Weather and prairie grouse: dealing with effects beyond our control

Flanders-Wanner, Bridgette L.; White, Gary C.; McDaniel, Leonard L.

doi:10.2193/0091-7648(2004)32[22:wapgdw]2.0.co;2

Cited by 35 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(27 reference statements)

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“…Brood success and chick survival remained low during both years in shrubsteppe, suggesting that within this cover type these reproductive parameters may have been affected by the moderate as well as the severe drought more than in mine reclamation. In north-central Nebraska, May average temperature, June average temperature, and cumulative precipitation from 1 January to 31 July were positively correlated with sharp-tailed grouse production, while June number of heat stress days and June number of days with precipitation over 2.54 mm were negatively correlated with production (Flanders-Wanner et al 2004). …”

Section: Climatic Factors/global Climate Changementioning

confidence: 97%

“…In north-central Nebraska, Flanders-Wanner (2004) found that May average temperature, June average temperature, and cumulative precipitation from 1 January to 31 July (drought index) were positively correlated with plains sharp-tailed grouse production (juveniles per adult in the fall harvest); conversely, June number of heat stress days and June number of days of precipitation greater than 2.54 mm were negatively correlated with production. The most valuable predictor of productivity was the drought index, although the relationship was not straightforward.…”

Section: Population Regulationmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Because sharptailed grouse have naturally high mortality rates, correspondingly high reproductive rates are essential for maintaining population stability. Numerous factors can affect reproductive success of sharp-tailed grouse, but vegetation cover (Kirsch et al 1978) and weather (Flanders-Wanner et al 2004) are considered most important. These two factors are not mutually exclusive.…”

Section: Population Regulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Compared to grazed shrubsteppe, CRP and mine reclamation lands supported a higher density of leks and a greater number of males per lek (Hoffman 2001). In north-central Nebraska, Flanders-Wanner et al (2004) partially attributed higher productivity of plains sharp-tailed grouse on Valentine National Wildlife Refuge than on the McKelvie National Forest to lower grazing pressure on the refuge. Baines (1996) conducted one of the few studies specifically designed to measure the impacts of grazing on a grouse population.…”

Section: Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such simple associations do not adequately address the complex relationships among numerous weather factors that influence grouse production (Flanders-Wanner et al 2004). …”

Section: Climatic Factors/global Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

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Double-brooding observed in a Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanachus phasianellus columbianus) in Idaho

Proett

Roberts

Messmer

2016

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology

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of the University of Wyoming conducted the lifecycle model analyses and prepared the summary of the results. C.E. Braun and an anonymous reviewer provided constructive comments that substantially improved the quality of the assessment. Finally, the authors are extremely grateful to G.D. Patton and P.M. McDonald with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Their support, technical guidance, understanding, and most of all, patience, made the preparation of this assessment easier. AUTHORS' BIOGRAPHIESRichard W. Hoffman earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. Degrees in wildlife biology from Colorado State University. He subsequently worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife for over 30 years as an avian researcher specializing in upland game birds. He has conducted research on population dynamics, habitat relationships, nutritional ecology, and behavior of white-tailed ptarmigan, dusky grouse, greater prairie-chickens, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkey. In retirement, he continues to work on projects involving white-tailed ptarmigan, greater sage-grouse, and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse.Allan E. Thomas earned his B.Sc. Degree in wildlife management with minors in fisheries and range management from the University of Arizona. He also conducted graduate work at the same university and received additional credits from attending schools in Washington, South Dakota, Arkansas, Alaska, and Idaho. His work experience spans more than 50 years and includes positions primarily with the Bureau of Land Management (22 years) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (19 years). He retired from the Bureau of Land Management in 1999 and started another career as a private consultant in Boise, Idaho. DEDICATIONSadly, Allan E. Thomas passed away before this assessment was completed. Allan was a devoted conservation biologist who believed strongly in documenting and communicating biological information. This assessment is testimony to Allan's work ethic and is dedicated to his memory. COVER PHOTO CREDITPhotograph of male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse in an alert posture by Richard W. Hoffman. 3 SUMMARY OF KEY COMPONENTS FOR CONSERVATION OF COLUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE StatusThe Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus; CSTG) is one of six existing subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse in North America. It is endemic to big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), shrubsteppe, mountain shrub, and riparian shrub plant communities of western North America. The subspecies currently occupies less than 10 percent of its historic range, with only three metapopulations remaining in central British Columbia, southeastern Idaho and northern Utah, and northwestern Colorado and south-central Wyoming. Within Region 2 of the USDA Forest Service (USFS), this grouse formerly occurred in as many as 22 counties in western Colorado and in portions of 11 counties in west-central, southwestern, and south-central Wyoming. Today, viable populations occur in only three counties in Colorado and one county in Wyoming. Attempts are being ...

