Source: UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING submitted to
EVALUATING WILDLIFE POPULATION RESPONSE TO HABITAT CONDITIONS IN WYOMING'S FORESTS AND RANGELANDS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0225643
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
WYO-455-10
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Mar 1, 2011
Project End Date
Feb 28, 2016
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Beck, JE.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
1000 E UNIVERSITY AVE DEPARTMENT 3434
LARAMIE,WY 82071-2000
Performing Department
Ecosystem Science and Management
Non Technical Summary
Wildlife-based economies provide important revenue to rural communities in Wyoming. Wyoming provides habitat to the largest population of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; Patterson 1952) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana; Yoakum and O'Gara 2000) as well as some of the largest populations of elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus heminous), and Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) in North America. Wyoming provides habitat for approximately 67% of sage-grouse in the eastern distribution of the species in the United States (Doherty et al. 2010a) and in 1997 was home to 55% of the North American population of pronghorn (Yoakum and O'Gara 2000). Although Wyoming is recognized for its abundant and well distributed populations of sage-grouse and ungulates there are many critical conservation questions including the response of wildlife populations and habitats to man-induced changes to habitats including energy development, habitat treatments, and exurban sprawl. In spring 2010, the USFWS concluded that greater sage-grouse were warranted for protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, but were precluded from listing because threats were moderate in magnitude and did not occur across their range at an equal intensity (USFWS 2010). Significant threats to the species in the western range include large-scale wildfires. Energy development is the primary threat to sage-grouse that occur in the eastern portion of their range, which includes Wyoming (USFWS 2010). Abundant wildlife populations are not only important economically, but are also important to the quality of life to the residents of Wyoming and its many visitors. However, stressors including a changing climate; expanding urban and exurban areas; increasing pest populations; introduction of exotic plants and animals that compete with native flora and fauna; expanding, diversified energy development; restoration of endangered and threatened species; and changing attitudes among the public call for new, innovative research programs to provide information to direct future conservation and management of these important natural resources. I envision research in wildlife habitat restoration ecology to occur in 3 linked phases: 1) understanding impacts, 2) identifying appropriate mitigations to offset impacts, and 3) restoring the function and structure of impacted habitats. Current scientific literature is focused on the impacts of energy development and other stressors on wildlife populations. My program seeks to identify specific issues in Wyoming's forests and rangelands that will frame the direction of my research over the next 5-years (2011-2015). I focus on sage-grouse and sagebrush-occurring species such as ungulates, because my expertise and research interests lie within the systems these species inhabit. I expect various outcomes from my research program including training of graduate students; information to guide mitigation to assist in making energy development and wildlife more harmonious; publication of reports, abstracts, journal articles and other forms of publication to better inform land managers, wildlife biologists, scientists, and the general public.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
12108501070100%
Knowledge Area
121 - Management of Range Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0850 - Wildlife habitats;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
I. Greater sage-grouse response to energy development: Objective Ia. Identify breeding season habitats for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field. Objective Ib. Identify winter habitats for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field. Objective Ic. Evaluate sage-grouse reproductive habitat response to wind energy development. Objective Id. Identify male lek attendance patterns in relation to wind energy development. Objective Ie. Evaluate sage-grouse demographic and habitat selection response to bentonite mining. Expected Outputs - training graduate students; presentation of findings at symposia and conferences; and dissemination of results through published journal articles. II. Greater sage-grouse response to habitat enhancement treatments: Objective IIa. To compare insect community abundance and diversity between prescribed burned and mowed Wyoming big sagebrush. Objective IIb. To evaluate the demographic response of sage-grouse to habitat enhancement treatments in big sagebrush communities. Expected Outputs - training graduate students; presentation of findings at symposia and conferences; and dissemination of results through published journal articles. III. Ungulate response to disturbance rish: Objective IIIa. To identify mechanisms that lead to elk avoidance of energy-field infrastructure. Objective IIIb. To evaluate elk and pronghorn displacement on crucial winter range that has been developed for wind energy resources. Objective IIIc. To evaluate pronghorn response to fence modification in natural gas development fields Expected Outputs - training graduate students; presentation of findings at symposia and conferences; and dissemination of results through published journal articles.
Project Methods
I. Breater sage-grouse response to energy development methods: I will monitor male and female greater sage-grouse with use of VHF radio-transmitters and GPS-transmitters. I will assess demographic response in sage-grouse and correlate those responses with landscape predictor variables that consider anthropogenic and environemental factors. I will consider the response of sage-grouse to the infrastructure (pipelines, roads, transmission lines, well pads, wind turbines, etc.) associated with energy development. II. Greater sage-grouse response to habitate enhancement treatments methods: I will evaluate response in demographic parameters (e.g., nest success, brood success, adult survival) before and after treatment. I intend to incorporate GPS technology to evaluate grouse response to size, type, and pattern of treatments. III. Ungulate response to disturbance risk methods: I will use GPS transmitters to monitor the response of elk and pronghorn to the infrastructure associated with coalbed methane (elk only) and wind energy development (elk and pronghorn). I will specifically (i) use analytical techniques to assess the displacement of elk and pronghorn relative to wind energy infrastructure on winter range and (ii) disturbance risk of elk relative to the infrastructure of a developing coalbed methane field on year-round range.

