Assessing the Ability of Conservation Reserve Program Lands to Provide Habitat for Lesser Prairie-chickens (tympanuchus Pallidicinctus)

Assessing the Ability of Conservation Reserve Program Lands to Provide Habitat for Lesser Prairie-chickens (tympanuchus Pallidicinctus)
Author: Tyrel Shane Woodward
Publisher:
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2014
Genre: Lesser prairie chicken
ISBN:

Habitat loss is the single greatest factor leading to the continued decline of lesser prairie-chicken populations. The overall rage of lesser prairie-chickens has decreased by more than 92% since the 1800's, leading to a 98% overall population loss. The species was recently listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Much of the habitat degradation can be attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation by anthropogenic activities. Our study utilized rangeland sampling techniques to measure the benefits of habitat provisions within Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands. We employed modified daubenmire method, line intercept method, and Robel pole sampling techniques on 124 transects over 31 fields in southeast Colorado and southwest Kansas. Our data indicated CRP fields within both states fell far short of meeting recommended guidelines for lesser prairie-chicken nesting and brood rearing habitat. When comparing the two states it became apparent that fields within Kansas contained significantly greater communities of bunch grasses, and had greater diversity than those in Colorado. Both states met the minimum percent cover of grass for nesting habitat (>20%). However, only grasses within Kansas (75%) were within the minimum suggested percent of bunch grasses (>65%). When comparing data between counties once again we found that Morton County within Kansas had greater potential than any county sampled within Colorado. Both Mordon (22.31 % ± 1.41, 20,2777 ± 3,578.91 plants/ha) county and Baca (29.76% ± 2.16, 33,750 ± 9815.71 plants/ha) county had increased cover and density of bunch grasses. Morton county boasted the greatest species diversity. In conclusion we found that both forbs and shrubs are greatly under-represented on CRP fields. The differences measured are largely reflective of species composition. We do believe there is still a potential for privately owned lands to offset habitat degradation through CRP. We would encourage that future CRP implementation consider a greater forb presence in seed mixes as well as a thorough investigation into the effectiveness of mid-contract management. Both of these practices may be valuable in increased species diversity, and encouraging the growth of beneficial species which will be of value to local lesser prairie-chicken populations.

Assessment of Lesser Prairie-chicken Translocation Through Survival, Space Use, and Resource Selection

Assessment of Lesser Prairie-chicken Translocation Through Survival, Space Use, and Resource Selection
Author: Elisabeth Caroline Teige
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2021
Genre:
ISBN:

Translocation is defined as the deliberate movement of organisms from one site to another where the main objective is a conservation benefit. Translocations are used frequently as a management tool to restore or augment wildlife populations but generally have varying degrees of success. The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is found in the southwestern Great Plains of the United States and currently occurs in four distinct ecoregions (Short-Grass Prairie/CRP Mosaic, Mixed-Grass Prairie, Sand Sagebrush Prairie, and Sand Shinnery Oak Prairie) across five states (Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, USA). Recent estimates suggest the lesser prairie-chicken currently occupies only 15% of their estimated historical range. Within the current occupied range, lesser prairie-chicken populations have been experiencing moderate to severe population declines. Since a contemporary peak of an estimated 150,000 birds in the mid-1980s, lesser prairie-chicken populations have declined to an estimated abundance of 34,408 in 2020. The largest contemporary decline in population abundance and occupied range is occurring in the Sand Sagebrush Prairie Ecoregion. Historically, the Sand Sagebrush Prairie Ecoregion was the epicenter of the lesser prairie-chicken population despite a large area of vegetation in the ecoregion being decimated during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. In 2020, only 171 birds were estimated for the ecoregion. In response to the extreme population decline and elevated extinction risk for the lesser prairie-chicken population in the Sand Sagebrush Prairie Ecoregion, myself, along with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and U.S. Forest Service translocated lesser prairie-chickens from the Short-Grass Prairie/CRP Mosaic Ecoregion in northwest Kansas, where lesser prairie-chickens are currently most abundant, to release sites in sand sagebrush prairie landscapes on the U.S. Forest Service, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands in southwestern Kansas and southeastern Colorado, respectively. I captured, marked, translocated, and monitored 411 lesser prairie chickens during spring 2016-2019 to understand how translocation affects demographic rates, space use, and habitat selection for assessing translocation as a conservation tool for this declining prairie-grouse. My objectives were to estimate lek counts, nest success, reproductive success, adult survival, home range establishment and land cover composition, and selection of habitat vegetation characteristics at local and broad scales to assess lesser prairie-chickens response to translocation in a novel landscape. Within two weeks of release, 22.8% of birds either died or were never located. I used known-fate and nest survival models in Program MARK to determine adult survival and nest success of lesser prairie-chickens. I estimated breeding season survival for both males and females to be 0.44 ± 0.02 (SE) and nest success as 0.37 ± 0.04 (SE) but with a declining trend for the entire study period (2017-2020). Overall, vital rates were average to low and male high counts on established lek started to decline in 2021, two years following active translocation. Habitat availability in a novel environment may become an increasing concern as translocated lesser prairie-chickens have consistently larger home ranges than their native counterparts. Home ranges of translocated birds was comprised of greater area of Conservation Reserve Program land than any other cover type on the landscape. Lastly, on a local scale (300 m), I found little selection for vegetation at used locations, but lesser prairie-chickens used thicker and taller cover for nest sites. This vegetation use was expected and conveys the importance of the vegetation structure needed at a translocation release site. My results highlight the importance of land management conservation and its role in the conservation of lesser prairie-chicken populations. The translocation may have some short-term success but current vital rates of lesser prairie chickens may not be enough to overcome inherent limiting factors of the ecoregion for the population to become self-sustaining and the translocation to be deemed a long-term success.

