Rangeland Ecology & Management

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SEASONAL SELECTION OF CRP AND NATIVE SHINNERY OAK HABITAT BY LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS IN NEW MEXICO.
Author
Meyers, Andrew
Carleton, Scott A.
Nichols, Clay
Haukos, David A.
Hagen, Christian A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2016
Body

The lesser prairie-chicken (Typanuchus pallidicinctus) is a species of conservation concern across its current range. Research in the northern portion of its range has shown that Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands are used by lesser prairie-chickens for breeding, nesting, and brood rearing. Use of CRP grasslands by lesser prairie-chickens in the southern portion of their range, specifically in New Mexico, has not been well documented and there is disagreement as to its importance seasonally. Our research objectives were to determine if, when, and for what purpose lesser prairie-chickens use CRP habitat in eastern New Mexico. We captured lesser prairie-chickens in the spring of 2014 and 2015 on leks to monitor their movements throughout the breeding and non-breeding seasons in relation to CRP, native shinnery oak (Quercus havardii), agricultural, and mesquite dominated (Prosopis glandulosa) habitats. Lesser prairie-chickens almost exclusively used either shinnery oak or CRP habitats. Interestingly, lesser prairie-chickens used CRP habitats in much lower proportion to their availability and used native shinnery oak dominated habitats in much higher proportion to their availability during the breeding season. During the non-breeding season, however, CRP habitats were used in closer proportion to their availability. Overall, this study reveals that CRP habitats are used by lesser prairie-chickens to a much lesser degree than native shinnery oak habitats in New Mexico and habitat improvement efforts designed to benefit this species in eastern New Mexico should focus on conservation and restoration of native shinnery oak.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Corpus Christi, TX