book Synopsis Increasing Carbon Soil Sequestration on Public Lands by : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation
Download or read book Increasing Carbon Soil Sequestration on Public Lands written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Kemmerer Field Office Planning Area, Resource Management Plan by :
Download or read book Kemmerer Field Office Planning Area, Resource Management Plan written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 700 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Bridger-Teton National Forest (N.F.), Upper Green River Area Rangeland Project by :
Download or read book Bridger-Teton National Forest (N.F.), Upper Green River Area Rangeland Project written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Evaluation of Greater Sage-grouse Reproductive Habitat and Response to Wind Energy Development in South-central, Wyoming by : Chad W. LeBeau
Download or read book Evaluation of Greater Sage-grouse Reproductive Habitat and Response to Wind Energy Development in South-central, Wyoming written by Chad W. LeBeau and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The demand for clean renewable energies and tax incentives has prompted a nationwide increase in wind energy development. Renewable energy development is occurring in a wide variety of habitats potentially impacting many species including greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Greater sage-grouse require contiguous intact sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. The addition of wind energy infrastructure to these landscapes may negatively impact population viability. Greater sage-grouse are experiencing range-wide population declines and are currently listed as a candidate species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The purpose of my study was to investigate the response of greater sage-grouse to wind energy development. Mine is the first study to document the short-term effects of wind energy infrastructure on greater sage-grouse habitat selection, nest, brood, and female survival, and male lek attendance. I hypothesized that greater sage-grouse would select for habitats farther from wind energy infrastructure, particularly wind turbines, during the nesting, brood-rearing, and summer periods. In addition, I hypothesized that greater sage-grouse nest, brood, and female survival would decline in habitats with close proximity to wind turbines. Lastly, I hypothesized that greater sage-grouse male lek attendance would experience greater declines from pre wind energy development to 4 years post development at leks with close proximity to wind turbines compared to leks farther from turbines. My study area was located in south-central Wyoming between the towns of Medicine Bow and Hanna and consisted of one study area influenced by wind energy development (Seven Mile Hill) and a second study area that was not impacted by wind energy development (Simpson Ridge). I identified 14 leks within both study areas and conducted lek counts at each of these leks from 2008 to 2012. I captured 116 female greater sage-grouse from both study areas from 2009 to 2010. I equipped each female grouse with a VHF necklace-mounted transmitter and monitored them via telemetry during the nesting, brood-rearing, and summer periods within both study areas from 2009 to 2010. I documented greater sage-grouse habitat selection as well as nest and brood-rearing success and female survival. I used binary logistic regression in a use versus availability study design to estimate the odds of habitat selection within both study areas during the nesting, brood-rearing, and summer periods. I used Cox proportional hazards and Andersen-Gill survival models to estimate nest, brood, and female survival relative to wind energy infrastructure. Lastly, I used ratio of means tests and linear mixed effects models to estimate the degree of decline in male lek attendance at leks influenced by wind energy development versus leks with no influence 1 year prior to development to 4 years post development. Greater sage-grouse did not avoid wind turbines during the nesting and brood-rearing periods, but did select for habitats closer to turbines during the summer season. Greater sage-grouse nest and brood survival decreased in habitats in close proximity to wind turbines, whereas female survival appeared not to be affected by wind turbines. Peak male lek attendance within both study areas experienced significant declines from 1 year pre development to 4 years post development; however, this decline was not attributed to the presence of the wind energy facility. The results from my study are the first examining the short-term impacts to greater sage-grouse populations from wind energy development. Greater sage-grouse were not avoiding the wind energy development two years following construction and operation of the wind energy facility. This is likely related to high site fidelity inherent in sage-grouse. In addition, more suitable habitat may exist closer to turbines at Seven Mile Hill, which may also be driving selection. Fitness parameters including nest and brood survival were reduced in habitats of close proximity to wind turbines and may be the result of increased predation and edge effects associated with the wind energy facility. Lastly, wind energy infrastructure appears not to be affecting male lek attendance 4 years post development; however, time lags are characteristic in greater sage-grouse populations, which may result in impacts not being quantified until 2-10 years following development. Future wind energy developments should identify greater sage-grouse nest and brood-rearing habitats prior to project development to account for the decreased survival in habitats of close proximity to wind turbines. More than 2 years of occurrence data and more than 4 years of male lek attendance data may be necessary to account for the strong site fidelity and time lags present in greater sage-grouse populations.
