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Spragans KA, Black JM & Johnson M 2015. Aleutian Cackling Goose

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Spragans KA, Black JM & Johnson M 2015. Aleutian Cackling Goose 31 Aleutian Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii leucopareia use of pastures in relation to livestock management KYLE A. SPRAGENS1,2*, JEFFREY M. BLACK1 & MATTHEW D. JOHNSON1 1Waterfowl Ecology Research Group, Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California 95521, USA. 2Current address: U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, 505 Azuar Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA. *Correspondence author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The recovered Aleutian Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii leucopareia population nowadays relies during spring on livestock-grazed pastures along the coast of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, northern California, USA. Selection of these foraging sites has however put geese in direct competition with livestock, which in turn has led to increased actions to reduce economic impacts to local farmers. We assessed forage characteristics between the two primary livestock grazing regimes that shape this landscape of beef cattle ranches and dairy cow farms. Peak counts and densities of Aleutian Cackling Geese were associated with the chronology of highest crude protein concentrations and low forage heights, but the timing did not coincide with greatest spatial distribution of use across this staging area. Grass crude protein concentrations peaked in February and were generally higher in dairy pastures than in beef pastures. However, use of dairy pastures was not observed until a month after staging commenced in this region. We encourage wildlife land managers to provide a successional range of short sward high protein pasture, by improving areas subject to invasion by salt tolerant plants, low in digestibility, in the coastal region and by irrigation in the uplands. These two mechanisms are likely to deliver more grassland of better quality for Aleutian Geese, and to encompass temporal and spatial shifts that occur on this landscape throughout the spring staging period. Key words: Aleutian Cackling Goose, Branta hutchinsii leucopareia, foraging, grassland, grazing, livestock, pastures, spring staging. During spring, migrant goose populations (Owen 1980; van der Graaf et al. 2006). shift to a protein-rich herbivorous diet at a These spring staging sites provide geese series of progressively northern staging sites with the opportunity to acquire nutrient ©Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Wildfowl (2015) 65: 31–50 32 Aleutian Goose grass forage stores, both protein and lipids, important different stocking intensity and other in fuelling migration to the breeding farming practices (sensu McLandress & grounds, egg production, and incubation Raveling 1981; Bos & Stahl 2003). Wild (Ryder 1970; Ankney & MacInnes 1978; herbivores are thought to track the nutrient McLandress & Raveling 1981). Many goose value and digestibility of the vegetation, populations rely on spring staging sites as an returning at regular intervals to optimise the opportunity to optimise protein and lipid availability of forage abundance and quality acquisition by maximising nutrient uptake (McNaughton 1983; Prins et al. 1980; Prop & while minimising time spent foraging Vulink 1992; Bos & Stahl 2003). Geese, in (Fretwell & Lucas 1970; Klaasen et al. 2006). particular, have been shown to track habitat Although the gradient between capital (i.e. quality at a landscape scale, particularly fully reliant upon nutrient stores) and protein concentrations (Ydenberg & Prins income (i.e. fully dependent upon additional 1981; Owen et al. 1987), including selection nutrient acquisitions) breeding strategies of livestock-grazed pastures in winter (Owen may dictate the level of importance that et al. 1987; Vickery & Gill 1999) and during food intake at a spring staging site plays spring migration (Black et al. 1991; in determining the birds’ productivity McWilliams & Raveling 2004; Drent et al. (Schmutz et al. 2006), meeting a threshold 2007). of nutrient acquisition and balance at The Aleutian Cackling Goose Branta spring staging sites has been shown to hutchinsii leucopareia, hereafter referred to as influence the probability of successful the Aleutian Goose, was removed from the reproduction in several species of geese, endangered species list after recovering particularly small-bodied populations (Prop from a global population of only 790 geese & Black 1998; McWilliams & Raveling in 1974 to c. 100,000 birds in 2007 (USFWS 2004). 