Mortality due to infectious diseases is seldom reported in the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). A case of necrotic enteritis associated with Clostridium perfringens type A is described in a free-ranging adult male sage-grouse in eastern Oregon. Clostridial enteritis is known to cause outbreaks of mortality in various domestic and wild...
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) are highly susceptible to infection with West Nile virus (WNV), with substantial mortality reported in wild populations and in experimentally infected birds. Although sage-grouse are hunted throughout much of their range, they have also recently been considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act. We...
We used mark-recapture methods to estimate age-specific apparent survival rates for male Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a gamebird of conservation concern. A total of 311 male prairie-chickens (135 yearlings, 176 adults) were captured and banded during a 5-year study in southwest Kansas. Time-since-marking models were used to estimate apparent survival...
Invertebrates are an important food source for grouse chicks, especially within the first 2 weeks of life. Invertebrate abundance is highly patchy and dependent upon herbaceous cover and vegetation structure. We examined the relationship between invertebrate biomass (from sweepnet samples) and habitat structure at lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) brood-use and...
The ability to ascertain gender and age of juvenile grouse is essential for determining gender-specific population age structure and studying timing of reproductive events, respectively. We examined outer rectrix feathers from juvenile Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) captured at 30–40 and 50–60 days post-hatching. Blood samples were collected from most chicks...
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been subject to long-term and continuing declines in population and habitat since European settlement of western North America. Increased wildfire activity constitutes a primary threat to the species in western portions of their range, with documented declines in wildfire-affected populations. Following a 187,000-ha wildfire in...
The distribution and geographic range of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been reduced by 56% since European settlement. Although loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats have been cited as the primary causes for the decline of the species, degradation of existing habitat also has been considered an important...
The distribution and geographic range of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been reduced by 56% since European settlement. Although loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats have been cited as the primary causes for the decline of the species, degradation of existing habitat also has been considered an important...
The distribution and range of lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has been reduced by >90% since European settlement of the Great Plains of North America. Currently, lesser prairie-chickens occupy 3 general vegetation communities: sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia), sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii), and mixed-grass prairies juxtaposed with Conservation Reserve Program grasslands....
The distribution and range of the greater sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus have been reduced by 56% since the European settlement of western North America. Although there is an unprecedented effort to conserve the species, there is still considerable debate about the vegetation composition and structure required for nesting and brood-rearing habitat....
Cumulative loss of habitat and long-term decline in the populations of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) have led to concerns for the species’ viability throughout its range in the southern Great Plains. For more efficient conservation past and present distributions of genetic variation need to be understood. We examined the...
Livestock fences have been hypothesized to significantly contribute to mortality of lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus); however, quantification of mortality due to fence collisions is lacking across their current distribution. Variation in fence density, landscape composition and configuration, and land use could influence collision risk of lesser prairie-chickens. We monitored fences...
The distribution of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has been markedly reduced due to loss and fragmentation of habitat. Portions of the historical range, however, have been recolonized and even expanded due to planting of conservation reserve program (CRP) fields that provide favorable vegetation structure for Lesser Prairie-Chickens. The source...
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Jennifer A. Fike1 • Christian A. Hagen3 • Jeff A. Johnson4 •
Lena C. Larsson5 • Michael A. Patten5,6
The distribution of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has been markedly reduced due to loss and fragmentation of habitat. Portions of the historical range, however, have been recolonized and even expanded due to planting of conservation reserve program (CRP) fields that provide favorable vegetation structure for Lesser Prairie-Chickens. The source...
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Sequence Repeat
TA
(°C)
#
alleles
Size
Range
MSP11 F: CACACCTAGATGGTGGTG (CA)22 52 25 210
The distribution of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has been markedly reduced due to loss and fragmentation of habitat. Portions of the historical range, however, have been recolonized and even expanded due to planting of conservation reserve program (CRP) fields that provide favorable vegetation structure for Lesser Prairie-Chickens. The source...
Conservation of wildlife depends on an understanding of the interactions between animal movements and key landscape factors. Habitat requirements of wide-ranging species often vary spatially, but quantitative assessment of variation among replicated studies at multiple sites is rare. We investigated patterns of space use for 10 populations of two closely...
We conducted a 3-year study of helminth parasites to assess their effect on the lesser prairie-chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus. Helminth parasites were found in most of the examined wild prairie chicken carcasses: 95% had eye worm Oxyspirura petrowi, 92% had stomach worm Tetrameres sp., and 59% had caecal worm Subulura sp....
Conservation investment in management of at-risk species can be less costly than a delay-and-repair approach implemented after species receive legal protection. The United States Endangered Species Act candidate species designation represents an opportunity to implement proactive management to avoid future listing. Such efforts require substantial investments, and the challenge becomes...
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probability plots for covariates FROST (A), TEMP (B), WETNESS (C), PRECIP (D), and FIRE (E). Panel (F
Conservation investment in management of at-risk species can be less costly than a delay-and-repair
approach implemented after species receive legal protection. The United States Endangered Species
Act candidate species designation represents an opportunity to implement proactive management to
avoid future listing. Such efforts require substantial investments, and the challenge becomes...
Full Text:
FROST (A), TEMP (B), WETNESS (C), PRECIP (D), and FIRE (E). Panel (F)
plots the sharp drop in
Conservation investment in management of at-risk species can be less costly than a delay-and-repair approach implemented after species receive legal protection. The United States Endangered Species Act candidate species designation represents an opportunity to implement proactive management to avoid future listing. Such efforts require substantial investments, and the challenge becomes...
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, Christian A. Hagen h, Kerry P. Reese c
a The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO 80524, United States