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DISTRIBUTION AND CONNECTIVITY OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE IN A MULTIPLE-USE LANDSCAPE.
Author
Fitzpatrick, Beth A.
Murphy, Melanie
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2016
Body

In the intermountain west, two important components of land management are energy development and Greater Sage-Grouse conservation. Greater Sage-Grouse has experienced a reduction in its distribution and population decline in association with land-use conversion. Sage-grouse are closely tied to sagebrush habitat; development within this habitat is known to negatively influence lek (breeding site) occupancy and gene flow (connectivity) across the landscape. Our goal is to understand how land-use influences distribution and functional connectivity of leks in the Powder River and Bighorn basins in Northern Wyoming. We implemented a stratified random sampling design to capture variation in development and habitat fragmentation across the study area. We developed a map of lek distribution using 460 leks from Wyoming Game and Fish department sage-grouse database, 81 pseudo-absences, and important environmental and land-use characteristics. To assess connectivity, we collected DNA samples (i.e., shed feathers) from 91 sites and estimated genetic distance. We present and compare the lek distribution map and functional connectivity model based on relating 2012 - 2014 field data to limiting factors across the landscape: percent sagebrush, development, road density, and topographic relief. Lek distribution is negatively related to development; both amount and configuration of development surrounding leks decreases probability of lek occurrence. Connectivity of sage-grouse leks is positively associated with undisturbed areas of contiguous sagebrush habitat. By assessing these models we can hypothesize if patches of remaining sagebrush that may not be optimum for leks are important for continued connectivity. These models will be the basis for predicting potential changes in lek occurrence and functional connectivity in the face of different scenarios of landscape change. Our research will provide a scientifically-based decision-making tool for prioritizing development, protection, and restoration that will drive stakeholders to work together for a successful outcome.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Corpus Christi, TX
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts