Estimating sightability of greater sage-grouse at leks using an aerial infrared system and N-mixture models

Coates, Peter S.; Wann, Gregory T.; Gillette, Gifford L.; Ricca, Mark A.; Prochazka, Brian G.; Severson, John P.; Andrle, Katie; Espinosa, Shawn P.; Casazza, Michael L.; Delehanty, David J.

doi:10.2981/wlb.00552

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Trends were evaluated using predicted relative abundance (

) and intrinsic rate of change (

) from Bayesian hierarchical state-space models (SSM; [ 1 , 2 ]), which partition variance components into latent state processes and observation errors [1] . Detection of individuals during wildlife surveys is often considered imperfect (i.e., detection probability is < 1.0; [3] ). However, SSMs can provide unbiased estimates of

and an index of

when observation error is constant across years [ 1 , 4 ].…”

Section: Investigating Population Patterns – a Before‐after Control‐i...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2023

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“…Trends were evaluated using predicted relative abundance (

) and intrinsic rate of change (

and an index of

when observation error is constant across years [ 1 , 4 ].…”

Section: Investigating Population Patterns – a Before‐after Control‐i...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…& 1.2.). SSM assumptions of interannual constancy for observation errors was verified prior to modeling [3] . Lek count data used to estimate lek absence rates were subset to exclude all but the final two years of before (2011–2012) and after (2017–2018) periods.…”

Section: Example Using Real Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2023

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“…Because translocation dates were predicated on source population dynamics and source population lek attendance varied across years, the date of annual lek counts varied between 30 March and 8 April 2013-2017. Lek observations are imperfect and can be confounded by observer sightability (Coates et al 2019) and attendance rates of males (Wann et al 2019). Therefore, we counted leks multiple times each year and recognized the largest value as a population size index rather than a true abundance.…”

Section: Capture Translocation and Post-release Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of translocated Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse: recognizing trends in post-release mortality to improve reintroductions

Mathews¹,

Coates²,

Prochazka³

et al. 2022

ACE

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Survival of translocated prairie-grouse (Tympanuchus spp.) is often low in the first few weeks or months following release into a novel environment. Understanding the processes and mechanisms that influence short-term, post-release survival, such as Allee effects (i.e., inverse density dependence), or individual characteristics of translocated individuals (e.g., age, sex) is imperative for designing successful translocation programs. Additionally, identifying timeframes during which translocated individuals are particularly vulnerable to mortality is especially useful for population management. We translocated 215 Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (T. phasianellus columbianus; CSTG) as a species reintroduction project to historical habitat in northeastern Nevada from 2013 to 2017 and quantified annual post-release survival probabilities during the 150-d breeding season. In a Bayesian framework, we first identified a prospective 40-d threshold in which the daily probability of survival substantially increased from before to after the threshold. Next, while accounting for the threshold effect at 40 d, we identified an age by population size interaction in which survival of yearling and adult CSTG changed across time. Yearlings exhibited substantially higher survival probabilities when the population at the release site was small (≤ 10 males on lek) during early translocation years, and adults exhibited substantially higher survival probabilities when the population at the release site was moderate or large (≥ 8 males on lek) during latter years of the translocation. This might represent inverse density dependent effects on survival wherein adult survival improved concomitantly with increases in population sizes. Shortterm, post-release survival is less intuitive for yearlings, but yearlings greatly outperformed adults during the critical first three years of the reintroduction (i.e., the establishment phase) when the population at the release site was very small. In future reintroduction projects, establishing a population with translocated yearling CSTG followed by adults might hasten conservation goals. Survie de Tétras à queue fine colombiens ayant été transférés : reconnaître la tendance des mortalités post-lâcher pour améliorer la réintroductionRÉSUMÉ. La survie de tétras des prairies (Tympanuchus spp.) ayant été transférés est souvent faible au cours des premières semaines ou des premiers mois suivant leur lâcher dans un nouvel environnement. Il faut comprendre les processus et les mécanismes qui influent sur la survie à court terme après un lâcher, comme les effets Allee (c.-à-d. la dépendance inverse à la densité) ou les caractéristiques individuelles des individus transférés (p. ex. l'âge, le sexe), pour concevoir des programmes de transfert qui auront du succès. De plus, la détermination des périodes pendant lesquelles les individus transférés sont particulièrement vulnérables à la mortalité est particulièrement utile pour ceux qui gèrent les populations. Dans le cadre d'un projet de réintroduction de l'espèc...

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“…Lek survey protocols were standardized to help reduce bias, to maximize efficiency, and to allow meaningful comparisons of sage‐grouse population trends across time and space (Connelly et al 2004). Despite standardization, lek survey data are potentially problematic because of unaccounted variation in male detection probabilities (Walsh et al 2004, Fremgen et al 2016, McCaffery et al 2016, Monroe et al 2016, Baumgardt et al 2017, Coates et al 2019) and inter‐lek movements (Blomberg et al 2013, Fremgen et al 2019, Wann et al 2019). Another problem, which has received little attention, is that lek survey protocols do not ensure that an equal proportion of active leks are counted relative to the true (likely unknown or not estimated) population of leks (Sedinger 2007, Shyvers et al 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Aural and Visual Detection of Greater Sage‐Grouse Leks: Implications for Population Trend Estimates

et al. 2021

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Counts of greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) at leks have been used in harvest management, Endangered Species Act listing decisions, and land management policies for over half a century. Lek count sampling methods focus on counting male sage‐grouse at known leks, primarily those observed visually from roads or vantage points, but leks are likely missed that are unknown prior to the survey and are difficult to detect while driving between known lek sites. One way to ameliorate this shortfall may be to conduct short point‐count surveys at multiple stops along lek‐survey routes or while driving between lek counts, thereby detecting newly established or unknown leks. To evaluate the feasibility of this approach, we estimated aural and visual detection probability of active sage‐grouse leks during 1‐minute point‐count surveys at known distances and examined the effects of environmental factors on aural lek detection in southern Idaho, USA, 2016–2017. Our results demonstrate that field observers can aurally detect sage‐grouse leks at approximately 3 times greater distances compared to detecting leks visually. The probability of hearing an active lek was highest near the peak of male and female attendance (8 Apr), within an hour of sunrise, on relatively calm and cold days, when the observer was at a higher elevation relative to the lek, and during conditions with no background noise. Detection probability declined with distance and the probability of aural detection was 0.59 at 1 km from a lek when other variables were held at their means. Hence, conducting ≥3 1‐minute surveys along a lek route would be expected to detect ≥93% of all leks within 1.5 km of each survey under the average environmental conditions in our study. Our results suggest that surveys could greatly improve detection of unknown or newly established leks and can facilitate a more accurate assessment of sage‐grouse population trends through lek counts. Moreover, our results demonstrate how environmental factors influence the detection of leks during surveys, and therefore which variables should be considered for inclusion in any future revisions of lek count protocols or in analyses of lek count data. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.

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Estimating sightability of greater sage-grouse at leks using an aerial infrared system and N-mixture models

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 8 publications

References 30 publications

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

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

Survival of translocated Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse: recognizing trends in post-release mortality to improve reintroductions

Aural and Visual Detection of Greater Sage‐Grouse Leks: Implications for Population Trend Estimates

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