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Greater Sage Grouse Nest Site Selection Brood Rearing Site Selection And Chick Survival In Wyoming
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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 Nesting and Brood-rearing Habitat Selection of Greater Sage-grouse and Associated Survival of Hens and Broods at the Edge of Their Historic Distribution by : Katie M. Herman-Brunson
Download or read book Nesting and Brood-rearing Habitat Selection of Greater Sage-grouse and Associated Survival of Hens and Broods at the Edge of Their Historic Distribution written by Katie M. Herman-Brunson and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 200 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 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 Seasonal Habitat Selection and Breeding Ecology of Greater-sage-grouse in Carbon County, Montana by : Erin Leslie Gelling
Download or read book Seasonal Habitat Selection and Breeding Ecology of Greater-sage-grouse in Carbon County, Montana written by Erin Leslie Gelling and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter ‘sage-grouse’) are the focus of much research and conservation efforts owing to their obligate relationship with sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and dramatic population declines over the last 50 years. Sage-grouse are a partially migratory species with three main seasonal habitats during breeding, summer, and winter. Anthropogenic disturbances can impact habitat and areas used by sage-grouse during all three seasons. Sage-grouse also exhibit low productivity that is limited, in part, by nest and chick survival. As uniparental incubators, nesting can be energetically costly for female sage-grouse because they have limited mobility when their precocial chicks are young. In addition, habitat characteristics have been shown to differ between brood-rearing female sage-grouse and broodless females (i.e., females without broods). Therefore, to sustain sage-grouse populations, focus should be on increasing vital rates for adult females, chicks, and nests—the life stages that most influence population growth. Research is thus critical to better understand the relationships between life stages of sage-grouse and their seasonal habitats, particularly during breeding and summer brood-rearing. The focus of my thesis was to assess the influence of natural and anthropogenic features on sage-grouse seasonal habitat selection, assess factors influencing sage-grouse nest survival and attentiveness, and assess habitat selection and behavior between brood-rearing and broodless female sage-grouse. By focusing on habitat selection across three seasons, during reproductive and non-reproductive states, and across second, third, and fourth-order habitat selection, wildlife managers will have better information to manage sage-grouse habitat to sustain or increase survival for adult females, broods, and nests. More specifically, this information will inform areas to prioritize management, restoration, and conservation to benefit sage-grouse populations and add to the body of knowledge of basic sage-grouse breeding ecology. In Chapter 1, I examined natural and anthropogenic landscape features that influence sage-grouse habitat selection during breeding, summer, and winter seasons. I used data from 85 GPS-tagged female sage-grouse in Carbon County, Montana and Park County, Wyoming spanning April 2018–April 2020. I found natural and anthropogenic features combined best explained sage-grouse habitat selection for all three seasons. Sage-grouse habitat selection differed between each season with sagebrush cover being important for breeding and agricultural fields being important in summer. In general, sage-grouse selected for sagebrush or shrub characteristics and lower slopes and avoided major roads, residential development, and oil and gas. However, anthropogenic disturbances were not always avoided and sometimes sage-grouse selected areas closer to these disturbances, such as agricultural fields during summer or roads during winter. I created predictive maps from resource selection function modeling to depict relative probability of use for each seasonal range to be used in wildlife management and conservation planning. In Chapter 2, I focused on nest survival and attentiveness. Nest success is an important part of the breeding process that has implications for population growth. I described sage-grouse incubation behavior, examined whether sage-grouse incubation behavior influenced nest survival, and evaluated factors that influenced sage-grouse incubation behavior. For this chapter, I used data collected from my study area in Carbon County, Montana and Park County, Wyoming and a separate study area in the Red Desert of Carbon and Sweetwater counties, Wyoming. I used 131 nests to describe sage-grouse incubation behavior and 118 nests to examine nest survival and average recess duration. I found nest survival was higher in Bridger compared to Red Desert. I found incubation constancy was higher and recesses shorter for adults compared to yearlings. I found nest survival was higher with increased minimum temperature and reduced with longer recesses. Recess duration was shorter with greater sagebrush cover within 30 m and recesses were longer with higher minimum temperature and day of incubation. Factors influencing nest survival and incubation patterns will be important for directing management to improve sage-grouse nest success and to clarify to researchers and managers our understanding of the basics of sage-grouse nesting biology. In Chapter 3, I focused on habitat selection, activity patterns, and ranges of both brood-rearing and broodless females during the breeding season. I examined behavior and reproductive state influence on microhabitat selection, daily and seasonal range sizes, and daily activity levels for brood-rearing and broodless females. I sampled microhabitat for 36 females, estimated ranges for 38 females, and measured activity for 43 females. I found females with broods 0–2 weeks selected microhabitat characteristics when night roosting and females with broods 3–5 weeks selected microhabitat characteristics when foraging and night roosting. However, broodless females showed no selection for microhabitat based on behavior. I also found differences in activity levels for both brood-rearing and broodless females throughout the day. Broods 0–2 weeks had the smallest ranges while broods 3–5 weeks and broodless females had larger daily and seasonal ranges. Differences in habitat selection, range size, and behavior warrants management to conserve areas used by both brood-rearing and broodless female sage-grouse in a population, whereas most past efforts focused primarily on habitat used by brood-rearing females. The Wildlife Society Bulletin has accepted this chapter for publication with Drs. Jeffrey Beck and Aaron Pratt as coauthors.
