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Guidelines for Managing Lesser Prairie-Chicken Populations and Their Habitats Author(S): Christian A

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Guidelines for Managing Lesser Prairie-Chicken Populations and Their Habitats Author(S): Christian A Guidelines for Managing Lesser Prairie-Chicken Populations and Their Habitats Author(s): Christian A. Hagen, Brent E. Jamison, Kenneth M. Giesen, Terry Z. Riley Reviewed work(s): Source: Wildlife Society Bulletin, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Spring, 2004), pp. 69-82 Published by: Allen Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3784543 . Accessed: 24/04/2012 17:07 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Allen Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Wildlife Society Bulletin. http://www.jstor.org SPECIALCOVERAGE 69 ...y Christian A. Hagen, Brent E.Jamison, Kenneth M. Giesen, and Terry Z. Riley Abstract Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus paidicinctus) populations have declined by >90% since the 1800s. These declines have concerned both biologists and private conservation groups and led to a petition to list the lesser prairie-chicken as threat- ened under the Endangered Species Act. Most of the land in the current range of the lesser prairie-chicken is privately owned, and declines have been primarily attributed to anthropogenic factors. Conversion of native rangeland to cropland and excessive grazing have been implicated as leading causes in the species' decline. Periodic drought probably has exacerbated these problems. Little research on habitat requirements was conducted prior to 1970. Despite recent advances in the knowledge of lesser prairie-chicken ecology, no comprehensive guidelines for management of the species have been published. In these guide- lines, we provide a synopsis of our current knowledge of lesser prairie-chicken habitat requirements and suggest management strategies to monitor, maintain, and enhance lesser prairie-chicken populations. Key Words Artemisia filifolia, guidelines, lesser prairie-chicken, management zone, mixed-grass prairie, Quercus havardii, sand sagebrush, shinnery oak, Tympanuchus pal- lidicinctus he distribution of lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus occur in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and pallidicinctus) populations and their occupied habitats Texas (Figure 1). Concern for this species has escalated have declined by >90% since the beginning of the twenti- in the twenty-first century as lesser prairie-chicken eth century (Crawford and Bolen 1976a, Taylor and (LPCH) population indices still suggest long-term Guthery 1980b, Giesen 1998). Populations currently declines (Bailey and Williams 2000, Giesen 2000, Horton Address for Christian A. Hagen: Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA; present address: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 237 5. Hines Blvd., RO. Box 8, Hines, OR 97738, USA; e-mail: [email protected]. Address for Brent E. Jamison: United States Geological Survey, Northern PrairieWildlife Research Center, 8711 37th St. SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, USA; present address: Yakama Nation, Wildlife Resource Management, P.O. Box 151, Toppenish, WA 98948, USA. Address for Kenneth M. Giesen: Wildlife Research Center, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 317 W Prospect Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA; present address: 4200 North Shields, Fort Collins, CO, 80524, USA. Address for TerryZ. Riley: Wildlife Management Institute, 1 146 19th St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, USA. Wildlife Society Bulletin 2004, 32(1):69-82 Peer refereed 70 Wildlife Society Bulletin 2004, 32(1):69-82 2000, Jensen et al. 2000, Sullivan et al. 2000). Because Kansas. This semi-arid region receives <60 cm of annual of recent declines, sport-hunting seasons were closed in precipitation and sustains periodic drought that can affect New Mexico (1995) and Oklahoma (1998). Currently, short-term population trends (Brown 1978, Giesen 2000). LPCHs are state-listed as threatened by Colorado and Numerous anthropogenic factors have been implicated considered a "warrantedbut precluded" threatened in the decline of LPCHs. Conversion of native grassland species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service communities to cropland, fire suppression leading to (USFWS) (Giesen 1998). Concern for LPCHs has led to juniper (Juniperus spp.) encroachment, excessive grazing research in all 5 states where the species occurs to better by livestock, suburban developments, and fossil-fuel understand population trends and habitat requirements. drilling and exploring are suspected to be the primary Mixed-grass prairie