Progress 03/01/11 to 02/28/16

Outputs
Target Audience:My target audience included land and wildlife managers employed by federal agencies (e.g., Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and state agencies (e.g., Wyoming Game and Fish Department) as well as energy industry employees and academics. I believe that my research endeavors reached each of these target audiences through dissemination of research products including presentations and publications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I trained 2 MS students and 3 PhD students in field and analytical techniques directly related to this NIFA-funded project. They attended multiple conferences and presented their research at those conferences. Most of these students have also published journal articles. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?From October 1, 2015 through February 28, 2016, my lab presented 7 invited research and 1 invited research outreach presentations to communities of interest: Invited Research Presentations Beck, J. L., C. S. Boyd, and J. A. Tanaka. 2016. Livestock grazing and sage-grouse habitat: A synthesis of the literature. Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation: All Lands, All Hands. Joint Conference of the Great Basin Consortium and a WAFWA-sponsored Sagebrush Science and Management Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Pyke, D. A., J. C. Chambers, J. L. Beck, M. L. Brooks, and B. A. Mealor. 2016. Fire, grazing, and the human hand on Bromus. Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation: All Lands, All Hands. Joint Conference of the Great Basin Consortium and a WAFWA-sponsored Sagebrush Science and Management Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Dinkins, J. B., K. T. Smith, K. J. Lawson, J. L. Beck, and A. C. Pratt. 2015. Core Area protections relative to winter concentration areas for greater sage-grouse. Special Session on Effectiveness of Wyoming's Sage-Grouse Executive Order. Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, N. E. Graf, J. B. Dinkins, C. W. LeBeau, T. L. Maechtle, K. T. Smith, and A. L. Sutphin. 2015. Effectiveness of Core Area conservation metrics for sage-grouse: Can we identify disturbance thresholds? Special Session on Effectiveness of Wyoming's Sage-Grouse Executive Order. 2015 Joint Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society and Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Annual Conference, Lander, Wyoming, USA. Beck, J. L. 2015.Sage-grouse and sagebrush habitat response to fire.Special Session "Fire Effects on North American Wildlife and Livestock," Fire Ecology Congress, Association of Fire Ecologists Conference, San Antonio, TX, USA. Beck, J. L., and J. G. Clapp. 2015. Fire effects on reintroduced, low-elevation bighorn sheep. Special Session "Fire Effects on North American Wildlife and Livestock," Fire Ecology Congress, Association of Fire Ecologists Conference, San Antonio, TX, USA. Beck, J. L. 2015. Impacts of energy development on rangeland wildlife in the northern Great Plains. The Wildlife Society 22nd Annual Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? I. Greater sage-grouse response to energy development. Wyoming is recognized for its abundant wildlife; however, critical questions need to be addressed to better understand the response of wildlife populations and habitats to human-induced changes. The need for better information to conserve wildlife habitats and populations may best be illustrated by the plight of greater sage-grouse, a species that is widely distributed throughout Wyoming's sagebrush rangelands. My lab has been very active in understanding the relationships between energy development and mining and sage-grouse populations. Specific accomplishments for each objective are as follows: Objective 1a. Identify seasonal breeding habitat for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field: Accomplishment: We published our findings in 2015 (Kirol et al. 2015) and I reported key findings in my 2015 REEport progress report. Objective Ib. Identify winter habitats for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field. Accomplishment: We published our findings in 2014 (Smith et al. 2014) and I reported key findings accordingly in my 2014 REEport progress report. Objective Ic. Evaluate sage-grouse reproductive habitat response to wind energy development. Accomplishment: We published our findings in 2014 (LeBeau et al. [2014]) and I reported key findings accordingly in my REEport progress report. Objective Id. Identify male lek attendance patterns in relation to wind energy development. Accomplishment: We submitted a manuscript titled "Greater Sage-Grouse Male Lek Counts Relative to Wind Energy Development" for review in The Wildlife Society Bulletin. That manuscript is currently undergoing major revision. In this study, we evaluated change in peak male lek attendance between 5 leks impacted by wind energy development and 9 leks in an adjacent control area with no wind energy infrastructure. All 14 leks experienced a significant decline in peak counts of male grouse attending leks from pre-development to 7 years (2008-2014) post-development. However, there were no significant differences at α = 0.10 level in the relative trends in the counts of males attending leks between the control and impacted study areas 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years post-development. Objective Ie. Evaluate sage-grouse demographic and habitat selection response to bentonite mining. Accomplishment: Collected field data in spring 2015 in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Currently, proceeding with data analysis. II. Greater sage-grouse response to habitat enhancement treatments: Habitat enhancement treatments form a set of practices that land and wildlife managers and private landowners use to achieve vegetation management objectives believed to elicit positive responses for targeted wildlife species. Manipulations through herbicide applications, prescribed burning, and mechanical treatments are common applications that are used to achieve these objectives. Treatments conducted in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats are implemented for reasons including mitigation for landscape disturbances such as energy development. However, there is little information supporting the effectiveness of these treatments to wildlife populations in sagebrush habitats, indicating the need for research to address these questions. Objective IIa. To compare insect community abundance and diversity between prescribed burned and mowed Wyoming big sagebrush. Accomplishment: We published our findings in 2014 (Hess and Beck 2014) and I reported key findings accordingly in my 2014 REEport progress report. Objective IIb. To evaluate the demographic response of sage-grouse to habitat enhancement treatments in big sagebrush communities. Accomplishment: We collected pre-treatment demographic and habitat use data in spring and summer 2011-2013 in Fremont and Natrona counties, Wyoming. During January and February 2014, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the University of Wyoming mowed approximately 489 ha (1,208 ac) of sagebrush habitats across 2 mowing treatment areas. Spike (Tebuthiuron was active ingredient) application occurred in early May 2014 (Figure 4). We contracted with Ag Flyers, Inc. of Torrington, Wyoming to apply 1 pound/ac (0.2 pounds/ac active ingredient), anticipating a 50% kill rate of sagebrush, to 607 ha (1,500 ac) across 2 study areas. Exclosures were erected in May 2014 following treatments to evaluate the effect of grazing and grazing exclusion in treated study areas. We have now collected 2 field seasons (2014 and 2015) of post-treatment data. III. Ungulate response to disturbance risk: A primary focus of my research program is focused on linking wildlife population response to habitat disturbance in western North America. A growing body of literature indicates that wildlife (including ungulates) may respond to anthropogenic disturbances such as energy development in much the same manner as they do to direct predation. Ungulates tend to avoid energy disturbances and this avoidance behavior may lead to reductions in fitness parameters including survival and reproduction. Objective IIIa. To identify mechanisms that lead to elk avoidance of energy-field infrastructure. Accomplishment: A PhD student successfully defended their dissertation on this topic in spring 2015. Major findings on before versus during resource selection were published in 2014 (Buchanan et al. 2014) and I reported key findings accordingly in my 2014 REEport progress report. Additional findings indicate elk changed resource selection during night by leaving woody cover farther from roads used during the day to select habitats in more open landscapes during the night. Another finding suggests elk population growth was most influenced by hunter harvest and not coalbed natural gas development during the energy production period. Objective IIIb. To evaluate elk and pronghorn displacement on crucial winter range that has been developed for wind energy resources. Accomplishment: We published "Factors influencing winter mortality risk for pronghorn exposed to wind energy development" in January 2016 (Taylor et al. 2016). This manuscript indicates no effect of wind energy development in our study to pronghorn exposure to wind energy development. Rather, pronghorn mortality was most influenced by major roads (negative effect), with pronghorn that inhabited rugged terrain and used sagebrush landscapes more were at lower risk of mortality. 2015 marked the fifth year of continuous data collection for the elk study with collars falling off and retrieved in spring 2015. Data analyses on the elk study are currently underway. Objective IIIc. To evaluate pronghorn response to fence modification in natural gas development fields Accomplishment: We captured 130, 16, and 40 female pronghorn in 3 study areas in November 2013, February 2014, and November 2014, respectively, to initiate our study. We collected biological information and samples and equipped each captured pronghorn with a GPS or VHF transmitter. We have now collected data from 132 adult pronghorn equipped with GPS transmitters. Forty-one (31.1%) died from November 2013 through collar retrieval in December 2015. We conducted a field study in summer 2015 to collect fawn production data.