Book Synopsis Greater Sage-Grouse by : Steve Knick
Download or read book Greater Sage-Grouse written by Steve Knick and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-05-19 with total page 665 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Admired for its elaborate breeding displays and treasured as a game bird, the Greater Sage-Grouse is a charismatic symbol of the broad open spaces in western North America. Unfortunately these birds have declined across much of their range—which stretches across 11 western states and reaches into Canada—mostly due to loss of critical sagebrush habitat. Today the Greater Sage-Grouse is at the center of a complex conservation challenge. This multifaceted volume, an important foundation for developing conservation strategies and actions, provides a comprehensive synthesis of scientific information on the biology and ecology of the Greater Sage-Grouse. Bringing together the experience of thirty-eight researchers, it describes the bird’s population trends, its sagebrush habitat, and potential limitations to conservation, including the effects of rangeland fire, climate change, invasive plants, disease, and land uses such as energy development, grazing, and agriculture.
Book Synopsis Nest Site Selection and Brood Home Ranges of Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) in the Centennial Valley, Montana by : Sean Rudolf Schroff
Download or read book Nest Site Selection and Brood Home Ranges of Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) in the Centennial Valley, Montana written by Sean Rudolf Schroff and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to estimate the fine-scale nest site selection of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and to investigate the differences in brood home range size in response to cattle grazing in the Centennial Valley, Montana. A total of 111 sage-grouse hens were captured across two breeding seasons (2014-2015). Hens were captured on leks using spotlighting/dip netting techniques. A total of 90 nests were found across both breeding seasons using radio-collared sage-grouse (VHF). Vegetation surveys were conducted at nests and random sites that measured the nest shrub and the cover within 3 m of the nest. All habitat variables that were included in the top model (GLMs) were nest shrub morphological characteristics and the cover provided by the nest shrub. It appears that sage-grouse are selecting nest sites based on the concealment provided by the nest shrub. Forty-five percent of nests were under mountain big sagebrush plants (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana), 21% nests were under three-tip sagebrush (A. tripartita), and 20% of nests were under basin big sagebrush plants (A. tridentata ssp. tridentata). Nests under mountain big sagebrush and three-tip sagebrush shrubs provided twice the amount of lateral cover that basin big sagebrush provided. Of the 90 nests found, 18 produced successful broods. Grazing utilization levels, grass heights, and dominant sagebrush type were recorded at brood locations and extrapolated to estimate those values across the brood’s home range. Two sample t-tests were used to test if there was a difference between the habitat variables in grazed and ungrazed pastures as well as by habitat type. Grazing utilization levels were on average 4% in brood home ranges across both years of the study. There was no year effect in brood home range size and brood home range size did not differ by grazed and ungrazed pastures or across the two habitat types the broods used. Brood home range size is most likely delineated by other factor(s) besides cattle grazing. Managers should focus on conserving continuous stands of mountain big sagebrush and three-tip sagebrush habitats because they provide higher concealment for nesting and were highly used for brood-rearing.
Book Synopsis Microhabitat Selection by Greater Sage-grouse Hens in Southern Wyoming by : Scott T. Mabray
Download or read book Microhabitat Selection by Greater Sage-grouse Hens in Southern Wyoming written by Scott T. Mabray and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined throughout the western United States over the past 3 decades. Habitat loss within the sagebrush steppe ecosystem is a major factor leading to sage-grouse population decline. Hen sage-grouse were captured, marked, and tracked during the summer of 2012 in southwestern and south-central Wyoming. I performed vegetation surveys, and avian point counts were performed at 1 early-season brood location, 1 late-season brood location, and an accompanying random location for each marked hen regardless of reproductive status. Multinomial models were run to determine what habitat variables were most informative in predicting site selection by hen sage-grouse. During early-brood season, hen sage-grouse with chicks selected sites that had high total shrub cover density; these areas also exhibited high densities of American kestrels (Falco sparverius). They did not avoid areas with common ravens (Corvus corax). Hen sage-grouse not accompanied by a brood selected sites with high total shrub cover and low densities of common ravens and American kestrels. During late-brood season, hen sage-grouse that were accompanied by a brood selected sites with high shrub cover and low densities of small avian predators, such as black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia) and American kestrels as well as medium-sized predators, such as common ravens, buteo hawks (Buteo spp.), and northern harriers (Circus cyaneus). Hens that were not accompanied by broods were more often found in sites with high total shrub cover and low densities of small avian predators, but selected sites with higher densities of medium-sized predators. Hen sage-grouse select areas with high total shrub cover during early and late-brood season regardless of their reproductive status. By avoiding predators and selecting areas with cover, hens with broods can reduce the risk of their chicks being depredated.