communities that historically sup- factors (Giesen 1998, Woodward et al. 2001). These fac- ported LPCHs were thought to be comprised of regions tors, coupled with periodic drought, may have driven patchily dominated by sand sagebrush (Artemisia long-term population lows to critical levels. Continued filifolia) and sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii). human encroachment and overgrazing likely will exacer- bate population declines. Although the rate of habitatloss has slowed over the Management guidelines have been past 20 years, LPCH populationtrends continue to published for sage grouse (Centrocercusspp.) and Columbian decline, suggesting that it is the quality (i.e., human- sharp-tailed grouse (T. phasianellus induced or drought)of the habitatthat may t>e limiting columbianus), species of conservation the of these concern (Braun et al. 1977, Giesen recovery populations. and Connelly 1993, Connelly et al. 2000), but not for LPCHs. We pro- However, northern and eastern fringe areas of their range vide a synopsis of the current state of knowledge and primarily were mixed-grass interspersed with shrubs provide guidelines to monitor, maintain, and enhance including sand sagebrush, plum (Prunus spp.), sumac LPCH populations and the habitats upon which they (Rhus spp.), and yucca (Yucca spp.) (Baker 1953, depend. Lesser prairie-chickens occupy 3 distinct vege- Copelin 1963, Horak 1985). Currently,LPCHs occupy tative communities; however, data are available primarily sand sagebrush and mixed-grass communities in Kansas for populations inhabiting sand shinnery oak and sand (south of the Arkansas River) and Colorado, sand shin- sagebrush communities, and our guidelines reflect the nery oak and mixed-grass communities in New Mexico available information. and southwest Texas panhandle, an interspersion of these shrub types in Oklahoma and northeast Texas panhandle, and mixed-grass prairie north of the Arkansas River in Population biology Population monitoring r"^, Lesser prairie-chicken populations are surveyed annually during the spring VJ\% ^> when males congregate at lek sites. AJr X (J Surveys of displaying males have been '/\f \t used to provide long-term monitoring of population trends (Giesen 1998). Survey methods and effort vary by state. Harvest statistics from check sta- tions indices ••f ••f ~ provided production (age ratios) and sex ratios in New Mexico ?.'-fr ~ (1958-1968, 1988-1989, 1995) (New /~2 ~ Mexico Department of Game and Fish, unpublished data) and Texas (1967-1988) (Texas Parks and Wildlife X\~ ~ Department, unpublished data). Kansas w~J0 ~ and Texas currently monitor harvest by Figure 1. Current (2003) distribution of the lesser prairie-chicken sha ded in gray(After using surveys mailed to random sam- Jamison et al. 2002a). ples of hunters. These data are used to I Lesser prairie-chicken management * Hagen et al. 71 estimatethe numberof birdsharvested, but demographic Attwater'sprairie-chicken (T. c. attwateri)(Peterson et al. dataare not collected. 1998). Survival Seasonal movementsand home range Survivalestimates for LPCHsare basedon short-term Lesserprairie-chicken populations are considerednon- studiesof selectedpopulations using radiotelemetryand migratory,and seasonalranges and movementsof indi- bandingdata. Annualsurvival of adultLPCHs is similar vidualstypically are restrictedto suitablehabitats within to thatof otherprairie grouse species (Hagen2003). an individual'sannual range (Giesen 1998). However, Campbell(1972) estimatedannual survival of banded movementsof LPCHsin southwestKansas resembled males in New Mexico to be 35%,and Merchant(1982) partialmigrations; approximately 5% of radiomarked estimatedsurvival of radiomarkedfemales for a 5-month individualsmoved 30-50 km fromtheir capture areas period(April-August) at 59%,extrapolated to 12 months duringnesting or postnestingand returnedto the capture =31%. In Kansas,Jamison (2000) estimatedannual sur- areaduring winter (Hagen 2003). Prenesting(spring) vival of radiomarkedmales to be 57%. Male and female rangestended to be largerfor females (355-596 ha) than 6-monthsurvival curves (April-September) that included springranges for males (120-211 ha) in Coloradoand breedingand nestingwere 74%, and this estimateextrap- Kansas(Giesen 1998, Jamison2000, Walker2000). In olated to 12 months=55%. Hagen(2003) documented Coloradothe combinedannual ranges (95% ellipses) of age-specificannual survival of live recapturedata for all birds,males and females,from a lek were bandedmales from 1998-2002 in Kansas,and rankings 2,450-5,130 ha (24.5-51.3 km2)(Giesen 1998). In were: yearling=62%,adult=49%, and older adults=35%. Kansassummer ranges (95% fixed-kernel) generally Annualsurvival (April-April) of radiomarkedfemales were
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