| A population genetic comparison of large- and small-bodied sage grouse in Colorado using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers | Oyler-McCance, SJ | 1999 |
KeywordsColorado;gene flow;microsatellites;mtDNA;sage grouse;speciation AbstractSage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) from southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah (United States) are 33% smaller than all other sage grouse and have obvious plumage and behavioural differences. Because of these differences, they have been tentatively recognized as a separate 'small-bodied' species. We collected genetic evidence to further test this proposal, using mitochondrial sequence data and microsatellite markers to determine whether there was gene flow between the two proposed species. Significant differences in the distribution of alleles between the large- and small-bodied birds were found in both data sets. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 65% of the variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes could be explained by the large- vs, small-bodied distinction. Genetic distances and neighbour-joining trees based on allelic frequency data showed a distinct separation between the proposed species, although cladistic analysis of the phylogenetic history of the mitochondrial sequence haplotypes has shown a lack of reciprocal monophyly. These results further support the recognition of the small-bodied sage grouse as a distinct species based on the biological species concept, providing additional genetic evidence to augment the morphological and behavioural data. Furthermore, small-bodied sage grouse had much less genetic variation than large-bodied sage grouse, which may have implications for conservation issues. AuthorsOyler-McCance, SJ; Kahn, NW; Burnham, KP; Braun, CE; Quinn, TW Year Published1999 PublicationMolecular Ecology Locations- Cold Springs, Colorado (40.8672, -108.827)
- North Park, Colorado (40.7835, -106.176)
- Blue Mountain Colorado (40.2483, -108.861)
- Middle Park, Colorado (40.0867, -106.217)
- Eagle Colorado (39.6553, -106.828)
- Crawford, Colorado (38.7039, -107.608)
- Gunnison Basin, Colorado (38.5458, -106.925)
- Dry Creek, Colorado (38.0459, -108.554)
- Dove Creek, Colorado (37.6331, -108.915)
DOI10.1046/j.1365-294x.1999.00716.x |
| A pressure-operated drop net for capturing Greater Sage-Grouse | Bush, Krista L. | 2008 |
Keywordscapture; drop net; greater Sage-Grouse; pressure operated; Sage-Grouse AbstractA pressure-operated drop net was developed to capture endangered Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Alberta, Canada. A drop net was developed because other capture methods, such as night lighting and walk-in traps, have largely been unsuccessful in Alberta, and rocket netting was too dangerous to be used with an endangered population. Nets (one black and one gray) were used to capture 13 birds (12 males and 1 female) in six attempts. Nets dropped quickly (about 1 s) and quietly and captured all birds under the net. More birds (N = 12) were captured using a gray net than a black net, probably because it was less conspicuous. The presence of a drop net on the lek did not alter the behavior of the birds at the lek or influence lek attendance. The cost of a net, including all supplies, tools, and equipment needed, was $790 US ($900 CAN). This pressure-operated drop net system should prove effective for capturing other lekking species and other ground-dwelling birds that will respond to baiting. AuthorsBush, Krista L. Year Published2008 PublicationJournal of Field Ornithology LocationsDOI10.1111/j.1557-9263.2008.00146.x |
| A re-evaluation of hotspot settlement in lekking sage grouse | Gibson, RM | 1996 |
KeywordsNo keywords available AbstractRecent analyses of avian leks have come to conflicting conclusions concerning the role of male settlement on female traffic hotspots. This issue was re-examined in the sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, using data on pre-nesting movements of radiotagged females and the dispersion of lekking males collected during a 10-year field study. As expected with hotspot settlement, leks were preferentially located in areas through which females travelled between wintering and nesting ranges before mating. In addition, the distribution of males among leks was related proximately to variation in numbers of females visiting each lek during the mating period and ultimately to numbers that nested within a 2-km radius, within which nesting hens were preferentially attracted. The results show both that hotspot settlement can explain certain coarse scale features of male dispersion, and that female behaviour during different stages of the pre-nesting period may influence particular components of male dispersion to differing extents. (C) 1996 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour AuthorsGibson, RM Year Published1996 PublicationAnimal Behaviour LocationsDOI10.1006/anbe.1996.0247 |
| ACCOUNTING FOR FITNESS: COMBINING SURVIVAL AND SELECTION WHEN ASSESSING WILDLIFE-HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS | Aldridge, Cameron L. | 2008 |