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Section: Climatic Factors/global Climate Changementioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Population Regulationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Population Regulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such simple associations do not adequately address the complex relationships among numerous weather factors that influence grouse production (Flanders-Wanner et al 2004). …”

Section: Climatic Factors/global Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Double-brooding observed in a Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanachus phasianellus columbianus) in Idaho

Proett

Roberts

Messmer

2016

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology

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Simulating Strategic Implementation of the CRP to Increase Greater Prairie‐Chicken Abundance

et al. 2020

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The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has the potential to influence the distribution and abundance of grasslands in many agricultural landscapes, and thereby provide habitat for grasslanddependent wildlife. Greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) are a grassland-dependent species with large area requirements and have been used as an indicator of grassland ecosystem function; they are also a species of conservation concern across much of their range. Greater prairie-chicken populations respond to the amount and configuration of grasslands and wetlands in agriculturally dominated landscapes, which in turn can be influenced by the CRP; however, CRP enrollments and enrollment caps have declined from previous highs. Therefore, prioritizing CRP reenrollments and new enrollments to achieve the greatest benefit for grassland-dependent wildlife seems prudent. We used models relating either lek density or the number of males at leks to CRP enrollments and the resulting landscape structure to predict changes in greater prairie-chicken abundance related to changes in CRP enrollments. We simulated 3 land-cover scenarios: expiration of existing CRP enrollments, random, small-parcel (4,040 m 2) addition of CRP grasslands, and strategic, large-parcel (80,000 m 2) addition of CRP grasslands. Large-parcel additions were the average enrollment size in northwestern Minnesota, USA, within the context of a regional prairie restoration plan. In our simulations of CRP enrollment expirations, the abundance of greater prairiechickens declined when grassland landscape contiguity declined with loss of CRP enrollments. Simulations of strategic CRP enrollment with large parcels to increase grassland contiguity more often increased greater prairie-chicken abundance than random additions of the same area in small parcels that did not increase grassland contiguity. In some cases, CRP enrollments had no or a negative predicted change in greater prairie-chicken abundance because they provided insufficient grassland contiguity on the landscape, or increased cover-type fragmentation. Predicted greater prairie-chicken abundance increased under largeparcel and small-parcel scenarios of addition of CRP grassland; the greatest increases were associated with large-parcel additions. We suggest that strategic application of the CRP to improve grassland contiguity can benefit greater prairie-chicken populations more than an opportunistic approach lacking consideration of the larger landscape context. Strategic implementation of the CRP can benefit greater prairie-chicken populations in northwestern Minnesota, and likely elsewhere in landscapes where grassland continuity may be a limiting factor.

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Columbian sharp‐tailed grouse brood success and chick survival in a wind‐energy landscape

2022

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Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) have experienced range-wide population declines, primarily as a result of habitat loss or degradation, and currently occupy <10% of their historical range. Expansion of wind-energy development across the current, occupied Columbian sharp-tailed grouse range is a potential threat to the subspecies. To assess the potential effects of wind-energy development on vital rates of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse offspring, we monitored 68 broods of radio-marked females captured at 11 leks in restored grasslands within 14 km of a 215-turbine wind-energy development complex in eastern Idaho, USA from 2014-2015. We assessed the influence of wind turbine density, habitat characteristics, brood-rearing female age, hatch date, and weather on brood success and chick survival using an information-theoretic model selection approach. Wind turbine density did not influence early (14-day) brood success, but there was weak evidence for a negative effect of wind turbine density on late (42-day) brood success. There was strong evidence that increasing turbine density within the late brood-rearing home range negatively affected chick survival to 42 days after hatch. The probability of an individual chick surviving to 42 days decreased by 50% when there were ≥10 wind turbines within 2,100 m of the nest.Late brood success and chick survival increased with earlier hatch dates. There was weak evidence for positive effects of post-hatch precipitation on early brood success and chick survival and weak evidence that adult females had higher early brood success than yearlings. Habitat characteristics such as

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Weather and prairie grouse: dealing with effects beyond our control

Cited by 35 publications

References 23 publications

Double-brooding observed in a Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanachus phasianellus columbianus) in Idaho

Double-brooding observed in a Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanachus phasianellus columbianus) in Idaho

Simulating Strategic Implementation of the CRP to Increase Greater Prairie‐Chicken Abundance

Columbian sharp‐tailed grouse brood success and chick survival in a wind‐energy landscape

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