| Endogenous Reserves of Adult Male Sage Grouse during Courtship | HUPP, JW | 1989 |
KeywordsAvian energetics; breeding behavior; Centrocercus urophasianus; Colorado; lipids; Sage Grouse AbstractLipid reserves of 116 adult (> 1 year of age) male Sage Grouse (Centrocercus
urophasianus) were evaluated in two Colorado populations during lek attendance between
1983 and 1986. Lipid reserves following winters (November-March) with snowfalls < 0.001) than reserves following winters with snowfalls > 160 cm. Lipid
reserves during early courtship were larger than reserves during late courtship (P < 0.001).
Males catabolized lipids during courtship but did not use breast muscle protein. Catabolism
of lipids likely provides < 5% of male energetic requirements during courtship. An adaptive
advantage to fat deposition before breeding may exist if males primarily mobilize lipids
during the peak period of female lek attendance when male reproductive success is determined, or during periods when thermoregulatory costs are high due to low ambient temperatures or wind. AuthorsHUPP, JW; BRAUN, CE Year Published1989 PublicationThe Condor: Ornithological Applications LocationsDOI10.2307/1368303 |
| Restoring Forbs for Sage Grouse Habitat: Fire, Microsites, and Establishment Methods. | Wirth, Troy A. | 2003 |
KeywordsAstragalus purshii;Centrocercus urophasianus;Crepis modocensis;Crepis occidentalis;fire;forbs;prescribed burning;revegetation;sagebrush steppe;sage grouse AbstractThe decline and range reduction of sage grouse populations are primarily due to permanent loss and degradation of sagebrush-grassland habitat. Several studies have shown that sage grouse productivity may be limited by the availability of certain preferred highly nutritious forb species that have also declined within sagebrush ecosystems of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of three species of forbs for revegetation projects where improving sage grouse habitat is a goal. Species suitability was determined by evaluating the emergence, survival, and reproduction of Crepis modocensis, C. occidentalis, and Astragalus purshii in response to method of establishment (seeding or transplanting), site preparation treatment (burned or unburned), and microsite (mound or interspace) in an Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis vegetation association in south central Oregon. For seeded plants A. purshii had the lowest emergence (8%) of all three species. Both seeded Crepis species had similar overall emergence (38%). Significantly more Crepis seedlings emerged from shrub mounds in unburned areas (50%) than in any other fire-by-microsite treatment (33 to 36%). Approximately 10% more Crepis seedlings survived in mounds compared with interspaces. Nearly twice as many emerging Crepis seedlings survived in the burned areas as opposed to unburned areas (p < 0.01). This resulted in more plant establishment in burned mounds despite higher emergence in unburned mounds. Astragalus purshii seedlings also survived better in burned areas (p = 0.06) but had no differential response to microsite. Fire enhanced survival of both Crepis and A. purshii transplants (p = 0.08 and p = 0.001). We believe additional research is needed to improve A. purshii emergence before it will become an effective plant for restoring sage grouse habitat. Conversely, we conclude that these Crepis species provide a viable revegetation option for improving sage grouse habitat in south central Oregon. AuthorsWirth, Troy A. and David A. Pyke. Year Published2003 PublicationRestoration Ecology LocationsDOI10.1046/j.1526-100X.2003.00159.x |
| CARCASS COMPOSITION AND ENERGY RESERVES OF SAGE GROUSE DURING WINTER | REMINGTON, TE | 1988 |
KeywordsSage Grouse; carcass composition; Centrocercus urophasianus; Colorado; fat content; energy reserves; winter AbstractCarcass composition of Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) was measured to assess the size and variation of energy reserves during winter in North Park, Colorado. Fat content ranged from 0.8 to 8.4%. Adults had higher (P=0.001) fat content than yearlings (4.7 v. 2.9%); birds collected in 1982 had more (P<0.05) when diethyl ether, rather than petroleum ether, was used as a solvent (4.0 v. 3.6%). Fat comprised 85 to 93% of estimated energy reserves which equaled 9.6, 5.1, 7.0, and 5.3 times standard metabolic rate for adult and yearling males and adult and yearling females, respectively. All age and sex classes gained or maintained weight and fat over winter. Relatively small energy reserves of Sage Grouse are probably most important during breeding and nesting activities. AuthorsREMINGTON, TE; BRAUN, CE Year Published1988 PublicationThe Condor: Ornithological Applications LocationsDOI10.2307/1368427 |
| Observations on the Breeding Biology of Male Sage Grouse | Eng, R. L. | 1963 |
KeywordsNo keywords available AbstractEighty-eight
male
sage
grouse
(Centrocercus
urophasianus)
were
collected
throughout
the
1959
strutting
season.
Testis
development
of
adult
and
subadult
males
was
compared
to
observed
seasonal
breeding
sequence.
Subadult
males
appear
on
the
strutting
grounds
after,
and
cease
strutting
activities
before,
adult
males.
