Characteristics and Dynamics of Greater Sage-Grouse Populations

Connelly, John W.; Hagen, Christian A.; Schroeder, Michael A.

doi:10.1525/california/9780520267114.003.0004

Cited by 86 publications

(137 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…The patterns in demographic traits we observed in response to the variable environmental conditions experienced by sage-grouse during this study are consistent with the hypothesis of a slow-living life strategy for sage-grouse (Connelly et al 2011b). Although we did not study selection directly, our results suggest lifehistory evolution in sage-grouse may have been shaped by selection pressures similar to those documented for other long-lived vertebrates (e.g., Clutton-Brock et al 1996, Cooch et al 2001, Pilastro et al 2003, Rivalan et al 2005.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…We first evaluated the relationship between multiple climate variables and two sage-grouse life history components, annual survival (U) and per-capita recruitment ( f ), using capture-mark-recapture (CMR) analyses for males captured at breeding leks. Because sage-grouse are considered longlived and slow-reproducing within their lineage (Connelly et al 2011b), we predicted greater annual variation in recruitment, while adult survival remained comparatively stable, consis-tent with life history theory (Schaffer 1974, Stearns 1992. To assess the cumulative importance of climatic processes for population regulation in sage-grouse, we also evaluated the relationship between climatic conditions during the growing season and annual rates of population growth (k).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 62%

“…2). Sage-grouse are often considered long-lived among upland game birds (Connelly et al 2011b). In long-lived species Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics of climate and landscape disturbance influence the dynamics of greater sage‐grouse populations

et al. 2012

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Life histories determine how organisms interact with their environment and predict how populations respond to environmental change. Understanding relationships between life histories and environmental variability is therefore crucial for effective conservation under changing environmental conditions. Greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a species of major conservation concern in western North America following widespread disturbance of the sagebrush ecosystems to which they are endemic. Using robust design and Pradel capture‐mark‐recapture models, we evaluated the influence of climatic processes and disturbance associated with post‐wildfire exotic grass invasion on annual survival, per‐capita recruitment, and population growth of breeding male sage‐grouse in eastern Nevada, USA. Climatic processes, indexed by annual rainfall and maximum summertime temperatures, had a strong relationship with recruitment and adult survival, respectively. The range of variation in recruitment during the study was greater than the range of variation in survival, consistent with a life‐history strategy that features lengthened lifespan to capitalize on periodically favorable reproductive conditions. Annual variation in precipitation variables (e.g., rainfall or snow depth) explained as much as 75% of the annual variance in population size during the study. Our results are consistent with bottom‐up regulation of sage‐grouse populations, where abundance is determined in large part by climate‐driven variation in resource availability. Exotic grasslands had a negative influence on recruitment that was interactive with annual rainfall; recruitment was consistently low in areas with a substantial exotic grassland footprint even following years of favorable rainfall. We found males breeding at leks with substantial exotic grassland impacts had lower annual survival compared to males at leks surrounded by native sagebrush habitats. However, models containing an interaction between exotic grasslands and maximum summer temperature were not clearly superior to models that considered only additive effects of the two variables. This research has significant implications for sage‐grouse persistence in a changing climate, where more frequent drought and increased spread of exotic grasslands will have negative impacts on sage‐grouse populations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 62%

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Characteristics of climate and landscape disturbance influence the dynamics of greater sage‐grouse populations

et al. 2012

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“…They use sagebrush plants for cover and forage within breeding, brood-rearing, and wintering habitats, which can be spatially separated over large areas with diverse climates , Crawford et al 2004, Hagen et al 2007). Individuals may move 10-160 km between seasonal habitats resulting in annual ranges of 2,500 km 2 or more (Patterson 1952, Connelly et al 1988, Connelly et al 2011a). Sage-grouse are strongly associated with landscapes where sagebrush is abundant and they utilize landscapes selectively, depending on the season and the bird's life stage (Connelly et al 2011c).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying restoration effectiveness using multi‐scale habitat models: implications for sage‐grouse in the Great Basin