Keywordsfitness, greater sage-grouse, habitat, occurrence, persistence, sagebrush,selection, survival AbstractAssessing the viability of a Population requires understanding of the resources used by animals to determine how those resources affect long-term population persistence. To understand the true importance of resources, one must consider both selection (where a Species Occurs) and fitness (reproduction and survival) associated with the use of those resources. Failure to do so may result in incorrect assessments of habitat quality and inappropriate management activities. We illustrate the importance of considering both Occurrence and fitness metrics when assessing habitat requirements for the endangered greater sage-rouse in Alberta, Canada. This population is experiencing low recruitment, so we assess resource use during the brood-rearing period to identify management priorities. First, we develop logistic regression occurrence models fitted with habitat covariates. Second, we use proportional hazard survival analysis to assess chick survival (fitness component) associated with habitat and climatic covariates. Sage-grouse show strong selection for sagebrush cover at both patch (smaller) and area (larger) spatial scales, and weak selection for forbs at the patch scale only. Drought conditions based on an index combining growing degree days and spring precipitation strongly reduced chick survival. While hens selected for taller grass and more sagebrush cover, only taller grass cover also enhanced chick Survival. We show that sage-grouse may not recognize all ecological cues that enhance chick survival. Management activities targeted at providing habitats that sage-grouse are likely to use in addition to those that enhance survival are most likely to ensure the long-term viability of this population. Our techniques account for both occurrence and fitness in habitat quality assessments and, in general, the approach should be applicable to other species or ecosystems. AuthorsAldridge, Cameron L.; Boyce, Mark S. Year Published2008 PublicationIsrael Journal of Ecology & Evolution LocationsDOI10.1560/IJEE.54.3-4.389 |
| Achieving Better Estimates of Greater Sage-Grouse Chick Survival in Utah | Dahlgren, David K. | 2010 |
Keywordsbrood-mixing, Centrocercus urophasianus, chick survival, greater sage-grouse, productivity, radiotelemetry, suture method, Utah AbstractDeclining sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations may be characterized by poor recruitment largely attributed to low chick survival. However, few published studies have explicitly examined factors that influence chick survival. We used a suture method to radiomark 1-2-day-old sage-grouse chicks (n = 150) in 2005-2006 on Parker Mountain in south-central Utah, USA, and monitored their survival to 42 days. We modeled effects of year, hatch date, chick age, brood-female age, brood-mixing, and arthropod abundance on chick survival. Our best model revealed an average survival estimate of 0.50 days to 42 days, which is the highest level ever documented for this long-lived species. Brood-mixing occurred in 21% (31/146) of chicks and 43% (18/42) of broods we studied. Moreover, yearling females had more chicks leave their broods than did adults. We found that survival may be higher among chicks that switch broods compared to those that stayed with their natal mother until fledging. Thus, brood-mixing may be an adaptive strategy leading to increased sage-grouse chick survival and higher productivity, especially among chicks born to yearling females. Our findings also indicate that arthropod abundance may be an important driver of chick survival, particularly during the early brood-rearing period and, therefore, sage-grouse populations may benefit from a management strategy that attempts to increase arthropod abundance via brood habitat management. AuthorsDahlgren, David K.; Messmer, Terry A.; Koons, David N. Year Published2010 PublicationJournal of Wildlife Management LocationsDOI10.2193/2009-093 |
| Adaptive management of prairie grouse: how do we get there? | Aldridge, CL | 2004 |
Keywordsadaptive management, Alberta, Centrocercus urophasianus, conservation plans, grazing, greater sage-grouse, habitat, Manitoba, policy planning, prairie sharp-tailed grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus AbstractManaging prairie grouse has been largely a reactive process without any "true" management experiments being implemented, thereby limiting our ability to learn from management and enhance conservation efforts for declining prairie grouse populations. In a few cases where the potential existed for a passive or active adaptive approach, monitoring was insufficient to detect effects of changes in management practices. Similar problems appear to occur at planning stages in attempts to implement adaptive management for prairie grouse populations, preventing proper consideration of sound adaptive experiments that advance learning. Successful adaptive management begins with stakeholder gatherings following a policy planning process, which includes many steps, beginning with goal identification and understanding of uncertainties and culminating in model simulations to understand potential management policies. By following this process, the opportunity to implement successful management experiments can be enhanced. We discuss the successes and failures of prairie grouse management using 2 case studies, 1 for prairie sharp-tailcd grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) in Manitoba and 1 for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in southern Alberta. We describe ways in which active adaptive management could improve our understanding of prairie grouse population declines and outline a policy planning process that, if followed, will allow adaptive management to be successfully implemented, enhancing prairie grouse management and conservation. AuthorsAldridge, CL; Boyce, MS; Baydack, RK Year Published2004 PublicationWildlife Society Bulletin LocationsDOI10.2193/0091-7648(2004)32[92:AMOPGH]2.0.CO;2 |
| Age and Sex of Sage Grouse from Wings | Crunden, C. W. | 1963 |
KeywordsNo keywords available AbstractA
technique
is
described
for
determining
age
and
sex
of
sage
grouse
(Centrocercus
uropha-
sianus)
from
wings
collected
during
August
and
September
hunting
seasons.