These
differences
in
apparent
breeding
activity
between
the
two
age-
classes
are
supported
by
similar
differences
in
testis
development.
Observations
of
infertility
in
late
clutches
suggest
that
a
limitation
to
renesting
is
imposed
by
the
male. AuthorsEng, R. L. Year Published1963 PublicationThe Journal of Wildlife Management LocationsDOI10.2307/3798497 |
| 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 |
| Sagebrush Control Related to Habitat and Sage Grouse Occurrence | MARTIN, NS | 1970 |
KeywordsNo keywords available AbstractThe
effects
of
chemical
manipulation
of
big
sagebrush
(Artemisia
tridentata)
on
sage
grouse
(Centrocercus
urophasianus)
were
studied
in
Montana
during
the
summers
of
1962
through
1964.
The
principal
study
was
conducted
on
1,900
acres,
of
which
1,710
had
been
strip-sprayed
in
1961
with
2,4-D.
Vegetation
analyses
revealed
about
80
percent
grasses
and
20
percent
forbs
in
the
sprayed
strip,
and
60
percent
grasses
and
40
percent
forbs
in
the
unsprayed
strip.
Eight
and
97
percent
of
the
individual
big
sagebrush
plants
were
entirely
dead
in
the
unsprayed
and
sprayed
strip,
respectively.
Only
4
percent
of
415
sage
grouse
observations
were
made
on
the
sprayed
strips
of
the
1,900-acre
study
area.
Canopy
coverage
of
herbaceous
vegetation
at
137
sage
grouse
locations
consisted
of
ap-
proximately
60
percent
grasses
and
40
percent
forbs.
Ninety-two
percent
of
the
big
sagebrush
plants
evaluated
at
grouse
locations
were
living.
The
similarity
of
vegetation
at
grouse
locations
and
in
the
unsprayed
strip
led
to
the
conclusion
that
differences
in
numbers
of
sage
grouse
observed
in
sprayed
and
unsprayed
strips
were
related
to
vegetation
composition.
Measurements
of
big
sagebrush
at
159
grouse
locations
showed
young
broods
using
areas
having
a
lesser
density
and
lower
percent
crown
coverage
than
older
broods
and
adults.
Analysis
of
35
sage
grouse
crops
revealed
that
sagebrush
and
three
forbs
together
constituted
94.6
percent
of
the
total
volume.
Dandelion
(Taraxacum
officinale)
and
sagebrush
had
the
greatest
total
frequency
of
occurrence
of
all
food
items.
Favored
food
plants
were
more
abundant
in
the
unsprayed
than
in
the
sprayed
strip,
supporting
the
conclusion
that
differ-
ences
in
numbers
of
sage
grouse
observed
in
unsprayed
and
sprayed
strips
were
related
to
vegeta-
tion
composition. AuthorsMARTIN, NS Year Published1970 PublicationThe Journal of Wildlife Management LocationsDOI10.2307/3799015 |
| Recovery of Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Features in Wyoming Big Sagebrush following Prescribed Fire. | Beck, Jeffrey L. | 2009 |
KeywordsArtemisia tripartita wyomingensis;Artemisia tripartita;Bromus tectorum;Centrocercus urophasianus;Cheatgrass;fire ecology;forbs;Greater Sage-Grouse;nesting cover;shrub canopy cover;shrub height;Threetip sagebrush;Wyoming big sagebrush AbstractThe ability of prescribed fire to enhance habitat features for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis) in western North America is poorly understood. We evaluated recovery of habitat features important to wintering, nesting, and early brood-rearing Sage-Grouse in Wyoming big sagebrush following prescribed fire. Our case study included 1 year of preburn (1989) and 10 years of postburn data collected over 14 years (1990-2003) from control and burned study areas in the Big Desert of southeastern Idaho, U.S.A. We compared recovery and rate of change for 12 features in four categories between burned and control transects and recovery in burned transects including change in variation. Our results indicate that prescribed fire induced quantifiable changes in wintering, nesting, and early brood-rearing Sage-Grouse habitat features 14 years after fire in Wyoming big sagebrush in our study area. Specifically, grass and litter required by Sage-Grouse for nest and brood concealment recovered relatively rapidly following fire; major forb cover was similar between burned and control sites, but the rate of increase for major forb cover and richness was greater in control transects, and structurally mediated habitat features required by Sage-Grouse for food and cover in winter and for nest and brood concealment in spring recovered slowly following fire. Because shrub structural features in our study did not recover in magnitude or variability to preburn levels 14 years after fire, we recommend that managers avoid burning Wyoming big sagebrush to enhance Sage-Grouse habitat, but rather implement carefully planned treatments that maintain Sagebrush. AuthorsBeck, Jeffrey L., John W. Connelly and Kerry P. Reese. Year Published2009 PublicationRestoration Ecology LocationsDOI10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00380.x |
| Breeding Season Movements and Habitat Selection of Male Sage Grouse | WALLESTAD, R | 1974 |
KeywordsNo keywords available AbstractMovements
and
habitat
requirements
of
sage
grouse
(Centrocercus
urophasianus)
cocks
were
studied
in
central
Montana
during
the
breeding
seasons
of
1968
and
1972.
