View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by UNL | Libraries University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research in Agronomy and Horticulture Agronomy and Horticulture Department 5-2012 Nest and Brood Site Selection and Survival of Greater Prairie- Chickens in the Eastern Sandhills of Nebraska Lars Anderson University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/agronhortdiss Part of the Agriculture Commons, Ornithology Commons, and the Other Plant Sciences Commons Anderson, Lars, "Nest and Brood Site Selection and Survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in the Eastern Sandhills of Nebraska" (2012). Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research in Agronomy and Horticulture. 50. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/agronhortdiss/50 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agronomy and Horticulture Department at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research in Agronomy and Horticulture by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Nest and Brood Site Selection and Survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in the Eastern Sandhills of Nebraska By Lars C. Anderson A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science Major: Agronomy Under the Supervision of Professors Walter H. Schacht and Larkin A. Powell Lincoln, Nebraska May, 2012 Nest and Brood Site Selection and Survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in the Eastern Sandhills of Nebraska Lars C. Anderson, M.S. University of Nebraska, 2012 Advisors: Walter H. Schacht and Larkin A. Powell Greater prairie-chickens ( Tympanuchus cupido pinnata ) are a grassland bird species of conservation concern. Although greater prairie-chickens have declined over much of their range, the Nebraska Sandhills has the largest population in North America. However, the responses of nest and brood site selection and survival to vegetation characteristics are unknown. I studied prairie-chickens on private rangelands in Rock and Brown Counties from 2009-2011. I fitted 139 females with radio collars to locate nest and brood sites and to determine nest and brood survival rates. Females were trapped on leks during the breeding season and I monitored them throughout the summer using radio telemetry. At nest and brood sites, I collected vegetation structure and composition data. Plant composition was estimated by functional groups using a quadrat method and vegetation structure was measured using the Robel pole and coverboard. I identified the ecological site and plant community at each nest and brood site. I then sampled to determine the relative availability of ecological sites and plant communities in each pasture to assess preference at a macroscale level. I also collected weather data throughout the reproductive season to assess variation in nest and brood survival. Prairie-chicken females tended to choose upland ecological sites for nesting and brood-rearing. Nest sites had more vegetation cover (VOR) (mean VOR: 10.8 cm; SD=0.7) than coupled random sites (mean VOR: 4.6 cm; SD=0.4). Nest site selection is positively associated with moderate levels of VOR and residual vegetation. Daily nest survival was poorly associated with habitat measures and was marginally associated with weather and temporal effects. Brood-rearing sites tended to have higher VOR and LD (mean VOR: 6.92 cm, SD=0.62; mean LD: 0.06 cm, SD=0.1) than at coupled random locations (mean VOR: 6.45 cm, SD=0.37; mean LD: 0.05 cm, SD=0.1). Higher forb cover and greater litter depth positively impacted daily brood survival. My research gives grassland managers much-needed information for managing prairie-chicken breeding habitat in the Nebraska Sandhills. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I must thank my advisors Drs. Walter Schacht and Larkin Powell for offering me the opportunity to work on this project to pursue my M.S. I am very grateful for their encouragement and guidance through all my years at UNL. They have been crucial in my academic and professional development. Much thanks also, to Bill Vodehnal and Jeff Lusk of the Nebraska Game & Parks for their input on the project and logistical assistance. None of my work would have been possible were it not for the numerous landowners who graciously allowed me to carry out my research on their property. Thanks to all the graduate students, technicians, and volunteers who helped with this project. I had the best technicians in Nick Dobesh, Jess Milby, Ben Beckman, Jessie Edgar, Thor Brown, Sammi Bray, Josiah Dallmann, Chelsea Luthy, and Edna and her husband. They made long days in the field enjoyable and were great people to spend time with. My fellow graduate students put up with my rants and statistical questions and quirks. Thanks to Barbara Kagima, Robert Vavala, Jon Soper, Kelly Brink, Jordan Johnson, Jess Milby, Jason Grant, Laura Snell, and Ellen Miller for being the best friends and officemates I could ask for. I would be much more stressed and probably malnourished if it wasn’t for you. I will miss the Ainsworth community and all the conversations and support they provided. Thanks also to my church families in Lincoln and Ainsworth for their encouragement and interest in what I was doing. My parents and family instilled a work ethic in me and have been there every time I needed support or advice. Most of all, I am thankful for their prayers and encouragement in everything I do. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................i TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................................ii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................iv LIST OF FIGURES ...............................................................................................................vii CHAPTER 1: Literature Review Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 Historical Review of Greater Prairie-Chicken ............................................................5 Greater Prairie Chicken Biology, Habitat, and Survival .............................................7 Spring – Breeding and Nesting ...............................................................................7 Summer – Brooding ...............................................................................................13 Fall and Winter .......................................................................................................17 Adult Survival .........................................................................................................17 Habitat Management Tools for Habitat Management ..............................................................................19 Herbicides ..............................................................................................................19 Prescribed Fire .......................................................................................................20 Grazing ...................................................................................................................21 Methods for Measuring Habitat ............................................................................23 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................26 Literature Cited ..........................................................................................................27 Figures ........................................................................................................................34 CHAPTER 2: Nest Site Selection and Survival of Greater Prairie-Chickens in the Eastern Sandhills of Nebraska. Abstract ......................................................................................................................36 Introduction ...............................................................................................................37 Methods .....................................................................................................................42 Study Area ..............................................................................................................42 Trapping and Radio-Telemetry ..............................................................................43 Vegetation Sampling ..............................................................................................45 Selection Analyses ..................................................................................................47 Survival Analyses ....................................................................................................51 Results ........................................................................................................................52 Discussion...................................................................................................................55 Management Implications .........................................................................................61 Acknowledgments......................................................................................................62