Effectiveness of Wyoming’s Sage-Grouse Core Areas: Influences on Energy Development and Male Lek Attendance

Gamo, R. Scott; Beck, Jeffrey L.

doi:10.1007/s00267-016-0789-9

Cited by 18 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The conclusions of this research (edge effects of development on core areas) are not unique, but Spence and others (2017) provide quantification of the extent of those effects, which had not previously been evaluated for sage-grouse. These results, and those presented by Gamo and Beck (2017), support the conclusion that overall the Wyoming Governor's Executive Order is helping safeguard critical sagegrouse habitats at the State-wide scale. Other recent research is consistent with past findings that the implementation of certain mitigation techniques or design features for oil and gas operations may be beneficial in reducing, but not eliminating, adverse effects to sage-grouse (Fedy and others, 2015a;Garman, 2017;Holloran and others, 2015;Kirol and others, 2015b).…”

Section: Oil and Gas Developmentsupporting

confidence: 72%

Greater sage-grouse science (2015–17)—Synthesis and potential management implications

Hanser¹,

Deibert²,

Tull³

et al. 2018

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Section: Oil and Gas Developmentsupporting

confidence: 72%

Greater sage-grouse science (2015–17)—Synthesis and potential management implications

Hanser¹,

Deibert²,

Tull³

et al. 2018

Open-File Report

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“…We obtained producing oil and coalbed methane well data from the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (). We estimated the number of well pads by merging well heads within 60 m of each other and considered them to be a single well pad (Gamo and Beck ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We obtained producing oil and coalbed methane well data from the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (2017). We estimated the number of well pads by merging well heads within 60 m of each other and considered them to be a single well pad (Gamo and Beck 2017). We assessed non-distance-based predictors across 5 circular regions and 4 concentric annuli: 0.4-km radii (0.5 km 2 ), 0.8-km radii (2.0 km 2 ), 1.6-km radii (8.0 km 2 ), 3.2-km radii (32.2 km 2 ), 6.4-km radii (128.7 km 2 ), 0.4-0.8-km annuli (1.5 km 2 ), 0.8-1.6-km annuli (6.0 km 2 ), 1.6-3.2 km annuli (24.1 km 2 ), and 3.2-6.4 km annuli (96.5 km 2 ).…”

Section: Predictor Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Core Area Strategy was developed to limit disturbance within 6.4 km around communal breeding grounds of sage-grouse, thereby conserving areas with the highest breeding population densities (State of Wyoming 2008, 2011Doherty et al 2011). Empirical studies support the effectiveness of the Core Area Strategy to maintain sagegrouse populations (Copeland et al 2013, Gamo and Beck 2017, Spence et al 2017, Burkhalter et al 2018. But most sage-grouse populations in Core Areas continue to decline (Edmunds et al 2018), though less than outside Core Areas (Spence et al 2017), suggesting that focused conservation of other seasonal habitats may be necessary.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Approaches to delineate greater sage‐grouse winter concentration areas

2019

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The usefulness of protected areas as regulatory mechanisms to conserve wildlife populations relies on their ability to contain all seasonal habitats necessary for species persistence. Efficient conservation practices require understanding behavior and habitat needs of individual species and populations rather than simply relying on reserves of approximate size and configuration. Priority Areas of Conservation (PACs) have been delineated as protected areas based on known breeding habitat for greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage‐grouse) throughout their range. These PACs include Core Areas designated in the Wyoming Sage‐grouse Executive Order; however, this order also indicated the need to identify winter concentration areas (WCAs; flocks ≥50 individuals) based on habitat features using validated resource selection functions (RSFs). We used aerial infrared videography to identify locations of wintering sage‐grouse in south‐central and southwest Wyoming, USA, to evaluate winter sage‐grouse habitat selection with individual‐based RSFs, RSFs based on WCAs, and relative flock size. We located 4,859 individuals comprising 132 flocks across our study area. Flocks occurred in Core Areas more than expected, but a biologically meaningful number of sage‐grouse flocks were located outside of Core Areas. Individual‐based RSFs contained useful predictors that were consistent with previous sage‐grouse winter habitat selection studies. Flock size and WCA models produced similar predictions to individual‐based RSF models. Individual‐based and WCA‐based RSF model predictions had a high degree of similarity, suggesting that identifying important winter habitats with individual‐based RSF modeling is useful for locating potential WCAs when information on flock sizes is not available. Our results and survey technique provide a potential framework for identifying sage‐grouse WCAs with implications for improving PAC protection of all seasonal habitats for sage‐grouse conservation. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

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“…Although Green et al (2016) state that they modeled sage-grouse populations, they use their population dynamic models to analyze the effects of OAG on changes in abundance at individual leks. Even authors such as Walker et al (2007) and Gamo and Beck (2017) who analyzed aggregations of leks, group their leks by level of OAG development as opposed to population boundaries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local and population-level responses of Greater sage-grouse to oil and gas development and climatic variation in Wyoming

Ramey¹,

Thorley²,

Ivey

2015

Preprint

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Background Spatial scale is important when studying ecological processes. The Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a large sexually dimorphic tetraonid that is endemic to the sagebrush biome of western North America. The impacts of oil and gas development at individual leks has been well-documented. However, no previous studies have quantified the population-level response. Methods Hierarchical models were used to estimate the effects of the areal disturbance due to well pads as well as climatic variation on individual lek counts and Greater sage-grouse populations (management units) over 32 years. The lek counts were analyzed using General Linear Mixed Models while the management units were analyzed using Gompertz Population Dynamic Models. The models were fitted using frequentist and Bayesian methods. An information-theoretic approach was used to identify the most important spatial scale and time lags. The relative importance of oil and gas and climate at the local and population-level scales was assessed using information-theoretic (Akaike's weights) and estimation (effect size) statistics. Results At the local scale, oil and gas was an important negative predictor of the lek count. At the population scale, there was only weak support for oil and gas as a predictor of density changes but the estimated impacts on the long-term carrying capacity were consistent with summation of the local impacts. Regional climatic variation, as indexed by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, was an important positive predictor of density changes at both the local and population-level (particularly in the most recent part of the time series). Conclusions Additional studies to reduce the uncertainty in the range of possible effects of oil and gas at the population scale are required. Wildlife agencies need to account for the effects of regional climatic variation when managing sage-grouse populations.

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Effectiveness of Wyoming’s Sage-Grouse Core Areas: Influences on Energy Development and Male Lek Attendance

Abstract: Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) occupy sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) hab

Cited by 18 publications

References 30 publications

Greater sage-grouse science (2015–17)—Synthesis and potential management implications

Greater sage-grouse science (2015–17)—Synthesis and potential management implications

Approaches to delineate greater sage‐grouse winter concentration areas

Local and population-level responses of Greater sage-grouse to oil and gas development and climatic variation in Wyoming

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