Ecology and Conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chickens

Ecology and Conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chickens
Author: David A. Haukos
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2016-02-22
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1482240238

Shortlisted for the 2018 TWS Wildlife Publication Awards in the edited book categoryLesser Prairie-Chickens have experienced substantial declines in terms of population and the extent of area that they occupy. While they are an elusive species, making it difficult at times to monitor them, current evidence indicates that they have been persistently

Dispersal, Reproductive Success, and Habitat Use by Translocated Lesser Prairie-chickens

Dispersal, Reproductive Success, and Habitat Use by Translocated Lesser Prairie-chickens
Author: Liam Akerlof Berigan
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2019
Genre:
ISBN:

Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) populations in the Sand Sagebrush Prairie Ecoregion have reached historic lows in the last decade. Former core areas of the ecoregion, such as the U.S. Forest Service Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands in southwestern Kansas and southeastern Colorado, have reached population densities so low that populations will not be able to recover without a new source of birds. In an attempt to recolonize previously occupied areas in the region, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism translocated 411 lesser prairie-chickens to the National Grasslands between fall 2016 and spring 2019. For a translocation project to be successful, translocated birds need to stay near the release site, find habitat that meets their survival requirements, and successfully reproduce. I assessed the success of the translocation project to determine which of these requirements were met following release to meet the goal of increasing lesser prairie-chicken density on the National Grasslands and define potential obstacles for future translocation projects. I estimated nest success of lesser prairie-chickens translocated to the National Grasslands using Program MARK and determined those factors important in predicting nest success. I found that the number of years that had elapsed since the bird's release was the best predictor of its nesting success in any given year. This fits with existing literature on grouse translocations, which state that translocation effects dissipate in years following release. Unfortunately, only 10.3% of translocated birds survived into the second year to take advantage of the increased nest success rate. My analysis of lesser prairie-chicken movement after release showed extensive dispersal away from the release site, with 99% of birds undergoing a dispersal movement >5 km from the release site. I conducted a behavioral change point analysis on translocated birds as they dispersed to determine where they settled down and how long their dispersal lasted. Birds moved an average of 144 km during their 1-2 month dispersal movement following release. Despite the presence of leks and habitat at the release sites, 69% of released birds settled >5 km from their release site after their movements. These results indicate that dispersal is an innate response to translocation, and release site placement will not be sufficient to minimize the dispersal movement.

Lesser Prairie-chicken Reproductive Success, Habitat Selection, and Response to Trees

Lesser Prairie-chicken Reproductive Success, Habitat Selection, and Response to Trees
Author: Joseph Mark Lautenbach
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2015
Genre:
ISBN:

The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a species of prairie grouse native to the southwest Great Plains. Population declines and threats to populations of lesser prairie-chickens led U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species as "threatened" under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in May 2014. Lesser prairie-chickens are found within three distinct ecoregions of Kansas and Colorado and portions of the species' range are affected by tree encroachment into grasslands. The effect of trees on lesser prairie-chickens is poorly understood. I evaluated habitat selection and reproductive success and across the northern portion of the species' range. I captured female lesser prairie-chickens within the three different ecoregions in Kansas and Colorado to track nest and brood survival and measure nest and brood habitat. My findings show that there are regional and annual variations in nest and brood survival. Mean nest survival during 2013 and 2014 was estimated to be 0.388 (95% CI = 0.343 - 0.433) for a 35-day exposure period. Brood survival during 2013 and 2014 was estimated to be 0.316 (95% CI = 0.184 - 0.457) for 56 days. Chick survival was the lowest during the first week of life and is probably a limiting factor for population growth. Chick and brood survival decreased as Julian hatch date increased. Across the northern portion of the species' range, females consistently select visual obstruction between 2-3 dm. Vegetation at the nest changes between regions and years to reflect environmental and regional conditions. Broods consistently selected habitats with greater percent cover of forbs than was expected at random across all study sites. Broods also selected against areas of bare ground. The threshold of lesser prairie-chicken use was 2 trees/ha throughout the year. No nests were located within areas with greater densities. Lesser prairie-chickens had a greater probability of use at greater distances from trees and at lower tree densities. To provide adequate nesting habitat managers should provide 2-3 dm of visual obstruction. Providing forb cover with visual obstruction between 2.5-5 dm near nesting habitat should provide adequate habitat for broods. Removing trees in core habitats and expand removal efforts outward should expand potential habitat for lesser prairie-chickens.

Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Grouse

Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Grouse
Author: Brett K. Sandercock
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2011-09-04
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0520270061

"Summarizing current knowledge of grouse biology, this volume is organized in four sections--spatial ecology, habitat relationships, population biology, and conservation and management--and offers insights into spatial requirements, movements, and demography of grouse. Much of the research employs emerging tools in ecology that span biogeochemistry, molecular genetics, endocrinology, radio-telemetry, and remote sensing".--Adapted from publisher descrip tion on back cover