White-Tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus Leucura): a Technical Conservation Assessment

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White-Tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus Leucura): a Technical Conservation Assessment White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura): A Technical Conservation Assessment Prepared for the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Species Conservation Project April 4, 2006 Richard W. Hoffman 1804 Wallenberg Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 Peer Review Administered by Society for Conservation Biology Hoffman, R.W. (2006, April 4). White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura): a technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/ assessments/whitetailedptarmigan.pdf [date of access]. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author thanks Cynthia P. Melcher, Karin J. Eichhoff, and Jeromy W. Huntington for their assistance in preparing this assessment. The author also is grateful to the Colorado Division of Wildlife for providing office space and computer equipment. Jackie A. Boss, librarian for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, was extremely helpful in locating and obtaining many of the references used to prepare this assessment. The assessment benefited from discussions with Clait E. Braun, Grouse Inc., about the status and distribution of white-tailed ptarmigan in North America. The assessment further benefited from the critical reviews provided by Clait E. Braun and Ken M. Giesen. Finally, the author acknowledges Gary D. Patton with the Species Conservation Project for the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. His guidance and patience made the preparation of this document easier. AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY Richard W. Hoffman earned his B. Sc. and M. Sc. Degrees in wildlife biology from Colorado State University. He subsequently worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife for over 30 years as an avian researcher specializing in upland game birds. He has conducted research on population dynamics, habitat relationships, and behavior of white- tailed ptarmigan, blue grouse, greater prairie-chickens, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkey. In retirement, he continues to work on projects involving white-tailed ptarmigan and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. COVER PHOTO CREDIT Photograph by Mark Parchman of male white-tailed ptarmigan in fall plumage, used with permission. 2 3 SUMMARY OF KEY COMPONENTS FOR CONSERVATION OF THE WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN Status The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura) is endemic to alpine regions of western North America. Except for several transplants into previously unoccupied habitats, the distribution and abundance of this alpine grouse have remained relatively unchanged. Although it is not federally listed as threatened or endangered in any portion of its range, the white-tailed ptarmigan is listed as a sensitive species within the USDA. Forest Service (USFS) Rocky Mountain Region (Region 2), where it is found in suitable habitats throughout Colorado and in the Snowy Range of southern Wyoming. Colorado supports the largest population of white-tailed ptarmigan and greatest expanse of suitable habitat in the United States outside of Alaska. Approximately 84 percent of the occupied habitat in Region 2 is administered by the USFS. Primary Threats The greatest threat to the long-term survival of ptarmigan populations in Region 2 is global climate change, which may lead to a gradual loss of alpine habitats as the treeline moves upward in response to large-scale atmospheric temperature changes. More immediate and localized threats include grazing, mining, water development, and recreation. While alpine ecosystems are hardy and resilient to natural environmental factors, they are particularly vulnerable to human-related disturbances and may require decades, if not centuries, to recover from such disturbances. Although substantial progress has been achieved in developing techniques to restore damaged alpine landscapes, this technology is still not capable of restoring alpine plant communities to their pre-disturbance condition. The single most important feature of habitats used by ptarmigan in Region 2 is the presence of willow (Salix spp.), which is their primary food source from late fall through spring. Any activity that reduces the distribution and abundance of willow will likely have negative consequences to ptarmigan. Primary Conservation Elements, Management Implications and Considerations The primary information needed for effective conservation of white-tailed ptarmigan in Region 2 is a clearer understanding of how the species responds to alterations in habitat and changes in environmental conditions. The natural processes that perpetuate alpine ecosystems are still intact. Consequently, human intervention is not necessary other than to insure that these natural processes are not disrupted. The key to the successful management of ptarmigan populations and the alpine ecosystems upon which they rely is protection – protection against over-use due to grazing, recreation (including hunting), mining, and development, and protection from environmental perturbations that contribute to global climate change, pollution, and depletion of the ozone layer. In formulating management strategies, it is essential to account for the cumulative impacts that human activities and climate change have on ptarmigan and the alpine environment. 2 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..............................................................................................................................................2 AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................................2 COVER PHOTO CREDIT .............................................................................................................................................2 SUMMARY OF KEY COMPONENTS FOR CONSERVATION OF THE WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN.............3 Status..........................................................................................................................................................................3 Primary Threats..........................................................................................................................................................3 Primary Conservation Elements, Management Implications and Considerations.....................................................3 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ...............................................................................................................................6 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................................7 Goal............................................................................................................................................................................7 Scope..........................................................................................................................................................................7 Data Used to Produce This Assessment.....................................................................................................................7 Publication of Assessment on the World Wide Web ..................................................................................................8 Peer Review ...............................................................................................................................................................9 MANAGEMENT STATUS AND NATURAL HISTORY .............................................................................................9 Management Status ....................................................................................................................................................9 Existing Regulatory Mechanisms, Management Plans, and Conservation Strategies...............................................9 Biology and Ecology................................................................................................................................................11 Systematics and general species description.......................................................................................................11 Distribution and abundance.................................................................................................................................12 Activity patterns and movements........................................................................................................................16 Winter season .................................................................................................................................................16 Breeding season..............................................................................................................................................18 Nesting season................................................................................................................................................20 Summer/brood-rearing season........................................................................................................................21 Habitat .................................................................................................................................................................22 General habitat description.............................................................................................................................22 Breeding habitat..............................................................................................................................................24
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