Book Synopsis Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Habitat Response to Mowing and Prescribed Burning Wyoming Big Sagebrush and Influence of Disturbance Factors on Lek Persistence in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming by : Jennifer E. Hess
Download or read book Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Habitat Response to Mowing and Prescribed Burning Wyoming Big Sagebrush and Influence of Disturbance Factors on Lek Persistence in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming written by Jennifer E. Hess and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My thesis work focused on evaluating the relative influence of prescribed burning (1990-1999 and 2000-2006) and mowing (2000-2006) treatments on the quality of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nesting and early brood-rearing habitats and landscape characteristics that influenced sage-grouse lek persistence from 1980 to 2009 in the Bighorn Basin of north-central Wyoming. Objectives of treatments have focused on land health, watershed improvement, and to enhance habitat conditions for livestock, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), and other wildlife. I focused on how prescribed burning and mowing may affect sage-grouse nesting and early brood-rearing habitats by evaluating habitat quality through insect, soil, and vegetation parameters at 30 treated sites compared to 30 nearby, untreated reference sites. My sites were classified by treatment type, soil type, season, and decade of treatment (sites burned in the 1990s and sites burned or mowed during 2000-2006). Prescribed burning greatly ( -85.1 to -100%) reduced levels of sagebrush canopy cover at least 19 years postburn, while mowing maintained minimum levels of sagebrush canopy cover recommended for sage-grouse nesting and early brood-rearing habitats. In some cases, prescribed burning showed positive results for sage-grouse nesting and early brood-rearing habitats compared to mowing such as 6.3- to 16.9-times greater ant weights (mg/trap; on aridic burns during 1990s and ustic burns during 2000-2006 respectively), 2.3- to 85.1-times greater beetle weights (mg/trap) on ustic soils, 3.6- to 4.3-times higher perennial grass canopy cover on aridic soils, 2.6-times higher plant species richness on aridic soils during 2000-2006 burns, and 2.0- to 5.0-times higher soil nitrogen on burns during 2000-2006, but all of these characteristics were not found to be enhanced compared to reference sites. Mowing provided 3.6- to 13.2-times higher sagebrush canopy cover on ustic soils, 2.2- to 3.0-times higher sagebrush heights on aridic and ustic soils, and 1.2- to 1.5-times higher insect diversity on ustic and aridic soils than prescribed burning. When comparing mowed sites to reference sites, there was1.2- to 2.5-times higher litter and 3.5- to 9.1-times higher ant weights (mg/trap) at mowed sites. However, mowing did not promote an increase in other sage-grouse early brood-rearing needs such as the abundance of food forbs, abundance or weights of beetles and grasshoppers, or perennial grass canopy cover or height. Forb nutritional content and production were not enhanced (i.e., similar to reference sites) by either treatment. Perennial grass height and canopy cover (5 of 6 cases) were not enhanced through burning or mowing. The main benefit from prescribed burning was an increase in grasshopper abundance (no./trap) compared to reference sites (grasshopper abundance was 2.4- to 3.4-times greater at prescribed burned sites than reference sites). In general, results indicate few positive aspects of treating Wyoming big sagebrush to enhance habitat conditions for nesting and early brood-rearing sage-grouse as much as 19 years after prescribed burning and 9 years after mowing in the Bighorn Basin. Mowing, however, appears to be a better alternative than prescribed burning Wyoming big sagebrush, largely because it leaves intact sagebrush, but comparisons between reference sites typically did not suggest habitat conditions were enhanced through mowing. Consequently, managers contemplating these 2 treatment techniques to enhance sage-grouse habitats should consider other treatment strategies including non-treatment. When evaluating factors that may have influenced the probability of sage-grouse lek persistence in the Bighorn Basin I found support for the synergistic influence of multiple disturbance factors influencing sage-grouse lek persistence. I predicted that increasing roads, energy development, and wildfire will result in loss of more sage-grouse leks in the Bighorn Basin. The Bighorn Basin has lower developed reserves of oil and gas than many other regions of Wyoming; however, my study supports findings from studies in those areas that demonstrate energy development negatively affects lek persistence. I recommend that conservation efforts should focus on minimizing well development and implementing wildfire suppression tactics within 1.6-km of active sage-grouse leks.
