Conservation Reserve Program mitigates grassland loss in the lesser prairie-chicken range of Kansas

Spencer, David A.; Haukos, David A.; Hagen, Christian A.; Daniels, Melinda D.; Goodin, Doug

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2016.11.004

Cited by 28 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…We found that lesser prairie‐chickens consistently avoided powerlines across all analyses, avoidance of structures was exhibited across 2 scales of selection, and within home range avoidance responses were not elevated during the nesting and brooding phases of the reproductive season compared to other phases. Although direct loss of grassland in the northern extent of the lesser prairie‐chicken range has been minimal during the last 2 decades, current populations have declined (Ross et al , Spencer et al ). Our results, combined with others (Robel et al , Pitman et al , Pruett et al ,, Hagen et al , Hovick et al , Winder et al ), indicate that anthropogenic development, at a minimum, degrades lesser prairie‐chicken habitat and may result in functional elimination of available habitat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lesser prairie‐chicken space use in relation to anthropogenic structures

et al. 2018

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The Southern Great Plains has been altered by conversion of native grassland to row‐crop agriculture, which is considered the primary cause of declining lesser prairie‐chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) populations. However, recent analyses indicate that direct loss of grassland has slowed while lesser prairie‐chicken populations continue to decline, suggesting that remaining grasslands potentially suffer from degradation by various land uses (e.g., increased anthropogenic disturbance). Understanding the spatial ecology of lesser prairie‐chickens relative to anthropogenic structures is important for conservation planning, habitat management, and infrastructure mitigation. We investigated effects of proximity to anthropogenic structures on home range and nest placement (second‐order selection) and within home range space use (third‐order selection) of radio‐marked lesser prairie‐chickens (n = 285) at 2 scales of selection using resource utilization functions and resource selection functions. We collected data from birds marked in the Mixed‐Grass Prairie and Short‐Grass Prairie ecoregions of Kansas, USA, from 15 March 2013 to 14 March 2016. Home range placement did not vary by region or season, and lesser prairie‐chickens placed home ranges farther from powerlines and roads than would be expected at random. As distance increased from 0 to 3 km away from roads and powerlines, the relative probability of home range placement increased 1.66 and 1.54 times, respectively. Distance to powerline was the single most consistent variable negatively affecting nest placement. As the distance from powerline increased from 0 to 3 km, the relative probability of nest placement increased 2.19 times. Distance to oil well did not influence placement of home ranges or nests. When pooled across regions, lesser prairie‐chickens exhibited behavioral avoidance of powerlines, roads, and oil wells within their home range. Lesser prairie‐chickens, on average, used space at greater intensities within their home range farther from wells, powerlines, and roads than available. Across breeding season phases, we found no evidence of increased behavioral avoidance of anthropogenic structures during the nesting or brooding phases compared to the lekking or post‐breeding phases. Within home range space use during the brooding phase was not related to powerlines, wells, or roads. Our results indicate that avoidance of anthropogenic structures may result in functional habitat loss and continued fragmentation of remaining grassland habitat. Reduction or elimination of anthropogenic development in quality lesser prairie‐chicken habitat and concentrating new development in already altered areas that are avoided by lesser prairie‐chickens and no longer considered available habitat may reduce continued habitat degradation throughout the species’ range and aid in population persistence. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lesser prairie‐chicken space use in relation to anthropogenic structures

et al. 2018

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“…We then distributed the same number of random locations in CRP lands located throughout the SGPR Ecoregion encompassing the northwest Kansas study site (McDonald et al ). We delineated landscapes by buffering each location by 4 km using the buffer tool in ArcGIS (Environmental Systems Research Institute [ESRI], Redlands, CA, USA) and using landcover maps created through concurrent research (Spencer et al ). In northwest Kansas, the surrounding matrix for CRP grasslands was largely restricted to cropland or working native grassland cover types.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Last, the ecological response of lesser prairie‐chickens to CRP grasslands is likely influenced by a general increase in grassland abundance at the landscape scale. Grasslands in northwest Kansas are comparatively more fragmented than the occupied mixed grass prairie portions of the state (Spencer et al ). In landscapes that consist of <60% grassland, general availability of grasslands may be the most limiting for lesser prairie‐chickens (Crawford and Bolen , Ross et al ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Demographic consequences of conservation reserve program grasslands for lesser prairie‐chickens