Easily
discernible
pri-
mary
molt
characteristics
(retention
of
primaries
1
and
2
in
juveniles
and
the
difference
in
length
of
primaries
2
and
3
between
adults
and
juveniles
when
primary
3
has
not
yet
molted)
have
been
com-
bined
with
four
basic
wing
measurements
in
an
age
and
sex
key.
The
relatively
slow
method
of
measuring
primaries
with
a
ruler
is
replaced
by
a
measuring
board
with
a
backstop
and
three
lines
scribed
across
its
face
for
use
with
the
age
and
sex
key.
Wings
are
measured
in
a
flat
and
straightened
position
from
the
skin-covered
wrist
joint
to
the
tip
of
the
desired
primary
and
compared
to
the
appropriate
lines
on
the
measuring
board.
Statistics
estimating
the
probability
of
misclassification
for
each
of
the
four
measurement
categories
are
given AuthorsCrunden, C. W. Year Published1963 PublicationThe Journal of Wildlife Management LocationsDOI10.2307/3798498 |
| Altered rangeland ecosystems in the interior Columbia basin. | Bunting, Stephen C. | 2002 |
Altered rangeland ecosystems in the interior Columbia basin.KeywordsNo keywords available AbstractA workshop was held to address specific questions related to altered rangeland ecosystems within the interior Columbia basin. Focus was primarily on public lands administered by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Altered ecosystems were considered to be those where human-induced or natural disturbances are of sufficient magnitude to affect ecosystem processes, causing long-term loss or displacement of native community types and loss of productivity, making it difficult or impossible to restore these ecosystems to historical conditions. Seventeen rangeland potential vegetation types (PVT) were identified by the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project and briefly described. Reasons that rangeland ecosystems are altered include presence of invasive species, uncharacteristic grazing effects, climatic change, change in fire regime, and other factors related to human presence. However, primary causes of alteration and restoration potential differ among PVTs. Some altered rangeland ecosystems may be restored by stabilizing ecosystem processes, restoring native plant communities, reducing the spread of invasive species, or conserving existing biota. In some altered conditions, these options have a relatively high probability of success over the short term with low to moderate cost at the site scale. However, in other altered areas, restoration options are expensive, have a low probability of success, and require long timeframes. Restoration of rangeland PVTs is also necessary for the survival of some animal species whose populations are in decline such as the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and greater sage grouse. AuthorsBunting, Stephen C.; Kingery, James L.; Hemstrom, Miles A.; Schroeder, Michael A.; Gravenmier, Rebecca A.; Hann, Wendel J. Year Published2002 PublicationU S Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station General Technical Report Locations |
| AN IMPROVED SPOTLIGHTING TECHNIQUE FOR CAPTURING SAGE GROUSE | WAKKINEN, WL | 1992 |
AN IMPROVED SPOTLIGHTING TECHNIQUE FOR CAPTURING SAGE GROUSEKeywordsNo keywords available AbstractNo abstract available AuthorsWAKKINEN, WL; REESE, KP; CONNELLY, JW; FISCHER, RA Year Published1992 PublicationWildlife Society Bulletin Locations |
| An Investigation on Fire Effects within Xeric Sage Grouse Brood Habitat | Fischer, RA | 1996 |
KeywordsNo keywords available AbstractWe investigated the short-term influence of fire on xeric sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) brood habitat in southeastern Idaho from 1990-92. A prescribed fire in 1989 removed Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis Nutt.)/threetip sagebrush (A. tripartita Rydb.) canopy cover from approximately 57% of a 5,800-ha area, potentially influencing brood-rearing habitat. Although the fire created a mosaic of sagebrush areas interspersed with open areas having abundant grasses and forbs, the relative abundance of males, females, and broods on survey routes in burned and unburned habitat were similar, Cover of forbs important in sage grouse summer diets was similar in burned and unburned habitat, However, the abundance of Hymenoptera, an insect Order important in sage grouse diets, was significantly lower in burned habitat the second and third years postburn. Our research did not support the contention that fire may enhance sage grouse brood-rearing habitat. AuthorsFischer, RA; Reese, KP; Connelly, JW Year Published1996 PublicationJournal of Range Management LocationsDOI10.2307/4002877 |