Book Synopsis Identifying Habitat Quality and Population Response of Greater Sage-grouse to Treated Wyoming Big Sagebrush Habitats by : Kurt T. Smith
Download or read book Identifying Habitat Quality and Population Response of Greater Sage-grouse to Treated Wyoming Big Sagebrush Habitats written by Kurt T. Smith and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prioritizing and conserving habitat quality is crucial for maintaining viable wildlife populations, particularly for species of conservation concern such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Sage-grouse have experienced widespread population declines across much of their historic range, necessitating an understanding of how to maintain or improve the quality of remaining habitats that support their populations. Habitat loss and fragmentation is a major factor contributing to sage-grouse population declines and maintaining or improving remaining habitats has been thought to increase the value of important habitats for sage-grouse. The aim of my dissertation was to evaluate the influence of habitat management practices on sage-grouse at the population level and then explore potential mechanisms that may explain how populations are influenced by management to develop an understanding of the overall demographic response of sage-grouse to habitat treatments in big sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities in Wyoming. My dissertation is presented in four journal-formatted chapters. The objectives of Chapter 2 were to identify how treatments influenced annual growth rates in sage-grouse populations using yearly male sage-grouse lek counts within Sage-Grouse Management Zone II in Wyoming’s Core Areas from 1994 to 2012. One of the major findings of Chapter 2 was that mechanical sagebrush restoration treatments within 10 km of leks were negatively associated with annual greater sage-grouse population growth rates. This chapter is formatted for Restoration Ecology with co-author Jeffrey L. Beck. The primary objective of Chapter 3 was to evaluate how microhabitat use differed between reproductive states (brood-rearing versus broodless females) and if there were differences in summer survival between these states. Findings suggested that broodless females were roosting and foraging in concealed habitats with greater visual obstruction but less food forb availability. In contrast, brood-rearing females likely selected riskier microhabitats with less shrub cover and greater herbaceous understory as a tradeoff to predictably maximize foraging opportunities and promote growth and survival of their chicks. Chapter 3 is in revision in Wildlife Research with co-authors Jeffrey L. Beck and Christopher P. Kirol. The objective of Chapter 4 was to identify how mowing and tebuthiuron (Spike® 20P, Dow Agrosciences, Indianapolis, IN) treatments intended to reduce sagebrush canopy cover influenced the dietary quality of Wyoming big sagebrush in central Wyoming. Results from this chapter suggested that mowing and tebuthiuron treatments may slightly increase crude protein concentrations directly after treatments without immediate changes in plant secondary metabolites. This chapter is formatted for submission to Rangeland Ecology and Management. Chapter 5 evaluated whether diet availability and dietary consumption were predictive of sage-grouse chick body condition and if mowing and tebuthiuron treatments influenced the availability of insect and forb dietary resources for juvenile sage-grouse. Findings from this chapter suggest that females with broods selected habitats with diet resources in proportion to their availability, and dietary consumption by chicks was unrelated to available foods at brood-rearing locations. Chicks that consumed proportionally more plants during their first week of life tended to weigh more and have longer wing chords 5 weeks after hatch. Treated big sagebrush habitats contained forb and insect abundances that did not differ from untreated habitats and were equal to or less than habitats used by brood-rearing females. Chapter 5 is formatted for Journal of Wildlife Management with co-authors Jeffrey L. Beck, Aaron C. Pratt, and Jason R. LeVan.