Publications

  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pyke, D. A., J. C. Chambers, J. L. Beck, M. L. Brooks, and B. A. Mealor. 2016. Land uses, fire, and invasion: Exotic annual Bromus and human dimensions. Pages 307337 in M. J. Germino, J. C. Chambers, and C. S. Brown, editors. Exotic Brome-Grasses in Arid and Semi-Arid Ecosystems of the Western US: Causes, Consequences, and Management Implications, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Taylor, K. T., J. L. Beck, S. V. Huzurbazar, and S. E. Albeke. 2016 (In press). Response of wintering pronghorn to wind energy development in south-central Wyoming. In Chapter 11 by H. O. Helldin. M. Perrow, editor. Volume I: Onshore, Wildlife and Wind Farms: conflicts and solutions. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, United Kingdom.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Taylor, K. T., J. L. Beck, and S. V. Huzurbazar. 2016. Factors influencing winter mortality risk for pronghorn exposed to wind energy development. Rangeland Ecology and Management 69:108116.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pyke, D.A., S. T. Knick, J. C. Chambers, M. Pellant, R. F. Miller, J. L. Beck, P. S. Doescher, E. W. Schupp, B. A. Roundy, M. Brunson, and J. D. McIver. 2015. Restoration handbook for sagebrush steppe ecosystems with emphasis on greater sage-grouse habitatPart 2. Landscape level restoration decisions. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1418, 21 p. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1418.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pyke, D.A., J. C. Chambers, M. Pellant, S. T. Knick, R. F. Miller, J. L. Beck, P. S. Doescher, E. W. Schupp, B. A. Roundy, M. Brunson, and J. D. McIver. 2015. Restoration handbook for sagebrush steppe ecosystems with emphasis on greater sage-grouse habitatPart 1. Concepts for understanding and applying restoration: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1416, 44 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1416.


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:My target audience includes land and wildlife managers employed by federal agencies (e.g., Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and state agencies (e.g., Wyoming Game and Fish Department) as well as energy industry and academics. I believe that my research endeavors reached each of these target audiences through dissemination of research products including presentations and publications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I trained 2 MS students and 3 PhD students in field and analytical techniques directly related to this NIFA-funded project. They attended multiple conferences and presented their research at those conferences. InMarch2015, Ico-organized and moderated the second annual Sage-grouse Habitat Restoration Workshop,hosted by theWyoming Reclamation and Restoration Center. This 2-day event was attended by nearly 120 professionals from state and federal natural resource agencies, environmental consulting firms, and energy industry. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?From October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, my lab presented 9 invited research and 3 invited research outreach presentations to communities of interest: Invited Research Presentations Beck, J. L. 2015.Wildlife response to energy development in Wyoming's sagebrush steppe.Draper Natural History Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY, USA. Dinkins, J. B., M. R. Conover, C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and S. N. Frey. 2015. Effects of common raven removal and temporal variation in weather on greater sage-grouse nest success. Fortieth Annual Meeting and Symposium of the Desert Tortoise Council, Las Vegas, NV, USA. Beck, J. L. 2015.Wildlife resource selection and fitness response to indirect impacts of energy development in sagebrush steppe.Departmental Seminar, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA. Dinkins, J. B., M. R. Conover, C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and S. N. Frey.2015.Effects of avian predators on site selection and nest success of greater sage-grouse.Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board Meeting, Cheyenne, WY, USA. Beck, J. L.2014.Linking wildlife resource selection and fitness response to indirect impacts of energy development in the sagebrush steppe. Department Seminar, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. Dinkins, J. B., M. R. Conover, C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and S.N. Frey.2014.Effects of common raven removal and temporal variation in weather on greater sage-grouse nest success.International Sage-Grouse Forum, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Beck, J. L.2014.Sage-grouse response to fire in sagebrush steppe.International Sage-Grouse Forum, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Beck, J. L.2014.Greater sage-grouse response to energy development and related ancillary activities in sagebrush ecosystems.International Sage-Grouse Forum, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Beck, J. L. 2014.Wildlife response to indirect impacts of energy development in the sagebrush steppe: Linking habitat selection with fitness.Department Seminar, Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, USA. Invited Research Outreach Presentations Reinking, A. K., J. L. Beck, T. W. Mong, M. J. Read, and K. L. Monteith. 2015. The response of Red Desert pronghorn to environmental and anthropogenic stressors. Wyoming Game and Fish Department-Pronghorn Working Group, Lander, Wyoming, USA. Beck, J. L. 2015. Monitoring sage-grouse populations. Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Center, Second Annual Sage-Grouse Habitat Restoration Workshop, Casper, Wyoming, USA. Beck, J. L.2014.Influence of fire on sagebrush-obligate wildlife in the Great Basin.The Next Steppe: Sage Grouse and Rangeland Wildlife Conference. Boise, Idaho, USA. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? I. Greater sage-grouse response to energy development. Wyoming is recognized for its abundant wildlife; however, critical questions need to be addressed to better understand the response of wildlife populations and habitats to human-induced changes. The need for better information to conserve wildlife habitats and populations may best be illustrated by the plight of greater sage-grouse, a species that is widely distributed throughout Wyoming's sagebrush rangelands. My lab has been very active in understanding the relationships between energy development and mining and sage-grouse populations. Specific accomplishments for each objective are as follows: Objective 1a. Identify seasonal breeding habitat for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field: Accomplishment: In 2015, we published our source-sink map for the Atlantic Rim Project area (and the adjacent landscape) in south-central, Wyoming by overlaying female summer occurrence and productivity maps to predict habitats contributing to population surpluses (source habitats) or deficits (sink habitat) and low-occurrence habitats on the landscape. The source-sink map predicted that of the sage-grouse habitat within the ARPA, 30% was primary source, 29% was secondary source, 4% was primary sink, 6% was secondary sink, and 31% was low-occurrence. Our results provide evidence that energy development and avoidance of energy infrastructure was likely reducing the amount of source habitat within the ARPA landscape (Kirol et al. 2015). Objective Ib. Identify winter habitats for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field. Accomplishment: We published our findings in 2014 (Smith et al. 2014) and I reported key findings accordingly in my 2014 McIntire-Stennis REEport. Objective Ic. Evaluate sage-grouse reproductive habitat response to wind energy development. Accomplishment: We published our findings in 2014 (LeBeau et al. [2014]) and I reported key findings accordingly in my 2014 McIntire-Stennis REEport. Objective Id. Identify male lek attendance patterns in relation to wind energy development. Accomplishment: We submitted a manuscript titled "Greater Sage-Grouse Male Lek Counts Relative to Wind Energy Development" for review in The Wildlife Society Bulletin. That manuscript is currently undergoing major revision. In this study, we evaluated change