Multiscale occupancy modeling provides insights into range-wide conservation needs of Lesser Prairie-Chicken (<i>Tympanuchus pallidicinctus</i>)

Hagen, Christian A.; Pavlacky, David C.; Adachi, Kristen; Hornsby, Fawn; Rintz, Troy; McDonald, Lyman L.

doi:10.1650/condor-16-14.1

Cited by 25 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Furthermore, our conclusions are based on a landcover layer that does not distinguish grassland structure appropriate for lesser prairiechickens (i.e., mixed-grass prairie compared to short-grass prairie: Spencer et al, 2017). We may have overestimated the amount of grassland available for lesser prairie-chickens in the western, more arid, portion of the species range by including short-grass prairie, where grassland management can leave grassland unsuitable for lesser prairie-chickens (Hagen et al, 2004). Consideration of available grassland structure and reduced grassland area at buffers surrounding our study areas could lead to less available habitat within these ecoregions than we presumed, such that if birds disperse from the immediate study area, they would have little chance of finding available habitat resulting in an increased likelihood of succumbing to mortality (Earl et al, 2016;D.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Given our results, managers interested in benefiting lesser prairie-chicken populations and increasing their resiliency to intensive drought could maintain grassland within the core occupied lesser prairie-chicken range and restore croplands adjacent to grasslands. Spatial heterogeneity of conserved grassland would increase occupancy and available habitat for required life stages (Hagen et al, 2009(Hagen et al, , 2016. Additionally, to increase the occupied range of the lesser prairie-chicken, the amount of grassland in landscapes outside of the areas where lesser prairie-chickens currently persist needs to be increased to surpass the 50-70% threshold, within an average lesser prairie-chicken home range, to improve survival.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Landscape Characteristics on Annual Survival of Lesser Prairie-Chickens

Robinson

Haukos²,

Plumb³

et al. 2018

The American Midland Naturalist

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Agriculture and development have caused landscape change throughout the southwestern Great Plains in the range of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Landscape alteration within the lesser prairie-chicken range may contribute to range contraction and population losses through decreases in survival rates. Our objectives were to determine if: (1) landscape configuration (i.e., the spatial arrangement of habitat) or composition (i.e., the amount of habitat), at the study-site scale, affected annual survival of females, (2) relationships exist between landscape context (i.e., landscape configuration and composition) and weekly survival to assess effects of landscape composition and configuration on lesser prairie-chicken populations, and (3) anthropogenic features influenced daily mortality risk. We captured 170 female lesser prairie-chickens and used very-high-frequency and GPS (Global Positioning System) transmitters to track their movement and survival for 2 y. We used known-fate survival models to test if landscape configuration or composition within three sites in Kansas were related to differences in female survival among sites. In addition we tested for relationships between weekly survival and landscape configuration or composition within home ranges. Finally, we used Andersen-Gill models to test the influence of distance to anthropogenic features on daily mortality risk. Differences in survival were evident between sites with differing landscape compositions as annual survival in Northwestern Kansas (Ŝ ¼ 0.27) was half that of Clark County, Kansas (Ŝ ¼ 0.56), which corresponded with 41.9% more

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Landscape Characteristics on Annual Survival of Lesser Prairie-Chickens

Robinson

Haukos²,

Plumb³

et al. 2018

The American Midland Naturalist

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“…At the second order of selection (i.e., Type II design, population level), LEPCs avoided row-crop agriculture and short-grass prairie and selected CRP. Evidence suggests that CRP fields increase LEPC occupancy on a relatively small scale (Hagen et al 2016). In northwestern Kansas, LEPC occupancy increased when the percentage of CRP land within 7.5 3 7.5-km grids (56 km 2 ) exceeded 20%.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In northwestern Kansas, LEPC occupancy increased when the percentage of CRP land within 7.5 3 7.5-km grids (56 km 2 ) exceeded 20%. On a larger scale (15 3 15-km grids, 225 km 2 ), LEPC occupancy was more a function of native grassland patch size and the percentage of land enrolled in prescribed grazing (Hagen et al 2016). As such, retaining and enhancing native shinnery oak prairie may have the most benefit for LEPCs at the ecoregion scale, while CRP fields provide additional habitat at local scales (Hagen et al 2016;Meyers 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale Habitat Selection of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in a Row-Crop and Conservation Reserve Program Land Matrix