Book Synopsis Response of Greater Sage-grouse to Sagebrush Reduction Treatments in Wyoming Big Sagebrush by : Kurt T. Smith
Download or read book Response of Greater Sage-grouse to Sagebrush Reduction Treatments in Wyoming Big Sagebrush written by Kurt T. Smith and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vegetation treatments have been widely implemented in efforts to enhance conditions for wildlife populations. Yet the effectiveness of such efforts often lack rigorous evaluations to determine whether these practices are effective for targeted species. This is particularly important when manipulating wildlife habitats in ecosystems that are faced with multiple stressors. The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem has been altered extensively over the last century leading to declines of many associated species. Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata wyomingensis) is the most widely distributed subspecies, providing important habitats for sagebrush-obligate and associated wildlife. Sagebrush often has been treated with chemicals, mechanical treatments, and prescribed burning to increase herbaceous forage species released from competition with sagebrush overstory. Despite many studies documenting negative effects of sagebrush control on greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat, treatments are still proposed as a means of improving habitat for sage-grouse and other sagebrush-dependent species. Furthermore, most studies have focused on vegetation response and none have rigorously evaluated the direct influence of these treatments on sage-grouse. We initiated a 9-year (2011–2019) experimental study in central Wyoming, USA, to better understand how greater sage-grouse respond to sagebrush reduction treatments in Wyoming big sagebrush communities. We evaluated the influence of 2 common sagebrush treatments on greater sage-grouse demography and resource selection. We implemented mowing and tebuthiuron application in winter and spring 2014 and evaluated the pre- (2011–2013) and post-treatment (2014–2019) responses of sage-grouse relative to these management actions. We evaluated responses to treatments using demographic and behavioral data collected from 620 radio-marked female greater sage-grouse. Our specific objectives were to evaluate how treatments influenced 1) sage-grouse reproductive success and female survival; 2) sage-grouse nesting, brood-rearing, and female resource selection; 3) vegetation responses; and 4) forbs and invertebrates. Our results generally suggested neutral demographic responses and slight avoidance by greater sage-grouse in response to Wyoming big sagebrush treated by mowing and tebuthiuron. Neither mowing nor tebuthiuron treatments influenced nest survival, brood survival, or female survival. Selection for nest and brood-rearing sites did not differ before and after treatments. Females selected habitats near treatments before and after they were implemented; however, the strength of selection was lower after treatments compared with pre-treatment periods, which may be explained by a lack of response in vegetation and invertebrates following treatments. Perennial grass cover and height varied temporally yet did not vary systematically between treatment and control plots. Forb cover and species richness varied annually but not in relation to either treatment type. Perennial grass cover and height, forb cover, and forb species richness did not increase within mowed or tebuthiuron-treated areas that received 2 or 6 years of grazing rest compared with areas that received no grazing rest. Finally, forb and invertebrate dry mass did not differ between treated plots and control plots at mowing or tebuthiuron sites in any years following treatments. Results from our study add to a large body of evidence that sage-grouse using Wyoming big sagebrush vegetation communities do not respond positively to sagebrush manipulation treatments. Management practices that focus on the maintenance of large, undisturbed tracts of sagebrush will best facilitate the persistence of sage-grouse populations and other species reliant on the sagebrush steppe.
Book Synopsis Atlantic Rim Natural Gas Field Development Project by :
Download or read book Atlantic Rim Natural Gas Field Development Project written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Greater Sage-grouse Nest Site Selection, Brood-rearing Site Selection, and Chick Survival in Wyoming by : Leslie Ann Schreiber
Download or read book Greater Sage-grouse Nest Site Selection, Brood-rearing Site Selection, and Chick Survival in Wyoming written by Leslie Ann Schreiber and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have been declining across North America since at least the 1960's due to degradation of essential sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat, resulting in their recent listing as "warranted but precluded" under the Endangered Species Act. These declines have been linked to measures of reproductive success which may be affected by nesting habitat. Inadequate nesting habitat may contribute to decreased nesting success; consequently, knowledge of vegetation and structural characteristics selected by nesting female sage-grouse at the microhabitat scale might promote effective conservation and management of sage-grouse habitat. We monitored radio-equipped female sage-grouse (n = 44 in 2011, 52 in 2012, 46 in 2013) in south-central Wyoming to assess nest-site selection prior to construction of a wind energy facility. Sage-grouse selected nest-sites with increased lateral visual obstruction 22.9−45.7 cm above the ground. Our findings are supported by previous research demonstrating that sage-grouse, and tetraonids in general, select for structural cover to conceal nests from predators and to possibly facilitate a favorable microclimate for the nest. Currently, the required structural cover is supplied by sagebrush and tall bunchgrasses. If improving sage-grouse nesting habitat is a priority, managers should consider practices aimed at enhancing plant communities composed of tall bunchgrasses and sagebrush.
Book Synopsis Habitat Requirements and Management Recommendations for Sage Grouse by : Mayo W. Call
Download or read book Habitat Requirements and Management Recommendations for Sage Grouse written by Mayo W. Call and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This Technical Note is primarily a review of literature on the fundamental habitat requirements of sage grouse and habitat management methods that may be used to perpetuate the species. It does not reiterate the life history, past distribution, species characteristics, and population dynamics"--Page 1.
Book Synopsis Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Grouse by : Brett K. Sandercock
Download or read book Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Grouse written by Brett K. Sandercock and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-09-04 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Summarizing current knowledge of grouse biology, this volume is organized in four sections--spatial ecology, habitat relationships, population biology, and conservation and management--and offers insights into spatial requirements, movements, and demography of grouse. Much of the research employs emerging tools in ecology that span biogeochemistry, molecular genetics, endocrinology, radio-telemetry, and remote sensing".--Adapted from publisher descrip tion on back cover
Book Synopsis Modeling Sage-grouse Habitat Using a State-and-transition Model by : Louisa Evers
Download or read book Modeling Sage-grouse Habitat Using a State-and-transition Model written by Louisa Evers and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Habitat for wildlife species that depend on sagebrush ecosystems is of great management concern. Evaluating how management activities and climate change may affect the abundance of moderate and high-quality habitat necessitates the development of models that examine vegetation dynamics, but modeling tools for rangeland systems are limited. I developed state-and-transition models using a combination of scientific literature and data for climate, soils, and wildfire to examine how different types of natural events, management activities, changing climate, and potential future vegetation dynamics may interact and affect the abundance of habitat for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Specific periods examined include the era prior to 1850, the current era, and late in the 21st century in southeastern Oregon. A primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of climate data to define most event probabilities and, subsequently, the relative mix of ecological states, community phases, and sage-grouse habitat with an eye towards a modeling approach that was objective, repeatable, and transferrable to other locations. Contrary to expectations, model results of the conditions prior to 1850 indicated fire may not have been the most important disturbance factor influencing sage-grouse habitat abundance, merely the most visible. Other, more subtle disturbances that thinned sagebrush density, such as drought, herbivory, and weather-related mortality, may have been equally or more important in shaping sage-grouse habitat. Sage-grouse breeding habitat may have been slightly more abundant than levels currently recommended by sage-grouse biologists, brood-rearing habitat may have been as or more abundant, but wintering habitat may have been less abundant. Under the current conditions, livestock grazing during severe drought, postfire seeding success, juniper expansion probabilities, and the frequency of vegetation treatments were the most important determinants of sage-grouse habitat abundance. The current vegetation trajectory would lead to considerably less nesting, brood-rearing, and wintering habitat than sage-grouse biologists recommend. Model results suggested reducing or eliminating livestock grazing during severe drought, increasing postfire seeding success, and treating at least 10% of the so-called expansion juniper each year was necessary to maintain higher levels of sage-grouse habitat, although nesting and brood-rearing habitat remained in short supply. I examined three potential future climates based on long-term climate trends in southeastern Oregon and modeled climate and ecosystem projections for the Pacific Northwest generally. The first scenario produced warmer and drier conditions than present, the second scenario warmer and wetter conditions in winter, and the third scenario warmer and wetter conditions in summer. The implications for sage-grouse habitat abundance were very different between these three scenarios, but all would likely result in the loss or near complete loss of cooler, moister sagebrush communities important for nesting and brood-rearing. Salt desert shrub and warmer, drier sagebrush communities could expand under the first scenario but would have a high risk of displacement by cheatgrass. Juniper woodlands could increase in density and salt desert shrub may expand slightly under the second scenario. The remaining sagebrush communities would remain at high risk of displacement by cheatgrass. Pinyon-juniper woodland could largely displace sagebrush in the third scenario. Sage-grouse habitat quality likely would decline in all three scenarios and the abundance decrease significantly in the second and third scenario.
