Male greater sage-grouse movements among leks

Aleshia L. Fremgen; Christopher T. Rota; Christopher P. Hansen; Mark A. Rumble; R. Scott Gamo; Joshua J. Millspaugh

doi:10.1002/jwmg.21208

Male greater sage-grouse movements among leks

Aleshia L. Fremgen
, Christopher T. Rota
, Christopher P. Hansen
, Mark A. Rumble
, R. Scott Gamo
, Joshua J. Millspaugh

W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Movements among leks by breeding birds (i.e., interlek movements) could affect the population's genetic flow, complicate use of lek counts as a population index, and indicate a change in breeding behavior following a disturbance. We used a Bayesian multi-state mark-recapture model to assess the daily probability of male greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) interlek movements and estimate factors influencing movements among leks. We fitted 145 males with solar Argos global positioning systems platform transmitter terminals over 4 years (2011–2014) in Carbon County, Wyoming, USA. The daily probability of a male sage-grouse moving among leks ranged 0.003 (95% CI = 0.000–0.010) in 2011 to 0.010 (95% CI = 0.001–0.021) in 2013, indicating high daily lek fidelity throughout the season, although there was a 5–42% chance annually a male would move at least once to another lek throughout the season x days analyzed/M = 55 ± 3.3 days [SE]). Interlek movement probabilities were strongly affected by day of year, peaking early in the lek season. Interlek movements were positively associated with elevation. Seasonal interlek movements occurred more frequently than previously reported, and can bias lek counts in early spring as males move from low to high elevation leks, which reinforces interlek movements as a critical component of lek ecology.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	498-508
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Wildlife Management
Volume	81
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21208
State	Published - Apr 1 2017

Funding

We thank F. R. Thompson, III, H. He, N. Wojcik, P. S. Coates, B. S. Cade, and 1 anonymous reviewer for comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. We thank The Overland Trail Cattle Company and Power Company of Wyoming, especially J. Theesfeld, and Carbon County landowners for land access. We thank SWCA Environmental Consultants, including M. J. Paul, N. J. Wojcik, J. W. Kehmeier, R. Hay, R. B. Duncan, and T. Grosch for field assistance. We thank J. C. Brockman, A. N. Coleman, M. E. Doherty, C. A. Doyle, A. Foster, J. A. Fox, R. L. Golden, M. B. Gonnerman, A. M. Miller, M. J. Peterson, S. L. Robatcek, B. N. Towery, and M. P. Womack for technical field assistance. Funding and equipment were provided by several federal and state natural resources agencies and wind energy partners under the supervision of the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. Funding agencies included the University of Missouri, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Wind and Water Power Technologies (DE-AC36-08GO28308), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (subcontract XFT-1-11321-01), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (10-JV-11221632-215 and 13-JV-11221632-046), and Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (11-CO-11221632-068, 12-CO-11221632-181, and 13-CO-11221632-007).

Funders	Funder number
SWCA Environmental Consultants
Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies	11-CO-11221632-068, 12-CO-11221632-181, 13-CO-11221632-007
DE-AC36-08GO28308
National Renewable Energy Laboratory	XFT-1-11321-01
Southeast Missouri State University
10-JV-11221632-215, 13-JV-11221632-046

Keywords

Centrocercus urophasianus
Wyoming
availability bias
greater sage–grouse
interlek movements
lek fidelity
multi-state mark-recapture

Access to Document

10.1002/jwmg.21208

Cite this

@article{3015d2f53db944f9abed149adaacdb28,

title = "Male greater sage-grouse movements among leks",

abstract = "Movements among leks by breeding birds (i.e., interlek movements) could affect the population's genetic flow, complicate use of lek counts as a population index, and indicate a change in breeding behavior following a disturbance. We used a Bayesian multi-state mark-recapture model to assess the daily probability of male greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) interlek movements and estimate factors influencing movements among leks. We fitted 145 males with solar Argos global positioning systems platform transmitter terminals over 4 years (2011–2014) in Carbon County, Wyoming, USA. The daily probability of a male sage-grouse moving among leks ranged 0.003 (95\% CI = 0.000–0.010) in 2011 to 0.010 (95\% CI = 0.001–0.021) in 2013, indicating high daily lek fidelity throughout the season, although there was a 5–42\% chance annually a male would move at least once to another lek throughout the season x days analyzed/M = 55 ± 3.3 days [SE]). Interlek movement probabilities were strongly affected by day of year, peaking early in the lek season. Interlek movements were positively associated with elevation. Seasonal interlek movements occurred more frequently than previously reported, and can bias lek counts in early spring as males move from low to high elevation leks, which reinforces interlek movements as a critical component of lek ecology.",