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 Greater Sage-grouse (centrocercus Urophasianus) Habitat Selection in Northwestern Wyoming and Stable Isotope Analysis of Fecal Material by : Andrea Renee Green
Download or read book Greater Sage-grouse (centrocercus Urophasianus) Habitat Selection in Northwestern Wyoming and Stable Isotope Analysis of Fecal Material written by Andrea Renee Green and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dramatic range-wide declines in Greater Sage-Grouse populations have prompted efforts to determine habitat characteristics that are selected by sage-grouse for foraging, nesting and brood-rearing areas in an effort to conserve this species. Managers at Heart Mountain and Y U Bench in northwestern Wyoming expressed the need to quantify various habitat characteristics and to determine key use areas at both study sites. Data were collected on a variety of habitat variables in spots selected by grouse for foraging, nesting, and brood-rearing activities. These variables were compared to the same variables measured at random points at both study sites. Significant differences existed between foraging/nesting habitat plots selected by sage-grouse and random habitat plots at both sites. Areas used most by sage-grouse for lekking, nesting, and brood-rearing were identified at both study locations. Data analyses indicated sage-grouse at Heart Mountain were choosing foraging and nesting areas dominated by junegrass while grouse at YU Bench were choosing foraging sites dominated by junegrass and nesting sites dominated by needle and thread grass. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were used to determine diet compositions of adults and chicks using avian fecal matter instead of tissue. Sage-grouse produce two different kinds of fecal material: intestinal droppings and cecal tars. Both types of fecal matter as well as various insect and plant species were collected at both field sites. Isotope analyses combined with mixing model analyses indicated that adult grouse at both sites were relying more on C3 grasses than either forbs or sagebrush in the summer months compared to what has been previously reported. Mixing model results confirmed that insects were the main food item for chicks at these two locations but these results also indicated that chicks are consuming more C3, C4 and CAM plants than has been previously reported.
Book Synopsis Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Nesting and Brood-rearing Microhabitat in Nevada and California by : Peter S. Coates
Download or read book Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Nesting and Brood-rearing Microhabitat in Nevada and California written by Peter S. Coates and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Nesting and Brood-rearing Success and Resource Selection of Greater Sage-grouse in Northwestern South Dakota by : Nicholas W. Kaczor
Download or read book Nesting and Brood-rearing Success and Resource Selection of Greater Sage-grouse in Northwestern South Dakota written by Nicholas W. Kaczor and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
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:
Book Synopsis Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds by : Christine Ann Ribic
Download or read book Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds written by Christine Ann Ribic and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-06-12 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Declining bird populations, especially those that breed in North American grasslands, have stimulated extensive research on factors that affect nest failure and reduced reproductive success. Until now, this research has been hampered by the difficulties inherent in observing nest activities. Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds highlights the use of miniature video cameras and recording equipment yielding new important and some unanticipated insights into breeding bird biology, including previously undocumented observations of hatching, incubation, fledging, diurnal and nocturnal activity patterns, predator identification, predator-prey interactions, and cause-specific rates of nest loss. This seminal contribution to bird reproductive biology uses tools capable of generating astonishing results with the potential for fresh insights into bird conservation, management, and theory.
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 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 Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States by : James M. Vose
Download or read book Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States written by James M. Vose and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This assessment provides input to the reauthorized National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the National Climate Assessment (NCA), and it establishes the scientific foundation needed to manage for drought resilience and adaptation. Focal areas include drought characterization; drought impacts on forest processes and disturbances such as insect outbreaks and wildfire; and consequences for forest and rangeland values. Drought can be a severe natural disaster with substantial social and economic consequences. Drought becomes most obvious when large-scale changes are observed; however, even moderate drought can have long-lasting impacts on the structure and function of forests and rangelands without these obvious large-scale changes. Large, stand-level impacts of drought are already underway in the West, but all U.S. forests are vulnerable to drought. Drought-associated forest disturbances are expected to increase with climatic change. Management actions can either mitigate or exacerbate the effects of drought. A first principal for increasing resilience and adaptation is to avoid management actions that exacerbate the effects of current or future drought. Options to mitigate drought include altering structural or functional components of vegetation, minimizing drought-mediated disturbance such as wildfire or insect outbreaks, and managing for reliable flow of water.