et al. 2018

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Knowledge of landscape and regional circumstances where conservation programs are successful on working lands in agricultural production are needed. Converting marginal croplands to grasslands using conservation programs such as the United States Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) should be beneficial for many grassland‐obligate wildlife species; however, addition of CRP grasslands may result in different population effects based on regional climate, characteristics of the surrounding landscape, or species planted or established. Within landscapes occupied by lesser prairie‐chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), CRP may provide habitat only for specific life stages and habitat selection for CRP may vary between wet and dry years. Among all study sites, we captured and fitted 280 female lesser prairie‐chickens with very high frequency (VHF)‐ and global positioning system (GPS) transmitters during the spring lekking seasons of 2013–2015 to monitor habitat selection for CRP in regions of varying climate. We also estimated vital rates and habitat selection for 148 individuals, using sites in northwest Kansas, USA. The greatest ecological services of CRP became apparent when examining habitat selection and densities. Nest densities were approximately 3 times greater in CRP grasslands than native working grasslands (i.e., grazed), demonstrating a population‐level benefit (CRP = 6.0 nests/10 km2 ± 1.29 [SE], native working grassland = 1.7 nests/10 km2 ± 0.62). However, CRP supporting high nest density did not provide brood habitat; 85% of females with broods surviving to 7 days moved their young to other cover types. Regression analyses indicated lesser prairie‐chickens were approximately 8 times more likely to use CRP when 5,000‐ha landscapes were 70% rather than 20% grassland, indicating variation in the level of ecological services provided by CRP was dependent upon composition of the larger landscape. Further, CRP grasslands were 1.7 times more likely to be used by lesser prairie‐chickens in regions receiving 40 cm compared to 70 cm of average annual precipitation and during years of greater drought intensity. Demographic and resource selection analyses revealed that establishing CRP grasslands in northwest Kansas can increase the amount nesting habitat in a region where it may have previously been limited, thereby providing refugia to sustain populations through periods of extreme drought. Nest survival, adult survival during breeding, and nonbreeding season survival did not vary between lesser prairie‐chickens that used and did not use CRP grasslands. The finite rate of population growth was also similar for birds using CRP and using only native working grasslands, suggesting that CRP provides habitat similar to that of native working grassland in this region. Overall, lesser prairie‐chickens may thrive in landscapes that are a mosaic of native working grassland, CRP grassland, with a minimal amount of cropland, particularly when nesting and brood habitat are in close proximity. ...

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“…First, this ecoregion has the shortest time series of data (though approaching 20 yr), and may only now be indicating the long‐term variation in population fluctuations. Second, recent decreases in the amount of available grassland habitat (i.e., lands enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program) combined with the drought conditions, may have negatively affected population growth and carrying capacity (Ross et al , Spencer et al ). The Sand Shinnery Oak Ecoregion population continues to demonstrate its adaptability to extreme drought.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We speculate that these changes in extirpation risk are likely linked to the effect of drought (near‐term habitat effects), and reduction in carrying capacity. The latter may be indicative of long‐term changes in landscape composition or effects of ongoing changes such as expanded energy development and expansion of conifer perches for predatory birds due to fire suppression, which is affecting space usable by prairie‐chickens (Ross et al , Sadoti et al , Spencer et al ). Thus, improvements in carrying capacity as the drought eased may have reduced the extirpation risk, but did not alleviate reductions in overall carrying capacity because of long‐term changes in available habitat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lesser prairie‐chicken population forecasts and extinction risks: An evaluation 5 years post–Catastrophic drought

Hagen

Garton

Beauprez³

et al. 2017

Wildl. Soc. Bull.

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The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a species of conservation concern resulting from long-term declines in abundance due in part to loss and fragmentation of habitat. Habitat loss can affect landscape carrying capacity, and may exacerbate otherwise normal fluctuations in populations during periods of drought, anomalous weather, or other stochastic events. Previous work provided a unified long-term (1965-2012) assessment of lesser prairie-chicken population dynamics and projections of persistence in the Southern Great Plains. Despite the final year of data collection coinciding with a recordsetting drought, lesser prairie-chicken populations exhibited reasonable probabilities of persistence for 3 of the 4 ecoregions in which they occur. Our objective was to validate previous population forecasts with 4 years of additional data (post-drought). We assessed long-term changes in lesser prairie-chicken populations, using reconstructed population abundances from lek count and aerial survey data, and projected likely future probabilities of persistence. Based on our validations, model forecasts appear to provide a reasonable ability to project population abundance in the near term ($5 yr). Population abundances have largely edged upward since the extreme drought conditions of 2011-2012. Additionally, near-term extirpation risks have been reduced measurably for 3 of the 4 ecoregions and the range-wide population as a result of increased annual growth rates. Meta-population analysis indicated that each ecoregion had similar likelihoods of persistence as estimated independently for each single population, (i.e., without gene flow), but the longest term probability of extinction for the range-wide meta-population (i.e., with gene flow) was reduced by half as compared to the range-wide population modeled with disconnected subpopulations (i.e., ecoregions). Regardless, our results continue to support the importance of maintaining connectivity between ecoregions and core areas therein. Ó 2017 The Wildlife Society.

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Conservation Reserve Program mitigates grassland loss in the lesser prairie-chicken range of Kansas

Cited by 28 publications

References 36 publications

Lesser prairie‐chicken space use in relation to anthropogenic structures

Lesser prairie‐chicken space use in relation to anthropogenic structures

Demographic consequences of conservation reserve program grasslands for lesser prairie‐chickens

Lesser prairie‐chicken population forecasts and extinction risks: An evaluation 5 years post–Catastrophic drought

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