Harryman

Grisham

Boal

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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The lesser prairie-chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus has received considerable attention in recent years, as a result of population decline and the uncertainty of its status under the 1973 U.S. Endangered Species Act. Substantial effort has been exerted studying the life history of the species and effects of some management practices on its ecology. However, information is lacking regarding lesser prairie-chicken use and selection of Conservation Reserve Program fields in the Southern High Plains of Texas. To fill in this knowledge gap, we assessed habitat selection by lesser prairie-chickens within Conservation Reserve Program fields, native grassland, and row-crop agriculture in Texas, 2015–2017. We assessed habitat selection using a Type II design at the second order of selection (home range placement within the landscape) and a Type III design at the third order (Global Positioning System locations within the home range). At the second order of selection, lesser prairie-chickens selected Conservation Reserve Program fields seeded in nonnative grasses (wi = 3.99, 95% CI = 1.60–6.39) and native grasses and forbs (wi = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.99–4.52) year-round. Row-crop agriculture (wi = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.06–0.28) and native grassland (wi = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.06–0.55) were avoided. Native grass Conservation Reserve Program fields were used in proportion to their availability (wi = 1.33, 95% CI = 0.81–1.85) year-round. Only Conservation Reserve Program fields seeded in native grasses and forbs were selected at the third order of selection (wi = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.16–1.47). Based on our results, Conservation Reserve Program fields provide habitat for lesser prairie-chickens, and as such, may be beneficial to persistence of the species on the High Plains of Texas.

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“…Although the listing was vacated by a federal judge in September of 2015 (Permian Basin Petroleum Association et al v. Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [Case 7:14‐cv‐00050‐RAJ, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, Midland‐Odessa Division]) and the species was removed from the threatened list in July 2016, lesser prairie‐chicken population abundance and occupied range remains historically low and effective conservation strategies will be necessary to expand their numbers and range (Hagen and Giesen , Hagen et al , Ross et al ).…”

Section: Seasonal Estimates Of Home‐range Size (Ha) For Nonbreeding Lmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonbreeding home‐range size and survival of lesser prairie‐chickens

et al. 2017

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The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a species of conservation concern with uncertain regulatory status, has experienced population declines over the past century. Most research on lesser prairie-chickens has focused on the breeding season, with little research conducted during the nonbreeding season, a period that exerts a strong influence on demography in other upland game birds. We trapped lesser prairie-chickens on leks and marked them with either global positioning system (GPS) satellite or very high frequency (VHF) transmitters to estimate survival and home-range size during the nonbreeding season. We monitored 119 marked lesser prairie-chickens in 3 study areas in Kansas, USA, from 16 September to 14 March in 2013, 2014, and 2015. We estimated home-range size using Brownian Bridge movement models (GPS transmitters) and fixed kernel density estimators (VHF transmitters), and female survival using Kaplan-Meier known-fate models. Average home-range size did not differ between sexes. Estimated homerange size was 3 times greater for individuals fitted with GPS satellite transmitters ( x ¼ 997 ha) than those with VHF transmitters ( x ¼ 286 ha), likely a result of the temporal resolution of the different transmitters. Home-range size of GPS-marked birds increased 2.8 times relative to the breeding season and varied by study area and year. Home-range size was smaller in the 2013-2014 nonbreeding season ( x ¼ 495 ha) than the following 2 nonbreeding seasons ( x ¼ 1,290 ha and x ¼ 1,158 ha), corresponding with drought conditions of 2013, which were alleviated in following years. Female survival (Ŝ) was high relative to breeding season estimates, and did not differ by study area or year (Ŝ ¼ 0.73 AE 0.04 [SE]). Future management could remain focused on the breeding season because nonbreeding survival was 39-44% greater than the previous breeding season; however, considerations of total space needs would benefit lesser prairie-chickens by accounting for the greater spatial requirements during the nonbreeding season. Ó

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Multiscale occupancy modeling provides insights into range-wide conservation needs of Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)

Cited by 25 publications

References 41 publications

Effects of Landscape Characteristics on Annual Survival of Lesser Prairie-Chickens

Effects of Landscape Characteristics on Annual Survival of Lesser Prairie-Chickens

Multiscale Habitat Selection of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in a Row-Crop and Conservation Reserve Program Land Matrix

Nonbreeding home‐range size and survival of lesser prairie‐chickens

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