keywords = "Centrocercus urophasianus, Wyoming, availability bias, greater sage–grouse, interlek movements, lek fidelity, multi-state mark-recapture",

author = "Fremgen, \{Aleshia L.\} and Rota, \{Christopher T.\} and Hansen, \{Christopher P.\} and Rumble, \{Mark A.\} and Gamo, \{R. Scott\} and Millspaugh, \{Joshua J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Wildlife Society, 2017",

year = "2017",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1002/jwmg.21208",

language = "English",

volume = "81",

pages = "498--508",

journal = "Journal of Wildlife Management",

issn = "0022-541X",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Male greater sage-grouse movements among leks

AU - Fremgen, Aleshia L.

AU - Rota, Christopher T.

AU - Hansen, Christopher P.

AU - Rumble, Mark A.

AU - Gamo, R. Scott

AU - Millspaugh, Joshua J.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Wildlife Society, 2017

PY - 2017/4/1

Y1 - 2017/4/1

N2 - Movements among leks by breeding birds (i.e., interlek movements) could affect the population's genetic flow, complicate use of lek counts as a population index, and indicate a change in breeding behavior following a disturbance. We used a Bayesian multi-state mark-recapture model to assess the daily probability of male greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) interlek movements and estimate factors influencing movements among leks. We fitted 145 males with solar Argos global positioning systems platform transmitter terminals over 4 years (2011–2014) in Carbon County, Wyoming, USA. The daily probability of a male sage-grouse moving among leks ranged 0.003 (95% CI = 0.000–0.010) in 2011 to 0.010 (95% CI = 0.001–0.021) in 2013, indicating high daily lek fidelity throughout the season, although there was a 5–42% chance annually a male would move at least once to another lek throughout the season x days analyzed/M = 55 ± 3.3 days [SE]). Interlek movement probabilities were strongly affected by day of year, peaking early in the lek season. Interlek movements were positively associated with elevation. Seasonal interlek movements occurred more frequently than previously reported, and can bias lek counts in early spring as males move from low to high elevation leks, which reinforces interlek movements as a critical component of lek ecology.

AB - Movements among leks by breeding birds (i.e., interlek movements) could affect the population's genetic flow, complicate use of lek counts as a population index, and indicate a change in breeding behavior following a disturbance. We used a Bayesian multi-state mark-recapture model to assess the daily probability of male greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) interlek movements and estimate factors influencing movements among leks. We fitted 145 males with solar Argos global positioning systems platform transmitter terminals over 4 years (2011–2014) in Carbon County, Wyoming, USA. The daily probability of a male sage-grouse moving among leks ranged 0.003 (95% CI = 0.000–0.010) in 2011 to 0.010 (95% CI = 0.001–0.021) in 2013, indicating high daily lek fidelity throughout the season, although there was a 5–42% chance annually a male would move at least once to another lek throughout the season x days analyzed/M = 55 ± 3.3 days [SE]). Interlek movement probabilities were strongly affected by day of year, peaking early in the lek season. Interlek movements were positively associated with elevation. Seasonal interlek movements occurred more frequently than previously reported, and can bias lek counts in early spring as males move from low to high elevation leks, which reinforces interlek movements as a critical component of lek ecology.

KW - Centrocercus urophasianus

KW - Wyoming

KW - availability bias

KW - greater sage–grouse

KW - interlek movements

KW - lek fidelity

KW - multi-state mark-recapture

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85007574183

U2 - 10.1002/jwmg.21208

DO - 10.1002/jwmg.21208

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85007574183

SN - 0022-541X

VL - 81

SP - 498

EP - 508

JO - Journal of Wildlife Management

JF - Journal of Wildlife Management

IS - 3

ER -

Male greater sage-grouse movements among leks

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this