Survival of Juvenile Lesser Prairie-Chickens in Kansas

Pitman, James C.; Hagen, Christian A.; Jamison, Brent E.; Robel, Robert J.; Loughin, Thomas M.; Applegate, Roger D.

doi:10.2193/0091-7648(2006)34[675:sojlpi]2.0.co;2

Cited by 26 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Previous studies on wild‐hatched galliform chicks reported >70% of all mortalities occurred within the first 21 days posthatch, and greater than 80% of these were attributed to predation (Zwickel and Bendell , Riley et al , Pitman et al , Gregg et al , Manzer and Hannon ). The next most commonly reported mortality was from exposure, which was often not differentiated from malnutrition or starvation in these field studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Captive rearing sage-grouse for augmentation of surrogate wild broods: Evidence for success

et al. 2015

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Both species of North American sage‐grouse (Centrocercus spp.) have experienced declines in distribution and abundance. Translocation of adult birds from a stable population to a small or declining population has been a management tool used by wildlife managers to support population persistence in these areas. Captive rearing chicks and releasing them into wild surrogate broods is an untested alternative to augment declining populations of sage‐grouse. We developed techniques to successfully rear sage‐grouse chicks in captivity, evaluated explanatory variables that could influence hatch and captive‐rearing success, and estimated the survival of domestically hatched (DH) chicks to 28 days of age following introduction to a surrogate wild brood. We collected 304 eggs from radiomarked female greater sage‐grouse (C. urophasianus) during 2004–2007 in 3 study areas in northwestern Colorado. Estimated hatching success of collected eggs was 0.745 (SE = 0.022, 95% CI = 0.700–0.786) and was negatively influenced by the number of days an egg was stored and the percent egg weight loss that occurred during storage and incubation. We monitored 175 DH chicks in captivity for 1–10 days before introduction and adoption into surrogate wild broods. Model‐averaged captive‐rearing success was 0.792 (SE = 0.045, 95% CI = 0.686–0.865) across years, and was positively influenced by initial chick mass at hatch and daily weight gain in captivity but negatively influenced by the number of days the egg was stored and advancing hatch date. We were able to radiomark and monitor 133 DH chicks adopted into surrogate wild broods until 28 days of age. Eighty‐eight percent of DH chicks were successfully adopted within 24 hours. Our overall estimate of DH chick survival to 28 days (0.423; 95% CI = 0.257–0.587) was comparable to published wild‐hatched chick survival. Predation and exposure‐related deaths accounted for 26.3% and 25.6% of the known fates, respectively. Our captive‐rearing protocols and techniques were successful for collecting greater sage‐grouse eggs, hatching and rearing chicks in captivity, and releasing chicks into wild surrogate broods. This success further implies that captive rearing and release can be a potential management strategy to demographically and genetically reinforce or augment small populations of sage‐grouse. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Captive rearing sage-grouse for augmentation of surrogate wild broods: Evidence for success

et al. 2015

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“…Empirical estimates of the probability of juvenile survival are more likely to be <0.38 (Lesser Prairie-Chickens: 0.124, Pitman et al 2006;Greater Prairie-Chickens: 0.38, Wisdom and Mills 1997). Therefore, the Greater Prairie-Chicken population examined in this study is unlikely to be maintained by current levels of fecundity and survival, which is consistent with long-term declines in population numbers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demography of Female Greater Prairie-Chickens in Unfragmented Grasslands in Kansas