Book Synopsis Landowner Guide to Sage-Grouse Conservation in Wyoming by : Leanne L. Correll
Download or read book Landowner Guide to Sage-Grouse Conservation in Wyoming written by Leanne L. Correll and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-08 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide is intended to provide a concise source of science-based information about the greater sage-grouse and the habitat required for its continued survival in a dynamic human-impacted environment. Contains many photographs of Sage-grouse habitat
Book Synopsis Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resource Management Plan Amendments to Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming by :
Download or read book Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resource Management Plan Amendments to Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Montana Statewide Oil and Gas and Proposed Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management Plans by :
Download or read book Montana Statewide Oil and Gas and Proposed Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management Plans written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Use and Population Demographics at the Simpson Ridge Wind Resource Area, Carbon County, Wyoming by :
Download or read book Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Use and Population Demographics at the Simpson Ridge Wind Resource Area, Carbon County, Wyoming written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study was conducted to obtain baseline data on use of the proposed Simpson Ridge Wind Resource Area (SRWRA) in Carbon County, Wyoming by greater sage-grouse. The first two study years were designed to determine pre-construction seasonally selected habitats and population-level vital rates (productivity and survival). The presence of an existing wind energy facility in the project area, the PacifiCorp Seven Mile Hill (SMH) project, allowed us to obtain some information on initial sage-grouse response to wind turbines the first two years following construction. To our knowledge these are the first quantitative data on sage-grouse response to an existing wind energy development. This report presents results of the first two study years (April 1, 2009 through March 30, 2011). This study was selected for continued funding by the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative Sage-Grouse Collaborative (NWCC-SGC) and has been ongoing since March 30, 2011. Future reports summarizing results of this research will be distributed through the NWCC-SGC. To investigate population trends through time, we determined the distribution and numbers of males using leks throughout the study area, which included a 4-mile radius buffer around the SRWRA. Over the 2-year study, 116 female greater sage-grouse were captured by spotlighting and use of hoop nets on roosts surrounding leks during the breeding period. Radio marked birds were located anywhere from twice a week to once a month, depending on season. All radio-locations were classified to season. We developed predictor variables used to predict success of fitness parameters and relative probability of habitat selection within the SRWRA and SMH study areas. Anthropogenic features included paved highways, overhead transmission lines, wind turbines and turbine access roads. Environmental variables included vegetation and topography features. Home ranges were estimated using a kernel density estimator. We developed resource selection functions (RSF) to estimate probability of selection within the SRWRA and SMH. Fourteen active greater sage-grouse leks were documented during lek surveys Mean lek size decreased from 37 in 2008 to 22 in 2010. Four leks located 0.61, 1.3, 1.4 and 2.5 km from the nearest wind turbine remained active throughout the study, but the total number of males counted on these four leks decreased from 162 the first year prior to construction (2008), to 97 in 2010. Similar lek declines were noted in regional leks not associated with wind energy development throughout Carbon County. We obtained 2,659 sage-grouse locations from radio-equipped females, which were used to map use of each project area by season. The sage-grouse populations within both study areas are relatively non-migratory, as radio-marked sage-grouse used similar areas during all annual life cycles. Potential impacts to sage-grouse from wind energy infrastructure are not well understood. The data rom this study provide insight into the early interactions of wind energy infrastructure and sage-grouse. Nest success and brood-rearing success were not statistically different between areas with and without wind energy development in the short-term. Nest success also was not influenced by anthropogenic features such as turbines in the short-term. Additionally, female survival was similar among both study areas, suggesting wind energy infrastructure was not impacting female survival in the short-term; however, further analysis is needed to identify habitats with different levels of risk to better understand the impact of wind enregy development on survival. Nest and brood-rearing habitat selection were not influenced by turbines in the short-term; however, summer habitat selection occurred within habitats closer to wind turbines. Major roads were avoided in both study areas and during most of the seasons. The impact of transmission lines varied among study areas, suggesting other landscape features may be influencing selection. The data provided in this report are preliminary and are not meant to provide a basis for forming any conclusions regarding potential impacts of wind energy development on sage-grouse. Although the data collected during the initial phases of this study indicate that greater sage-grouse may continue to use habitats near wind-energy facilities, research conducted on greater sage-grouse response to oil and gas development has found population declines may not occur until 2-10 years after development. Therefore, long-term data from several geographic areas within the range of the sage-grouse will likely be required to adequately assess impacts of wind-energy development on greater sage-grouse.