in peak male lek attendance between 5 leks impacted by wind energy development and 9 leks in an adjacent control area with no wind energy infrastructure. All 14 leks experienced a significant decline in peak counts of male grouse attending leks from pre-development to 7 years (2008-2014) post-development. However, there were no significant differences at α = 0.10 level in the relative trends in the counts of males attending leks between the control and impacted study areas 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years post-development. Objective Ie. Evaluate sage-grouse demographic and habitat selection response to bentonite mining. Accomplishment: Collected field data in spring 2015 in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Currently, proceeding with data analysis. II. Greater sage-grouse response to habitat enhancement treatments: Habitat enhancement treatments form a set of practices that land and wildlife managers and private landowners use to achieve vegetation management objectives believed to elicit positive responses for targeted wildlife species. Manipulations through herbicide applications, prescribed burning, and mechanical treatments are common applications that are used to achieve these objectives. Treatments conducted in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats are implemented for reasons including mitigation for landscape disturbances such as energy development. However, there is little information supporting the effectiveness of these treatments to wildlife populations in sagebrush habitats, indicating the need for research to address these questions. Objective IIa. To compare insect community abundance and diversity between prescribed burned and mowed Wyoming big sagebrush. Accomplishment: We published our findings in 2014 (Hess and Beck 2014) and I reported key findings accordingly in my 2014 McIntire-Stennis REEport. Objective IIb. To evaluate the demographic response of sage-grouse to habitat enhancement treatments in big sagebrush communities. Accomplishment: We collected pre-treatment demographic and habitat use data in spring and summer 2011-2013 in Fremont and Natrona counties, Wyoming. During January and February 2014, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the University of Wyoming mowed approximately 489 ha (1,208 ac) of sagebrush habitats across 2 mowing treatment areas. Spike (Tebuthiuron was active ingredient) application occurred in early May 2014 (Figure 4). We contracted with Ag Flyers, Inc. of Torrington, Wyoming to apply 1 pound/ac (0.2 pounds/ac active ingredient), anticipating a 50% kill rate of sagebrush, to 607 ha (1,500 ac) across 2 study areas. Exclosures were erected in May 2014 following treatments to evaluate the effect of grazing and grazing exclusion in treated study areas. We have now collected 2 field seasons (2014 and 2015) of post-treatment data. III. Ungulate response to disturbance risk: A primary focus of my research program is focused on linking wildlife population response to habitat disturbance in western North America. A growing body of literature indicates that wildlife (including ungulates) may respond to anthropogenic disturbances such as energy development in much the same manner as they do to direct predation. Ungulates tend to avoid energy disturbances and this avoidance behavior may lead to reductions in fitness parameters including survival and reproduction. Objective IIIa. To identify mechanisms that lead to elk avoidance of energy-field infrastructure. Accomplishment: A PhD student successfully defended their dissertation on this topic in spring 2015. Major findings on before versus during resource selection were published in 2014 (Buchanan et al. 2014) and I reported key findings accordingly in my 2014 Hatch REEport. Additional findings indicate elk changed resource selection during night by leaving woody cover farther from roads used during the day to select habitats in more open landscapes during the night. Another finding suggests elk population growth was most influenced by hunter harvest and not coalbed natural gas development during the energy production period. Objective IIIb. To evaluate elk and pronghorn displacement on crucial winter range that has been developed for wind energy resources. Accomplishment: We submitted a manuscript for review that was eventually accepted for publication "Factors influencing winter mortality risk for pronghorn exposed to wind energy development." This manuscript indicates no effect of wind energy development in our study to pronghorn exposure to wind energy development. Rather, pronghorn mortality was most influenced by major roads (negative effect), with pronghorn that inhabited rugged terrain and used sagebrush landscapes more were at lower risk of mortality. 2015 marked the fifth year of continuous data collection for the elk study with collars following off and retrieved in spring 2015. Data analyses on the elk study are currently underway. Objective IIIc. To evaluate pronghorn response to fence modification in natural gas development fields Accomplishment: We captured 130, 16, and 40 female pronghorn in 3 study areas in November 2013, February 2014, and November 2014, respectively, to initiate our study. We collected biological information and samples and equipped each captured pronghorn with a GPS or VHF transmitter. We conducted a field study in summer 2015 to collect fawn production data.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Rottler, C. M., C. E. Noseworthy, B. Fowers, and J. L. Beck. 2015. Effects of conversion from sagebrush to grasslands on sagebrush-associated species. Rangelands 37:1(1):16. doi: 10.1016/j.rala.2014.12.004
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, S. V. Huzurbazar, M. J. Holloran, and S. N. Miller. 2015. Identifying greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats for conservation planning in an energy development landscape. Ecological Applications 25:968990. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-1152.1.sm
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Clapp, J. G., and J. L. Beck. 2015. Evaluating distributional shifts in home range estimates. Ecology and Evolution 5:38693878. doi: 10.1002/ece3.1655
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pyke, D. A., J. C. Chambers, J. L. Beck, M. L. Brooks, and B. A. Mealor. 2016. Land uses, fire, and invasion: Exotic annual Bromus and human dimensions. Pages 307337 in M. J. Germino, J. C. Chambers, and C. S. Brown, editors. Exotic Brome-Grasses in Arid and Semi-Arid Ecosystems of the Western US: Causes, Consequences, and Management Implications, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Taylor, K. T., J. L. Beck, S. V. Huzurbazar, and S. E. Albeke. In review. Box 11.2 Response of wintering pronghorn to wind energy development in south-central Wyoming. In Chapter 11 by H. O. Helldin. M. Perrow, editor. Volume I: Onshore, Wildlife and Wind Farms: conflicts and solutions. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, United Kingdom.


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: My target audience includes land and wildlife managers employed by federal agencies (e.g., Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and state agencies (e.g., Wyoming Game and Fish Department) as well as energy industry and academics. I believe that my research endeavors reached each of these target audiences through dissemination of research products including presentations and publications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? I trained 2 MS students and 3 PhD students in field and analytical techniques directly related to this NIFA-funded project. They attended multiple conferences and presented their research at those conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? From October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014, my lab presented 2 invited research and 3 invited research outreach presentations to communities of interest: Beck, J. L. 2014. Sage-grouse habitat requirements. Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Center, Sage Grouse Habitat Restoration Workshop, Casper, Wyoming, USA Smith, K. T., and J. L. Beck. 2014. Techniques for sage-grouse habitat improvement. Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Center, Sage Grouse Habitat Restoration Workshop, Casper, Wyoming, USA. Beck J. L.2013.Greater sage-grouse research conducted in Wyoming in 2013. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area, Lovell, Wyoming, USA. Buchanan, C. B., and J. L. Beck. 2013. Elk response to natural gas development in northeastern Wyoming. Fortification Creek RMPA monitoring meeting, USDI BLM-Buffalo BLM Field Office, Buffalo, Wyoming, USA. Dinkins, J. B., M. R. Conover, K. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and S. N. Frey. 2013. Effects of avian predators on site selection and nest success of greater sage-grouse. Science Corner Presentation (12 Dec 2013), Wyoming Sage-Grouse Implementation Team, Casper, Wyoming, USA. From October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014, my lab presented 17 contributed research presentations to communities of interest: Reinking, A. K., J. L. Beck, K. L. Monteith, T. W. Mong, and M. Read.2014.Response of pronghorn population productivity to anthropogenic and environmental change in the Red Desert, Wyoming.2014 Joint Wyoming Chapter and Central Mountains and Plains Section of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Sheridan, Wyoming, USA. Poster presentation. Taylor, K. L., J. L. Beck, and S. E. Albeke.2014.Resource selection by pronghorn exposed to wind energy development on winter range.2014 Joint Wyoming Chapter and Central Mountains and Plains Section of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Sheridan, Wyoming, USA. Pratt, A. C., and J. L. Beck. 2014. Using stable isotopes to identify greater sage-grouse interseasonal movement behavior.2014 Joint Wyoming Chapter and Central Mountains and Plains Section of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Sheridan, Wyoming, USA. Clapp, J. G., and J. L. Beck. 2014. A comprehensive evaluation of distributional shifts in paired home range estimates. 2014 Joint Wyoming Chapter and Central Mountains and Plains Section of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Sheridan, Wyoming, USA. Pyke, D. A., S. T. Knick, J. C. Chambers, M. Pellant, J. L. Beck, E. W. Schupp, and P. S. Doescher. 2014. Restoration of greater sage-grouse habitat: A framework for landscape and site-specific decisions. 99th Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA, USA. Poster presentation Smith, K. T., C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and F. C. Blomquist. 2014. Winter habitat quality for sage-grouse influenced by energy development. 29th Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Elko, Nevada, USA. Dinkins, J. B., M. R. Conover, C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and S. N. Frey. 2014. Effects of common raven removal and temporal variation in weather on greater sage-grouse nesting success. 29th Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Elko, Nevada, USA. Pratt, A. C., and J. L. Beck. 2014. Using stable isotopes to identify greater sage-grouse interseasonal movement behavior. 29th Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Elko, Nevada, USA. Reinking, A. K., J. L. Beck, K. L. Monteith, T. Mong, and M. Read.2014.The response of Red Desert pronghorn to environmental and anthropogenic change. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 26th Biennial Pronghorn Workshop, Alpine, Texas, USA. Beck, J. L., C. B. Buchanan, and T. E. Bills.2014.Seasonal resource selection and distributional response by elk to development of a natural gas field.Society for Range Management, 67th annual conference, Orlando, Florida, USA. Beck, J. L., K. L. Taylor, and S. V. Huzurbazar.2014.Winter survival risk for pronghorn exposed to wind energy development in south-central, Wyoming.Society for Range Management, 67th annual conference, Orlando, Florida, USA. Taylor, K. L., J. L. Beck, and S. Huzurbazar. 2013. Winter survival risk for pronghorn exposed to wind energy development in south-central, Wyoming. 2013 Annual Conference of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rock Springs, Wyoming. Buchanan, C. B., and J. L. Beck. 2013. Response of elk to natural gas development in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. 2013 Annual Conference of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rock Springs, Wyoming. Clapp, J. G., J. L. Beck, and K. G. Gerow. 2013. Post-release acclimation of translocated low-elevation, non-migratory bighorn sheep. 2013 Annual Conference of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rock Springs, Wyoming. Gamo, R. S., J. L. Beck, and B. A. Brokling. 2013. An evaluation of Wyoming's sage-grouse executive order: conservation strategies for greater sage-grouse and co-occurring ungulates. 2013 Annual Conference of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rock Springs, Wyoming. Poster presentation. Pratt, A. C., and J. L. Beck. 2013. Fitness consequences from different migration behavior in greater sage-grouse. 2013 Annual Conference of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rock Springs, Wyoming. Poster presentation. Smith, K. T. Smith, A. C. Pratt, J. L. Beck, D. L. Bergman, and P. D. Stahl. 2013. Application of stable isotopes to reconstruct greater sage-grouse chick dietary history: dietary selection and relative body condition. 2013 Annual Conference of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rock Springs, Wyoming. Poster presentation. Beck, J. L., C. S. Boyd, J. A. Tanaka. 2013. Livestock grazing and sage-grouse habitat: impacts and opportunities.2013 Annual Conference of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rock Springs, Wyoming. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The primary plans that I have are to move forward and publish several journal articles, which will reach many of the key objectives (Objective Ia, Ib, Ic, Id, IIa, and IIIa) in this research program. I will submit manuscripts to fulfill Objective IIIb-influence of wind energy development on pronghorn using winter range. I will also continue monitoring wildlife in ongoing studies (sage-grouse response to bentonite mining [Objective Ie], elk on winter range influenced by wind energy development [Objective IIIb], pronghorn influenced by fences [IIIC], and sage-grouse post-treatment response to habitat treatments [Objective IIB]).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? I. Greater sage-grouse response to energy development. Wyoming is recognized for its abundant wildlife; however, critical questions need to be addressed to better understand the response of wildlife populations and habitats to human-induced changes. The need for better information to conserve wildlife habitats and populations may best be illustrated by the plight of greater sage-grouse, a species that is widely distributed throughout Wyoming's sagebrush rangelands. My lab has been very active in understanding the relationships between energy development and mining and sage-grouse populations. Specific accomplishments for each objective are as follows: Objective 1a. Identify seasonal breeding habitat for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field: Accomplishment: We created a source-sink map for the Atlantic Rim Project area (and the adjacent landscape) in south-central, Wyoming by overlaying female summer occurrence and productivity maps to predict habitats contributing to population surpluses (source habitats) or deficits (sink habitat) and low-occurrence habitats on the landscape. The source-sink map predicted that of the sage-grouse habitat within the ARPA, 30% was primary source, 29% was secondary source, 4% was primary sink, 6% was secondary sink, and 31% was low-occurrence. Our results provide evidence that energy development and avoidance of energy infrastructure was likely reducing the amount of source habitat within the ARPA landscape. (Kirol et al. In press [2015]) Objective Ib. Identify winter habitats for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field. Accomplishment: Our winter habitat quality map indicated that highly effective winter habitat (high occurrence-low survival risk) was limited, only representing 17.1% of our study area. Consequently, displacement from these limited, high-quality winter habitats could have profound consequences to population persistence (Smith et al. [2014]). Objective Ic. Evaluate sage-grouse reproductive habitat response to wind energy development. Accomplishment: Key findings from our survival analysis indicated that the risk of a nest or brood failing