We revised distribution maps of potential presettlement habitat and current populations for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Gunnison Sage- Grouse (C. minimus) in North America. The revised map of potential presettlement habitat included some areas omitted from previously published maps such as the San Luis Valley of Colorado and Jackson area of Wyoming. Areas excluded from the revised maps were those dominated by barren, alpine, and forest habitats. The resulting presettlement distribution of potential habitat for Greater Sage-Grouse encompassed 1 200 483 km2, with the species' current range 668 412 km2. The distribution of potential Gunnison Sage-Grouse habitat encompassed 46 521 km2, with the current range 4787 km2. The dramatic differences between the potential presettlement and current distributions appear related to habitat alteration and degradation, including the adverse effects of cultivation, fragmentation, reduction of sagebrush and native herbaceous cover, development, introduction and expansion of invasive plant species, encroachment by trees, and issues related to livestock grazing.
Distribución de Centrocercus spp. en América del Norte
Resumen. Revisamos los mapas de distribución potencial precolombino y de poblaciones actuales de Centrocerus urophasianus y C. minimus en América del Norte. El mapa modificado de hábitat potencial precolombino incluyó algunas áreas omitidas de mapas anteriormente publicados, como el Valle San Luis de Colorado y el área de Jackson, Wyoming. Las áreas excluídas de los mapas modificados fueron las dominadas por hábitats forestales, alpinos y estériles. La distribución precolombina resultante para C. urophasianus abarcó 1 200 483 km2, con un territorio actual de 668 412 km2. La distribución de habitat potencial para C. minimus abarcó 46 521 km2, con un territorio actual de 4787 km2. Estos contrastes tan marcados parecen estar relacionados con la modificación y degradación del hábitat, incluyendo los efectos nocivos de la agricultura, la fragmentación de hábitat, la disminución de Artemisia spp. y otras coberturas herbáceas nativas, el desarollo, la introducción y la expansión de especies de plantas invasoras, la invasión de árboles y cuestiones relacionadas con pastoreo de ganado.
Although sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus have declined throughout their range in North America, little is known about annual mortality patterns of this species. Thus, we summarize a long-term data set on timing and causes of mor tality of sage grouse. Predation was the most common cause o f death for radio marked sage grouse. For adult males, 83% of deaths were attributed to pre dation and 15% to hunting. However, for adult females, 52% of deaths were caused by predation while 42% were attributed to hunting. We rejected the hypothesis that type of mortality (predation vs hunting) was independent of gender of sage grouse. For males, 70% of deaths occurred during spring and sum m er (M arch-A ugust) and 28% occurred in September-October. For females, 52% of mortalities occurred during spring and summer and 46% occurred in September-October. We rejected the hypothesis that time of death is independent of the gender of sage grouse. In six o f 15 years (40%), harvest rates for adult females may have exceeded 10% while this rate was only exceed ed in two of 15 years (13%) for adult males.
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