Fifteen
sage
grouse
cocks
were
captured
and
radio-equipped.
Movements
of
up
to
0.8
mile
(1.3
km)
from
the
strutting
grounds
were
common,
with
82
percent
of
the
locations
falling
beyond
0.2
mile
(0.3
km).
Sagebrush
(Artemisia
tridentata)
with
a
canopy
coverage
of
20-50
percent
occurred
at
80
percent
of
the
110
locations
mea-
sured.
Average
sagebrush
canopy
coverage
at
these
sites
was
32
percent.
Strutting
grounds
are
key
ac-
tivity
areas
within
wintering-nesting
complexes
which
can
be
readily
identified
and
delimited,
and
should
be
given
complete
protection
from
sagebrush
removal
projects.
Results
of
this
and
previous
studies
in
this
area
indicate
that
this
protection
should
extend
to
a
radius
of
no
less
than
1.5
miles
(2.4
km)
from
strutting
grounds AuthorsWALLESTAD, R; SCHLADWEILER, P Year Published1974 PublicationThe Journal of Wildlife Management LocationsDOI10.2307/3800030 |
| FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO PROCESS VARIANCE IN ANNUAL SURVIVAL OF FEMALE GREATER SAGE-GROUSE IN MONTANA | Moynahan, Brendan J. | 2006 |
Keywordsbreeding status vs. survival;Centrocercus urophasianus;Greater Sage-Grouse;habitat protection;known fate;Montana, USA;population dynamics;process variance;program MARK;sagebrush;survival estimation;winter weather AbstractPopulations of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have declined by 69–99% from historic levels, and information on population dynamics of these birds at a landscape scale is essential to informed management. We examined the relationships between hen survival and a suite of landscape-scale habitat and environmental conditions. We radio-marked 237 female Sage-Grouse and measured 426 vegetation plots during 2001–2004 at four sites in a 3200-km2 landscape in north-central Montana, USA. We used program MARK to model monthly survival rates for 11 seasonal intervals. There was strong support for the best-approximating model (AICc weight = 0.810), which indicated that (1) hen survival varied by season within years and by year within seasons, (2) nesting hens had higher nesting-season survival than non-nesting hens, and (3) individuals at one site had lower hunting-season survival than at other sites. We observed considerable variation in hen survival. Process variation was 0.255, with an expected range of annual survival of 0.12 to 1.0. The ratio of process to total variation was 0.999, indicating that observed variation was real and not attributable to sampling variation. We observed a nearly fourfold difference in maximum and minimum annual survival, ranging from 0.962 ± 0.024 (mean ± se) for nesting hens in 2001–2002 to 0.247 ± 0.050) for non-nesters in 2003–2004. Low annual survival in 2003 resulted from the compounded effects of a West Nile virus outbreak in August and a severe winter in 2003–2004. Increased hen mortality associated with severe winter weather contrasts with prior beliefs that Sage-Grouse populations are typically unaffected by winter weather conditions and underscores the importance of protecting winter sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. AuthorsMoynahan, Brendan J., Mark S. Lindberg, and Jack Ward Thomas. Year Published2006 PublicationEcological Applications LocationsDOI10.1890/1051-0761(2006)016[1529:FCTPVI]2.0.CO;2 This article contributed by:Ecological Society of America |
| Testing sagebrush allometric relationships across three fire chronosequences in Wyoming, USA | Cleary, M. B. | 2008 |
Keywordsaboveground biomass; Artemisia tridentate; plant allometry; root biomass; universal scaling AbstractAboveground and coarse root allometric relationships were tested across three mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata var. vaseyana (Rydb.) chronosequences at three stages of recovery from fire (establishment, expansion, and mature) in Wyoming, USA. Big sagebrush shrubs dominate North American rangelands and are critical components of habitat for threatened species such as sage grouse. There were no differences in regression relationships estimating biomass over space and time, which reduces the need to destructively sample sagebrush for local studies and supports regional carbon modeling and biomass estimates. Crown volume (CV) explained the most variability (R-2 > 0.75) in aboveground biomass, and crown area (CA) explained the most variability for coarse roots (R-2 >0.87). Analyses supported both the 2/3 power universal scaling rules between leaf and stem biomass, but did not support global models of seed plant and reproductive part biomass. This study provides compelling evidence that simple field measurements may be used to estimate biomass over large regions and that universal scaling rules are valid for semiarid shrubs. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. AuthorsCleary, M. B.; Pendall, E.; Ewers, B. E. Year Published2008 PublicationJournal of Arid Environments LocationsDOI10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.07.013 |
