Rangeland Ecology & Management

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IMPLICATIONS OF PASTURE AREA, GRAZING STRATEGY, AND SITE ON LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN HABITAT SELECTION AND VEGETATION.
Author
Kraft, John
Haukos, David A.
Hagen, Christian A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2016
Body

The Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; hereafter LEPC) is a grouse species endemic to the grasslands of the southern Great Plains. Population declines throughout the species distribution has resulted in conservation concern and action. The vast majority of the species range occurs on private grazed lands. Therefore, knowledge of LEPC population responses to livestock grazing strategies would aid in conservation planning. We investigated the effects of pasture area and grazing strategy on LEPC habitat selection and nest survival across environmental gradients (i.e. precipitation and biomass production) among four sites in Kansas and Colorado. LEPC females were captured, marked (22g SAT-PTT or 17g VHF), and monitored. Grazing data were collected via producer correspondence and vegetation surveys. LEPC breeding season habitat selection and nest site selection were evaluated using resource probability functions (RSF) and vegetation response (means and coefficients of variation) at the point level was modeled using linear regression. Positive influences on vegetation characteristics (grass height, grass cover, biomass, etc.) and subsequent LEPC habitat selection were maximized at moderate levels of grazing intensity (1.9-2.95 ha/AUM) and greater pasture areas (>300 ha). Benefits of the interaction between biomass production and grazing strategy (quantity and timing of deferment) require regional and site-by-site consideration. These findings indicate the relative importance of grazing disturbance to functional grasslands and the potential for symbiosis between beef production and LEPC viability within grazed lands.

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