Status and management of the greater prairie‐chicken <i>Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus</i> in North America

Svedarsky, W. Daniel; Westemeier, Ronald L.; Robel, Robert J.; Gough, Sharron; Toepher, John E.

doi:10.2981/wlb.2000.027

Cited by 46 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The Flint Hills ecoregion of eastern Kansas and Oklahoma contains the largest remaining tracts of tallgrass prairie and supports populations of many sensitive species of wildlife (Powell, 2006;With et al, 2008). The Flint Hills ecoregion is vital to the long-term persistence of many obligate grassland birds (Svedarsky et al, 2000;With et al, 2008). The Flint Hills is generally unsuitable for cultivation but supports an economically important cattle industry, with cattle grazing occurring on N 90% of its native prairies .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative Rangeland Management Strategies and the Nesting Ecology of Greater Prairie-Chickens

McNew

Winder

Pitman

et al. 2015

Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative Rangeland Management Strategies and the Nesting Ecology of Greater Prairie-Chickens

McNew

Winder

Pitman

et al. 2015

Rangeland Ecology & Management

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“…The Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido; hereafter ''prairie-chicken'') is an indicator species for tallgrass prairie ecosystems (Poiani et al 2001, Johnson et al 2011 and is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because populations have declined by ;70% rangewide over the last three decades (Knopf 1994, Svedarsky et al 2000, BirdLife International 2012. Prairie-chicken populations are declining in the core of their extant range in Kansas due to low rates of nest, brood, and adult survival, which are related to high rates of predation and intensification of land use for cattle production (McNew et al 2012, Pitman et al 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Space use by female Greater Prairie‐Chickens in response to wind energy development

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Wind energy development is targeted to meet 20% of U.S. energy demand by 2030. In Kansas, optimal sites for wind energy development often overlap with preferred habitats of Greater PrairieChickens (Tympanuchus cupido), a lek-mating species of prairie grouse with declining populations. Our goal was to use movement data from radio telemetry to investigate patterns and drivers of seasonal space use by female prairie-chickens during pre-and post-construction periods at a wind energy facility in northcentral Kansas. We developed individual and population level resource utilization functions (RUFs) for four time periods: the 6-month breeding and nonbreeding seasons during the pre-construction stage (2007)(2008); n ¼ 28 and 14 females), and the same two seasons during a post-construction period (2009)(2010)(2011); n ¼ 102 and 37). RUFs relate non-uniform space use within a home range to landscape metrics in a multiple regression framework. We selected ten predictor variables that described land cover, habitat patchiness, anthropogenic disturbance, and social behavior of prairie-chickens. We documented two behavioral responses of females to wind energy development during the breeding season: (1) mean home range size increased approximately two-fold, and (2) space use had a positive relationship with distance to turbine, which indicated female avoidance of wind turbines. A parallel study of demographic rates in our study population found no negative effects of wind energy development on prairie-chicken fecundity or survival, but persistent avoidance of wind energy development could result in the local extirpation of prairie-chicken populations at our study site. Our primary ecological finding was that distance to lek was the strongest predictor of space use during all treatment periods, with relatively high use of areas at short distances from leks in 79% of female home ranges. Thus, lek site surveys should be effective for identifying prairie grouse habitat preferences and monitoring population dynamics when more intensive demographic studies are not feasible. Our study is the first application of resource utilization function techniques to a wildlife population in response to energy development, and our results provide new quantitative insights into the spatial ecology of an upland gamebird of conservation concern.

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“…Grassland bird communities are of particular interest due to recent declines and their role as indicators of grassland health (Peterjohn and Sauer, 1999;Brennan and Kuvlesky, 2005). Prairie grouse have specifically been identified as species to focus grassland conservation efforts because they require large blocks of diverse habitat (Svedarsky et al, 2000;Poiani et al, 2001;Hagen et al, 2004;Silvy and Hagen, 2004;Brennan and Kuvlesky, 2005;Pruett et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age‐Specific Survival and Probable Causes of Mortality in Female Lesser Prairie‐Chickens

et al. 2007

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Long‐term population declines and habitat reductions have increased concern over the status of the lesser prairie‐chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Robust estimates of demographic parameters are essential for identifying population declines and planning effective management. We evaluated the effects of age and season on the survival of female lesser prairie‐chickens at 2 sites in southwestern Kansas, USA. Using telemetry data from a 7‐year field study (from 1997 to 2003), we estimated seasonal (Apr—Sep) and annual (Apr—Mar) survival. We also examined daily survival rates of females attending nests during the 26‐day incubation period and young during the 14‐day early brood‐rearing period. We evaluated the probable mortality causes of radiomarked birds by examining evidence at recovery sites. We captured 227 female lesser prairie‐chickens (87 yearlings, 117 ad, and 23 age undetermined) and fitted them with radiotransmitters. Estimates of 12‐month survival were lower among yearlings (Ŝ12 = 0.429, SE = 0.117) and adults at site I (Ŝ12 > = 0.302, SE = 0.080) than among yearlings (Ŝ12 = 0.588, SE = 0.100) and adults at site II (Ŝ12 > = 0.438, SE = 0.083). The patterns in timing of mortality and age‐specific 6‐month survival were consistent with those of 12‐month estimates at site I from 1998 to 2002, with a peak in mortality during May and June. Females tending to nests or to prefledged chicks had lower daily survival (DŜRtend = 0.993, SE = 0.001) than females not involved in these activities (DŜRfailedbreeder = 0.997, SE = 0.002). We recorded 92 mortalities from April 1997 to March 2003, and 59% and 11% were attributed to predation by mammals and raptors, respectively. Our research suggests that predation during the nesting season can have a major impact on lesser prairie‐chicken demography, and conservation efforts should focus on enhancing female survival during the nesting and brood‐rearing seasons.

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Status and management of the greater prairie‐chicken Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus in North America

Cited by 46 publications

References 5 publications

Alternative Rangeland Management Strategies and the Nesting Ecology of Greater Prairie-Chickens

Alternative Rangeland Management Strategies and the Nesting Ecology of Greater Prairie-Chickens

Space use by female Greater Prairie‐Chickens in response to wind energy development

Age‐Specific Survival and Probable Causes of Mortality in Female Lesser Prairie‐Chickens

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