Augustine¹,

Sandercock²

2011

ACE

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ABSTRACT. Populations of Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) have been declining because of loss and fragmentation of tallgrass prairie habitats, and management plans require contemporary demographic data. Our objectives were to determine whether maternal nutrition or predation were determinants of nesting success and female survival. We captured and radio-marked 43 females at four leks in natural, unfragmented prairie during a 4-year study. Reproductive potential was high because females laid large clutches (10.9 ± 0.3 eggs, n = 24), renested following clutch loss (22.2%, n = 27 females), and had high egg viability (88.6 ± 5.0% of eggs hatched; n = 7 nests), but reproductive traits were not correlated with female morphometrics (mass, or tarsus and keel lengths). Daily survival rate of nests was low (0.928, n = 34 nests) resulting in a predicted nest success rate of 7.4% for a 35-day exposure period. We used known fate models to estimate weekly survival from telemetry data for 40 females. Weekly survival was 0.970 and the extrapolated survival rate for the 6-month breeding season was 45.7%. Using time-sincemarking Cormack-Jolly-Seber models for live encounter data to control for transience, annual apparent survival was 0.277 ± 0.081 SE for 55 marked females after initial capture, and 0.424 ± 0.139 during subsequent intervals. Survival of females was 1.6 to 2.0 times higher during the nonbreeding season than the breeding season, presumably because females are susceptible to predation during incubation and broodrearing. Predation of nests and females may be the main demographic factors limiting population viability because predation, and not maternal nutrition, accounted for unexpectedly low nesting success and breeding season survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in natural habitats. Future research should investigate rangeland practices that increase residual nesting cover or reduce predator impacts.RÉSUMÉ. Les populations de Tétras des prairies (Tympanuchus cupido) sont en déclin en raison de la perte et de la fragmentation des milieux de prairie à grandes graminées. Les plans de gestion doivent donc s'appuyer sur des données démographiques contemporaines. L'objectif de cette étude était de déterminer si l'alimentation des femelles et la prédation sont des facteurs importants du succès de reproduction et de la survie des femelles. Nous avons capturé et muni de radios 43 femelles provenant de quatre arènes dans des prairies naturelles non fragmentées, au cours d'une étude de quatre ans. Le potentiel de reproduction était élevé étant donné que les femelles produisaient de grosses couvées (10,9 ± 0,3 oeufs, n = 24), qu'elles pouvaient renicher lorsque la première avait échoué (22,2 %, n = 27 femelles) et que la viabilité des oeufs était élevée (88,6 ± 5,0 % d'oeufs éclos; n = 7 nids), mais ces paramètres de reproduction n'étaient pas corrélés avec les mesures morphométriques des femelles (masse, longueur du tarse et du bréchet). Le faible taux de survie quotidien des nids (0,928, n = 34 nids) s'est tradui...

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“…Precipitation affects vegetative growth, and in turn, food and cover (Campbell 1972, Riley et al 1992, Giesen 2000, Patten et al 2005b. Jackson and DeArment (1963) speculated LPC from the panhandle historically migrated to central Texas (.100 km distance) during winter; however, most documented movements have been 10 km (Campbell 1972, Riley et al 1994, Hagen 2003, Pitman et al 2006b). Range expansion occurs incrementally during fall through natal dispersal (Pitman et al 2006b) and during spring through establishment of new leks by subordinate males when populations are high (Dunn andBraun 1985, Haukos andSmith 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of climatic heterogeneity for conservation of the Lesser Prairie‐Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)

Dunn

Milne

2014

Ecosphere

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Abstract. A geographic range is a heterogeneous matrix where the natural capability to support resident species varies from detrimental to optimal. Given this, the first priority for species conservation should be to determine where optimal environments exist. We used MaxEnt species distribution modeling to distinguish climatic characteristics associated with persistent leks from those at random locations in order to characterize the niche and potential distribution of the imperiled Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Annual, brood period, and winter precipitation were the most important characteristics of the niche across the entire range, but maximum temperature during nesting was a key characteristic in the southern part of the range. Habitat suitability across the geographic range was multimodal but also consistent with a center-periphery pattern. Western Kansas and Oklahoma and east-central New Mexico contributed more than expected, whereas all other areas contributed less than expected, to habitat suitability of the geographic range. Lesser Prairie-Chickens appear constrained on the western edge of their range by abiotic factors, namely aridity, unfavorable temperatures and sandy soils. Conversely, they appear constrained on the eastern edge by biotic factors, namely transition from mid-grass to tallgrass prairie that results in dominance by the Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido). Conserving Lesser PrairieChickens will depend on maintaining persistent populations in western Kansas and Oklahoma and eastcentral New Mexico, as well as expanding its distribution across Texas. Aridity, unfavorable temperatures, and a paucity of habitat make eastern Colorado and southeastern New Mexico challenging areas for persistence of this species. Climate change may make it more difficult for populations in New Mexico and adjacent parts of Texas to persist, but more favorable for populations in eastern Colorado. The potential difficulties for populations in the southern part of the range will make it increasingly important to conserve populations in western Kansas and Oklahoma.

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Survival of Juvenile Lesser Prairie-Chickens in Kansas

Cited by 26 publications

References 31 publications

Captive rearing sage-grouse for augmentation of surrogate wild broods: Evidence for success

Captive rearing sage-grouse for augmentation of surrogate wild broods: Evidence for success

Demography of Female Greater Prairie-Chickens in Unfragmented Grasslands in Kansas

Implications of climatic heterogeneity for conservation of the Lesser Prairie‐Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)

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