decreased by 7.1% and 38.1%, respectively, with every 1.0 km increase in distance from the nearest wind turbine. We detected no variation in female survival relative to wind energy infrastructure (LeBeau et al. [2014]). Objective Id. Identify male lek attendance patterns in relation to wind energy development. Accomplishment: Collected data on male lek attendance in spring 2013 at a wind farm and a control area in Carbon County, Wyoming. Data were collected in spring 2014 and analysis is in progress. Objective Ie. Evaluate sage-grouse demographic and habitat selection response to bentonite mining. Accomplishment: Collected field data in spring and summer 2014 in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Data will be collected in spring 2015 after which we will proceed with analysis. II. Greater sage-grouse response to habitat enhancement treatments: Habitat enhancement treatments form a set of practices that land and wildlife managers and private landowners use to achieve vegetation management objectives believed to elicit positive responses for targeted wildlife species. Manipulations through herbicide applications, prescribed burning, and mechanical treatments are common applications that are used to achieve these objectives. Treatments conducted in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats are implemented for reasons including mitigation for landscape disturbances such as energy development. However, there is little information supporting the effectiveness of these treatments to wildlife populations in sagebrush habitats, indicating the need for research to address these questions. Objective IIa. To compare insect community abundance and diversity between prescribed burned and mowed Wyoming big sagebrush. Accomplishment: Key findings indicated that treating Wyoming big sagebrush through prescribed burning or mowing may not stimulate cover or increase nutrition in food forbs, or increase insect abundance or indicators of soil quality compared to reference sites (Hess and Beck [2014]). Objective IIb. To evaluate the demographic response of sage-grouse to habitat enhancement treatments in big sagebrush communities. Accomplishment: We collected pre-treatment demographic and habitat use data in spring and summer 2011-2014 in Fremont and Natrona counties, Wyoming. In spring and summer 2014 we collected our first field season of pre-treatment data. During January and February 2014, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the University of Wyoming mowed approximately 489 ha (1,208 ac) of sagebrush habitats across 2 mowing treatment areas. Spike (Tebuthiuron was active ingredient) application occurred in early May 2014 (Figure 4). We contracted with Ag Flyers, Inc. of Torrington, Wyoming to apply 1 pound/ac (0.2 pounds/ac active ingredient), anticipating a 50% kill rate of sagebrush, to 607 ha (1,500 ac) across 2 study areas. Exclosures were erected in May 2014 following treatments to evaluate the effect of grazing and grazing exclusion in treated study areas. III. Ungulate response to disturbance risk: A primary focus of my research program is focused on linking wildlife population response to habitat disturbance in western North America. A growing body of literature indicates that wildlife (including ungulates) may respond to anthropogenic disturbances such as energy development in much the same manner as they do to direct predation. Ungulates tend to avoid energy disturbances and this avoidance behavior may lead to reductions in fitness parameters including survival and reproduction. Objective IIIa. To identify mechanisms that lead to elk avoidance of energy-field infrastructure. Accomplishment: Key findings indicate that during-development elk selected areas with greater conifer cover, increased terrain ruggedness, and farther from developed roads than prior to development. Elk distributional changes resulting from avoidance behavior led to a loss of high use areas by 43.1% and 50.2% in summer and winter, respectively (Buchanan et al. [2014]). Objective IIIb. To evaluate elk and pronghorn displacement on crucial winter range that has been developed for wind energy resources. Accomplishment: A MS student successfully defended their thesis on this topic in spring 2014 (Taylor et al. 2014). Major findings indicated no response of distance to wind turbines on pronghorn mortality risk, daily net displacement, or resource selection. 2014 was the fifth year of continuous data collection for the elk study. Objective IIIc. To evaluate pronghorn response to fence modification in natural gas development fields Accomplishment: In November 2013 we captured a total of 130 adult female pronghorn from 3 study areas. In February 2014 we captured 16 female pronghorn from these same 3 study areas. We collected biological information and samples and equipped each of these 146 captured pronghorn with a GPS or VHF transmitter. We conducted a field study in summer 2014 to collect behavioral and fawn production data.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Clapp, J. G., J. L. Beck, and K. G. Gerow. 2014. Post-release acclimation of translocated low-elevation, non-migratory bighorn sheep. Wildlife Society Bulletin 38:657663. doi: 10.1002/wsb.441
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Beck, J. L., K. T. Smith, J. T. Flinders, and C. L. Clyde. 2013. Seasonal habitat selection by elk in north central Utah. Western North American Naturalist 73:442456. doi.org/10.3398/064.073.0414
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Smith, K. T., C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and F. C. Blomquist. 2014. Prioritizing winter habitat quality for greater sage-grouse in an energy-disturbed landscape. Ecosphere 5:Article 15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00238.1.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Hess, J. E., and J. L. Beck. 2014. Forb, insect, and soil response to burning and mowing Wyoming big sagebrush in greater sage-grouse breeding habitat. Environmental Management 53:813822. doi: 10.1007/s00267-014-0246-6
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Boyd, C. S., J. L. Beck, and J. A. Tanaka. 2014. Livestock grazing and sage-grouse habitat: impacts and opportunities. Journal of Rangeland Applications (online journal): 1:5877. ISSN: 2331-5512.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: LeBeau, C. W., J. L. Beck, G. D. Johnson, and M. J. Holloran. 2014. Short-term impacts of wind energy development on greater sage-grouse fitness. Journal of Wildlife Management 78:522530. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.679
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Dinkins, J. B., M. R. Conover, C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and S. N. Frey. 2014. Greater sage-grouse hen survival: effects of raptors, anthropogenic and landscape features, and hen behavior. Canadian Journal of Zoology 92:319330. doi: 10.1139/cjz-2013-0263
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Beck, J. L., D. T. Booth, and C. L. Kennedy. 2014. Assessing greater sage-grouse breeding habitat with aerial and ground imagery. Rangeland Ecology and Management 67:328-332. doi: 10.2111/REM-D-12-00141.1
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Gregory, A. J., and J. L. Beck. 2014. Spatial heterogeneity in response of greater sage-grouse to energy development. PlosOne 9(6): e97132. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0097132
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Buchanan, C. B., J. L. Beck, and T. E. Bills. 2014. Seasonal resource selection and distributional response by elk to development of a natural gas field. Rangeland Ecology and Management 67:369-379. doi: 10.2111/REM-D-13-00136.1
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) response to wind energy development on winter range in south-central, Wyoming
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, S. V. Huzurbazar, M. J. Holloran, and S. N. Miller. In press. Identifying greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats for conservation planning in an energy development landscape. Ecological Applications.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2015 Citation: Rottler, C. M., C. E. Noseworthy, B. Fowers, and J. L. Beck. In press. Effects of conversion from sagebrush to grasslands on sagebrush-associated species. Rangelands.


Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: My target audience includes land and wildlife managers employed by federal agencies (e.g.,Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and state agencies (e.g., Wyoming Game and Fish Department) as well as energy industry and academics. I believe that my research endeavors reached each of these target audiences through dissemination of research products including presentations and publications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? 1 MS student and3 PhD students trained in field and analytical techniques directlyrelated tothisproject.In addition, students attended and presented research at multple conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? From January 1-September 30, 2013, my lab contributed 2 invited presentations: Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, and F. C. Blomquist. 2013. Modeling greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats in a developing energy field. Science Corner Presentation (15 May 2013), Wyoming Sage-Grouse Implementation Team, Lander, Wyoming, USA. LeBeau, C. W., J. L. Beck, G. D. Johnson, R. Nielson, and M. Holloran. 2013. Short-term impacts to greater sage-grouse from wind energy development. Webinar: Understanding Greater Sage-Grouse Response to Wind Energy Development at a Landscape Scale. National Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative and National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. Here is an alphabeticallist of other presenations that were provided from January 1-September 30, 2013 to communities of interest: Beck, J. L. 2013. The role of research in identifying energy disturbance impacts to wildlife populations. Research across Disciplines Seminar, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. Buchanan, C. B., and J. L. Beck. 2013. Can elk mitigate disturbance risk associated with natural gas development? Joint meeting of the 2nd Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Symposium and 39th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, and F. C. Blomquist. 2013. Modeling greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats in a developing energy field. Atlantic Rim Review Team Meeting, USDI BLM Rawlins-Field Office, Rawlins, Wyoming, USA. Pratt, A.C., J. L. Beck, and M. Dillon. 2013. Greater sage-grouse response to bentonite mining in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Joint meeting of the 2nd Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Symposium and 39th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. Taylor, K. L., and J. L. Beck. 2013. Survival risk for pronghorn exposed to wind energy development on winter range in south-central, Wyoming. Society for Range Management, 66th Annual Conference, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. Poster presentation What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The primary plans that we have are to move forward and publish several journal articles, which will reach many of the key objectives (Objective Ia, Ib, Ic,Id,IIa, and IIIa) in this research program. We will submit manuscripts to fulfill Objective IIIb-influence of wind energy development on pronghorn using winter range. We will also continue monitoring wildlife inongoing studies (sage-grouse response to bentonite mining [Objective Ie], elk on winter range influenced by wind energy development [Objective IIIb], pronghorn influenced by fences [IIIC], and sage-grouse response to habitat treatments [Objective IIB]). We will also implement the habitat treatments in Wyoming big sagebrush communities in the study designed to evaluate sage-grouse demographic response to habitat treatment (Objective IIb), which is an ongoing study.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? I. Greater sage-grouse response to energy development. Wyoming is recognized for its abundant wildlife; however, critical questions need to be addressed to better understand the response of wildlife populations and habitats to human-induced changes. The need for better information to conserve wildlife habitats and populations may best be illustrated by the plight of greater sage-grouse, a species that is widely distributed throughout Wyoming’s sagebrush rangelands. My lab has been very active in understanding the relationships between energy development and mining and sage-grouse populations. Specific accomplishments for each objective are as follows: Objective 1a. Identify seasonal breeding habitat for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field. Accomplishment: Key findings from this research indicate that 42% of high quality habitat was avoided in summer by female sage-grouse and their broods due to impacts from energy infrastructure, suggesting that high quality sage-grouse habitat can be maintained by reducing and carefully placing infrastructure in gas fields (Kirol et al. In review [2013]) Objective Ib. Identify winter habitats for sage-grouse population persistence within a developing coalbed natural gas field. Accomplishment: Our winter habitat quality map indicated that highly effective winter habitat (high occurrence-low survival risk) was limited, only representing 17.1% of our study area. Consequently, displacement from these limited, high-quality winter habitats could have profound consequences to population persistence (Smith et al. In review [2013]). Objective Ic. Evaluate sage-grouse reproductive habitat response to wind energy development. Accomplishment: Key findings from our survival analysis indicated that the risk of a nest or brood failing decreased by 7.1% and 38.1%, respectively, with every 1.0 km increase in distance from the nearest wind turbine. We detected no variation in female survival relative to wind energy infrastructure (LeBeau et al. In review [2013]). Objective Id. Identify male lek attendance patterns in relation to wind energy development. Accomplishment: Collected data on male lek attendance in spring 2013 at a wind farm and a control area in Carbon County, Wyoming. Data will be collected in spring 2014 and analysis is in progress. Objective Ie. Evaluate sage-grouse demographic and habitat selection response to bentonite mining. Accomplishment: Collected field data in spring and summer 2013 in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Data will be collected in spring 2014 after which we will proceed with analysis. II. Greater sage-grouse response to habitat enhancement treatments. Habitat enhancement treatments form a set of practices that land and wildlife managers and private landowners use to achieve vegetation management objectives believed to elicit positive responses for targeted wildlife species. Manipulations through herbicide applications, prescribed burning, and mechanical treatments are common applications that are used to achieve these objectives. Treatments conducted in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats are implemented for reasons including mitigation for landscape disturbances such as energy development. However, there is little information supporting the effectiveness of these treatments to wildlife populations in sagebrush habitats, indicating the need for research to address these questions. Objective IIa. To compare insect community abundance and diversity between prescribed burned and mowed Wyoming big sagebrush. Accomplishment: Key findings indicated that treating Wyoming big sagebrush through prescribed burning or mowing may not stimulate cover or increase nutrition in food forbs, or increase insect abundance or indicators of soil quality compared to reference sites (Hess and Beck In Review [2013]). Objective IIb. To evaluate the demographic response of sage-grouse to habitat enhancement treatments in big sagebrush communities. Accomplishment: In spring and summer 2013 we collected our third field season of pre-treatment data in Fremont and Natrona counties, Wyoming. III. Ungulate response to disturbance risk. A primary focus of my research program is focused on linking wildlife population response to habitat disturbance in western North America. A growing body of literature indicates that wildlife (including ungulates) may respond to anthropogenic disturbances such as energy development in much the same manner as they do to direct predation. Ungulates tend to avoid energy disturbances and this avoidance behavior may lead to reductions in fitness parameters including survival and reproduction. Objective IIIa. To identify mechanisms that lead to elk avoidance of energy-field infrastructure. Accomplishment: Key findings indicate that during-development elk selected areas with greater conifer cover, increased terrain ruggedness, and farther from developed roads than prior to development. Elk distributional changes resulting from avoidance behavior led to a loss of high use areas by 43.1% and 50.2% in summer and winter, respectively (Buchanan et al. In review [2013]). Objective IIIb. To evaluate elk and pronghorn displacement on crucial winter range that has been developed for wind energy resources. Accomplishment: We evaluated data collected from the pronghorn study. 2013 was the fourth year of continuous data collection for the elk study. Objective IIIc. To evaluate pronghorn response to fence modification in natural gas development fields Accomplishment: In 2013 we received funding to initiate this study as part of a larger study in the Red Desert..

