Greater sage‐grouse habitat function relative to 230‐kV transmission lines

Abstract

Greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a landscape‐level species that requires large tracts of intact sagebrush (Artemisia spp.). Loss of functional habitat resulting from increased demand for energy generation, transmission, and distribution within greater sage‐grouse habitats in the western United States has the potential to negatively affect this species. We monitored 346 radio‐marked female greater sage‐grouse from 2009 to 2014 to evaluate the potential effects of 27‐m‐tall, 230‐kilovolt (kV) wood‐pole, H‐frame transmission lines on greater sage‐grouse habitat selection and demography. We modeled the effect of the transmission lines in 2 different study areas simultaneously using consistent habitat data. Previous research in our study areas suggested that the effect of transmission lines was potentially confounded by other habitat features. We accounted for these potential confounding effects by estimating habitat suitability before estimating the effect of transmission lines. We combined habitat selection and demography results to estimate habitat function relative to transmission lines and inform management recommendations. Overall, we found evidence that transmission lines had a negative effect on greater sage‐grouse habitat selection and survival within our study areas over 6 years, but the magnitude of this effect varied by habitat suitability and proximity to occupied leks. The effect of transmission lines on habitat function extended 1.0 km from a transmission line in habitats within 3.1 km of an occupied lek compared to 0.50 km from a transmission line in habitats beyond 3.1 km from occupied leks. Based on these results, we suggest future power line placement relative to sage‐grouse nesting, brood‐rearing, and summer habitats consider potential effects to sage‐grouse habitat selection and demography. Effects can be minimized by incorporating design features that discourage avian predator perching and siting power lines in habitats with lower suitability and, in our study area, habitats beyond 3.1 km from occupied leks. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

A Bayesian multi‐stage modelling framework to evaluate impacts of energy development on wildlife populations: an application to greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

“…We assessed six different distance thresholds (i.e., candidate impact zones) to identify the impact zone that garnered greatest support from the data. Three candidate distances were based on studies relating energy development to sage-grouse populations, including ∼2 km [ 29 , 30 ], 5 km [ 31 , 32 ], and 10 km [33] . We included three additional candidate impact zones (15, 20, and 30 km) to evaluate sequentially larger areas and avoid possible truncation of a distance effect.…”

Effects of Poplar Ecological Retreat on Habitat Suitability for Migratory Birds in China’s Dongting Lake Wetland

“…We chose the HSI model because it is simple to run and does not need the presence data and absence data of the research species (Hua et al, 2012;Frantz et al, 2018;Lebeau et al, 2019). Compared with maximum entropy (MaxEnt), general additive model (GAM), general liner model (GLM), boost regression tree (BRT) and other models that need these data (Zurell et al, 2012;Brambilla et al, 2020), HSI has no training process, so it needs to determine the weight in advance, and this weight directly affects the accuracy of the model, so we carefully determine the weight, combined with the analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method.…”

Prairie grouse and wind energy: The state of the science and implications for risk assessment

“…Survival of adult female greater prairie-chicken (Winder et al 2014b Several studies reported a positive effect of wind-energy facilities on adult female survival: Winder et al (2014b) found that annual survival of greater prairie-chickens was substantially greater during the 3-year postconstruction period than the 2-year pre-construction period (57% v. 32%), and LeBeau et al (2017aLeBeau et al ( , 2019 found survival of greater sage-grouse and lesser prairie-chicken was greater in areas that contained a higher density of wind-energy infrastructure (roads and turbine pads). Explanations for higher post-development survival are speculative but generally involve potential negative effects of development on common predators of prairie grouse (i.e., a positive indirect effect on grouse; Winder et al 2014b, LeBeau et al 2017a.…”

“…Changes in patterns of habitat selection that are indicative of avoidance may arise more quickly and be more readily detectable but must translate into demographic changes if they are to produce population‐level consequences and thus prove relevant for conservation. Coupled patterns of avoidance, isolation, diminished vital rates, and ultimately population decline are apparent from studies of prairie grouse responses to other forms of energy development, such as transmission lines (Aldridge and Boyce 2007, Holloran et al 2010, Gibson et al 2018, LeBeau et al 2019).…”

“…Roads can contribute to functional habitat loss for all species of prairie grouse (Pitman et al 2005, Hagen et al 2011, McNew et al 2013, Harrison et al 2017). Prairie grouse are less likely to use otherwise available habitat near power lines (Pitman et al 2005, Hagen et al 2011, Plumb et al 2019), and populations near power lines tend to have lower reproductive success (Pitman et al 2005, Gibson et al 2018, Kohl et al 2019), lower apparent adult survival (LeBeau et al 2019), and higher probability of extirpation (Wisdom et al 2011). Collisions with power lines can be a significant source of mortality in some locations (Beck et al 2006, Wolfe et al 2007).…”