et al. 2014

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. 2014. Quantifying restoration effectiveness using multi-scale habitat models: implications for sage-grouse in the Great Basin. Ecosphere 5(3):31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00278.1Abstract. A recurrent challenge in the conservation of wide-ranging, imperiled species is understanding which habitats to protect and whether we are capable of restoring degraded landscapes. For Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern in the western United States, we approached this problem by developing multi-scale empirical models of occupancy in 211 randomly located plots within a 40 million ha portion of the species' range. We then used these models to predict sage-grouse habitat quality at 826 plots associated with 101 post-wildfire seeding projects implemented from 1990 to 2003. We also compared conditions at restoration sites to published habitat guidelines. Sage-grouse occupancy was positively related to plot-and landscape-level dwarf sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula, A. nova, A. tripartita) and big sagebrush steppe prevalence, and negatively associated with non-native plants and human development. The predicted probability of sage-grouse occupancy at treated plots was low on average (0.09) and not substantially different from burned areas that had not been treated. Restoration sites with quality habitat tended to occur at higher elevation locations with low annual temperatures, high spring precipitation, and high plant diversity. Of 313 plots seeded after fire, none met all sagebrush guidelines for breeding habitats, but approximately 50% met understory guidelines, particularly for perennial grasses. This pattern was similar for summer habitat. Less than 2% of treated plots met winter habitat guidelines. Restoration actions did not increase the probability of burned areas meeting most guideline criteria. The probability of meeting guidelines was influenced by a latitudinal gradient, climate, and topography. Our results suggest that sage-grouse are relatively unlikely to use many burned areas within 20 years of fire, regardless of treatment. Understory habitat conditions are more likely to be adequate than overstory conditions, but in most climates, establishing forbs and reducing cheatgrass dominance is unlikely. Reestablishing sagebrush cover will require more than 20 years using past restoration methods. Given current fire frequencies and restoration capabilities, protection of landscapes containing a mix of dwarf sagebrush and big sagebrush steppe, minimal human development, and low non-native plant cover may provide the best opportunity for conservation of sage-grouse habitats.

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“…Survival related to predator communities was not likely to have negatively affected population status during pre-European settlement because SageGrouse coevolved with the predator communities present in sagebrush ecosystems (Schroeder et al 1999, Schroeder andBaydack 2001). There are currently no predators that specialize on SageGrouse during any life-history stage (egg, chick, or adult;Connelly et al 2011). Thus, Hagen (2011) indicated that predators may only be negatively affecting Sage-Grouse populations in fragmented habitats and areas with human-subsidized predator populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercusurophasianus) hen survival: effects of raptors, anthropogenic and landscape features, and hen behavior

et al. 2014

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Survival of breeding-age hens has been identified as the demographic rate with the greatest potential to influence population growth of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827); hereafter "Sage-Grouse"). During 2008-2011, we collected summer survival data from 427 Sage-Grouse hens in southern Wyoming, USA. We assessed the effects of raptor densities, anthropogenic features, landscape features, and Sage-Grouse hen behavior on Sage-Grouse hen survival. Survival of Sage-Grouse hens was positively associated with the proportion of big sagebrush (genus Artemisia L.) habitat within 0.27 km radius and road density and negatively associated with power-line density, proximity to forested habitat, and topographic ruggedness index within 0.27 km radius (TRI 0.27 ). Raptor densities did not have individual effects on Sage-Grouse survival; however, an interaction between site-specific exposure to Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos (L., 1758)) density (GOEA) and TRI 0.27 indicated that negative effects of GOEA and TRI 0.27 were dampened in areas with both high TRI 0.27 and high GOEA. Survival of nonreproductive hens was greater than brooding or nesting hens. Hens that stayed in intermediate-size flocks and yearling hens had higher survival than hens in small or large flocks and hens >2 years old. Results indicated that risk of death for Sage-Grouse hens was greater relative to potential raptor perches but not anthropogenic and landscape variables that could provide food subsidies for predators.Résumé : Il a été établi que la survie des femelles en âge de se reproduire constituait le taux démographique le plus susceptible d'influencer la croissance des populations de tétras des armoises (Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827); ci-après « tétras »). De 2008 à 2011, nous avons recueilli des données sur la survie de 427 femelles de tétras dans le sud du Wyoming (États-Unis d'Amérique). Nous avons évalué les effets de la densité d'oiseaux de proie, d'éléments d'origine humaine, d'éléments du paysage et du comportement des tétras femelles sur la survie de ces dernières. La survie était positivement associée à la proportion de l'habitat d'armoises (genre Artemisia L.) dans un rayon de 0,27 km et à la densité des routes et négativement associée à la densité des lignes de transport électrique, la proximité d'habitats forestiers et l'indice d'irrégularité du relief dans un rayon de 0,27 km (TRI 0,27 ). Si la densité d'oiseaux de proie n'avait pas d'effet individuel sur la survie des tétras, une interaction entre l'exposition propre au site à la densité d'aigles royaux (Aquila chrysaetos (L., 1758)) (GOEA) et le TRI 0,27 indiquait que les effets négatifs de la GOEA et du TRI 0,27 étaient atténués dans les zones présentant un TRI 0,27 et une GOEA élevés. La survie des femelles non reproductrices était plus grande que celle des femelles couveuses ou nicheuses. Les femelles qui restaient dans des bandes de taille intermédiaire et les femelles de l'année avaient un meilleur taux de survie que les femelles dans des b...

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Characteristics and Dynamics of Greater Sage-Grouse Populations

Cited by 86 publications

References 61 publications

Characteristics of climate and landscape disturbance influence the dynamics of greater sage‐grouse populations

Characteristics of climate and landscape disturbance influence the dynamics of greater sage‐grouse populations

Quantifying restoration effectiveness using multi‐scale habitat models: implications for sage‐grouse in the Great Basin

Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercusurophasianus) hen survival: effects of raptors, anthropogenic and landscape features, and hen behavior

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