2001; Trost & Sanders 2008). As population Historically, spring staging geese relied on levels increased, lands owned by livestock coastal and seasonal marshes where receding grazers at the traditional spring staging freshwater and increasing temperatures site, near Crescent City, Del Norte County, generated conditions favourable for California, USA became the primary vegetative growth (Owen 1980; Hughes & foraging habitat for the geese, prompting Green 2005). Today, most goose populations complaints of economic loss (Mini et al. take advantage of foraging sites created by 2011). With permission from the United farming activity (Owen 1971, 1975, 1980; States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bedard & Gauthier 1989; Black et al. 1991; private landowners near Crescent City began Owen & Black 1991; Black et al. 1994; van an active hazing programme in the mid- Eerden et al. 1996; Vickery & Gill 1999; 1990s to deter geese from using their Cope et al. 2003; Fox et al. 2005; Gauthier et pastures (Mini et al. 2011). The number of al. 2005; Drent et al. 2007). Food plants that Aleutian Geese in the Humboldt Bay, geese acquire from agricultural lands vary in California region, 150 km to the south, quality and quantity, however, due to consequently began to grow in the ©Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Wildfowl (2015) 65: 31–50 Aleutian Goose grass forage 33 subsequent years (Black et al. 2004; Mini & livestock and pasture area, in order to Black 2009), prompting concern from increase pasture grass production and livestock producers there as well. The nutritional quality of the sward (Conroy Humboldt Bay spring staging region now 1987; Barr 1993), so that generally there is an supports the majority of this goose increased number of cattle on the land population from January–April (Trost & corresponding to rapid increases in plant Sanders 2008; Mini et al. 2011). To help shift biomass on the pastures in March (Conroy goose foraging away from privately owned 1987). As such, a major differentiation pastures and on to public (state-owned) between these two main types of cattle wildlife areas, managed to sustain wildlife farming is that the year-round milking of and also for recreational use, a late season dairy cattle forces dairy farmers to locate hunt period was established from 24 livestock to slightly higher elevations directly February–10 March beginning in 2007, adjacent to the reclaimed tidal lands of the which closed public wildlife areas and Arcata Bottoms (where drainage is poorer encouraged hunting pressure on the and the soil can rapidly become saturated), private farm pastures (Mini et al. 2011). whereas managers of the beef ranches and Management of grass swards in wildlife public wildlife area lands of the Arcata areas and at other sites intended as feeding Bottoms rarely need to irrigate their pastures areas for Aleutian Geese would also help to which typically flood rapidly following ease pressure on private pastures, but for prolonged periods of precipitation. The this to be effective it is vital to understand differences in these two practices have direct the conditions selected by the geese on their implications for goose foraging patterns spring staging grounds. during winter and spring, as they create In the Humboldt Bay region of seemingly homogeneous pastures upon the California, two types of grazing dominate landscape, but in terms of forage nutrition the pasture landscape: beef cattle ranches may in fact create heterogeneous availability. and dairy cow farms. Beef ranches have This study therefore aims to identify seasonal variation in stocking rates, with characteristics of pastures used by geese in higher rates during the summer months the Humboldt Bay region, with emphasis on in relation to biomass availability (when examining the effects of the different multiple pastures may be occupied by the livestock types and management on the beef herds on any given day), and grazing for landscape. As beef cattle ranches and dairy beef cattle is supplemented by use of land cow farms are the two dominant land outside of the Arcata Bottoms during winter practices yielding short sward pastures in the (Conroy 1987). Dairy farms have relatively area, determining the relationship between stable stocking rates, but rotate the entire these livestock grazing regimes and goose herd through particular pastures on feeding distribution is of particular particular days to streamline logistics of importance for advising on the future returning cows to the milking stalls. Rotation management of Aleutian Goose habitats at intervals are regulated by the number of this spring staging site. ©Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Wildfowl (2015) 65: 31–50 34 Aleutian Goose grass forage Methods annual precipitation occurs between October and April, permitting the growth of Study area pasture grasses throughout the year The Arcata bottomland (a.k.a. Arcata (Diamond 1990). The typical grass complex Bottoms) is approximately 2,500 ha of of pasture in the region is comprised of coastal grazed grasslands located near Velvet Grass Holcus lanatus, Marsh Grass Arcata, Humboldt County, California Heleochloa
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