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2013 Citation: Smith, K. T., C. P. Kirol, J. L. Beck, and F. C. Blomquist. Under review. Prioritizing winter habitat quality for greater sage-grouse in an energy-disturbed landscape. Ecosphere.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2013 Citation: LeBeau, C. W., J. L. Beck, G. D. Johnson, and M. J. Holloran. Under review. Short-term impacts of wind energy development on greater sage-grouse fitness. Journal of Wildlife Management
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2013 Citation: Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, S. V. Huzurbazar, M. J. Holloran, and S. N. Miller. Under review. Identifying greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats for conservation planning in an energy development landscape. Ecological Applications
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hess, J. E., and J. L. Beck. Under review. Forb, insect, and soil response to burning and mowing Wyoming big sagebrush in greater sage-grouse breeding habitat. Environmental Management
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2013 Citation: Buchanan, C. B., J. L. Beck, and T. E. Bills. Under review. Seasonal resource selection and distributional response by elk to development of a natural gas field. Rangeland Ecology and Management


Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: A primary focus of my research program is focused on linking wildlife population response to habitat disturbance in western North America. This focus provides a framework for me to address pertinent questions related to the conservation and management of the world-class wildlife resources found in Wyoming. I have designed and implemented a variety of research projects in Wyoming to address this area of concentration in my research program. Some examples of my research include evaluating the influence of wind energy development on elk, pronghorn, and sage-grouse habitat occurrence and population demography; understanding how elk respond to the disturbance risk presented to them from coalbed methane development; modeling source-sink habitats for sage-grouse in a coalbed methane development field; evaluating the response of sage-grouse occurrence and survival risk to anthropogenic and environmental factors in a winter landscape centered in an area with coalbed methane development; evaluating the spatial response of male sage-grouse attendance on strutting grounds (leks) to oil and gas well pads across the state of Wyoming; and evaluating the demographic and habitat selection response of sage-grouse to bentonite mining. To date, three MS students in Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management have completed their degrees studying various aspects of the response of sage-grouse to energy development. One MS student is studying the impact of wind energy development on pronghorn survival risk and occurrence on crucial winter range in south-central, Wyoming. One of my PhD students is evaluating the response of elk to disturbance risk in a coalbed methane field in northeast Wyoming. A second PhD student is studying the effectiveness of the Wyoming Governor's Sage-Grouse Executive Order (SGEO) to conserve sage-grouse and mule deer within the core population regions designated in the SGEO. A third PhD student is evaluating the response of sage-grouse to bentonite mining, which is a new area of research. Findings from the work my lab has been conducting resulted in two published scientific journal articles and two published theses in 2012. In addition, we currently have two other articles in review or revision in scientific journals and several others in preparation for submission to scientific journals. My work is becoming broadly known as indicated by an invited presentation titled "Research Provides Answers to Mitigate Impacts of Energy Development to Wildlife" I provided to the Restoring the West Conference 2012: Balancing Energy Development and Biodiversity at Utah State University in October. In spring 2012 I was awarded the Early Career Research Achievement Award from the University of Wyoming Agriculture Experiment Station. PARTICIPANTS: Clay Buchanan, Christopher Kirol, Chad LeBeau, Kaitlyn Taylor, Aaron Pratt, Kurt Smith, Scott Gamo, and Justin Clapp were all graduate students under my advisement in 2012 and contributed in various ways to the success of my program. Cooperation is a key factor for success in research programs. My current research cooperation has largely involved the USDI-Bureau of Land Management, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative, energy and mining companies, Utah State University, and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service. TARGET AUDIENCES: I provided scientific knowledge to energy industry, state widlife agencies, federal land and wildlife agencies, and private landowners. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Findings from the research conducted in my lab have provided extremely useful information to land and wildlife management agencies charged with managing wildlife in areas affected by energy development. Following are four examples of the benefits of our research findings on wildlife response to energy development that provide useful information to reduce the impacts of energy development on sage-grouse and associated species: 1. The work we have been conducting on modeling source-sink habitats for sage-grouse in the Atlantic Rim coalbed methane field in south-central Wyoming indicate that sage-grouse avoided 42% of otherwise suitable habitat in response to energy-development infrastructure such as roads and well pads. This research further provided evidence for specific levels of development where grouse demographic and occurrence responses were detectable. This study provided critical information on how to conserve important habitats for population persistence of sage-grouse within an area being developed for energy resources. 2. Our study on sage-grouse response to wind energy development is part of a national study with replicated field sites. We found that two years after installation of a wind farm that sage-grouse continued to use habitat near the wind turbines, but nest and brood survival was negatively impacted close to the infrastructure. We further identified the distances away from the wind turbines where nest and brood survival increased. These findings provide valuable information to minimize impacts to sage-grouse during the breeding season to those seeking to develop wind energy resources within occupied sage-grouse habitat. 3. We designed a study in the Bighorn Basin of north-central Wyoming to identify factors leading to sage-grouse lek abandonment in that region. Here, we identified spatial scales where oil and gas development (within 1.0-km of leks), wildfire (within 1.0 km of leks), and variability of heights of shrubs (within 1.0 km of leks) influenced abandonment of leks. These findings are very beneficial for this region because they identify specific issues that land managers can minimize within identified management zones around leks to ensure sage-grouse lek persistence. 4. Collaborative work with Utah State University on the response of sage-grouse to ravens and raptors in southwest and south-central Wyoming indicated that sage-grouse selected habitats in areas where there were lower densities of common ravens (Corvus corax), black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), and hawks (Buteo spp.) compared with random locations. Additionally, they selected brood-rearing locations with lower densities of those same avian predators and of American kestrels (Falco sparverius), compared with random locations. These findings have relevance to energy impact because some species such as common ravens increase in areas of anthropogenic development. Our study findings indicate that avoidance of areas with these species is one of the mechanisms whereby sage-grouse respond to the impacts of energy development.

Publications

  • Fedy, B., Doherty, K.E., Aldridge, C.L., ODonnell, M., Beck, J.L., Bedrosian, B., Holloran, M.J., Johnson, G.D., Kaczor, N.W., Kirol, C.P., Mandich, C.A., Marshall, D., McKee, G., Olson, C., Pratt, A., Swanson, C.C., and Walker, B.L. 2012. Habitat prioritization across large landscapes, multiple seasons, and novel areas: an example using greater sage-grouse in Wyoming. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 28th Western States Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • Kirol, C.P., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Modeling greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats in a developing coalbed natural gas field in south-central, Wyoming. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Workshop. Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • LeBeau, C.W., Beck, J.L., Johnson, G.D., Nielson, R., and Holloran, M. 2012. Short-term impacts to greater sage-grouse from wind energy development. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Workshop. Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Beck, J.L., Hess, J.E., Smith, K.T., Kirol, C.P., and Blomquist, F.C. 2012. Greater sage-grouse winter habitat selection in south-central, Wyoming: response to anthropogenic and environmental factors characterizing winter habitat. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Workshop. Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Dinkins, J. B., Conover, M.R., Kirol, C.P., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Greater sage-grouse select nest sites and brood sites away from avian predators. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Workshop. Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Fedy, B., Aldridge C., Doherty, K., ODonnell, M., Beck, J. Kirol, C., Bedrosian, B., Holloran, M., Marshall, D., McKee, G., Mandich, C., Olson, C., Johnson, G., Kaczor, N., Swanson, C., and Walker, B. 2012. Across space and time: seasonal and regional variation in habitat selection of greater sage-grouse across large spatial scales. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Workshop. Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Taylor, K.L., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Pronghorn response to wind energy development on winter range in south central, Wyoming. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Workshop. Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Buchanan, C.B., Beck, J.L., and Bills, T.E.. 2012. Elk seasonal resource selection before and during development of a natural gas field. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Workshop. Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Beck, J.L., Booth, D.T. Booth, and Kennedy, C.L. 2012. Assessing greater sage-grouse breeding habitat with aerial and ground imagery. Society for Range Management, 65th Annual Conference, Spokane, Washington. Poster presented with abstract.
  • Hess, J.E., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Burning and mowing Wyoming big sagebrush: do treated sites meet minimum guidelines for greater sage-grouse breeding habitats Wildlife Society Bulletin 36:85-93.
  • Taylor, K.L., Beck, J.L., and Huzurbazar, S. 2012. Pronghorn response to wind energy development on winter range in south-central, Wyoming. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 25th Biennial Western States and Provinces Pronghorn Workshop, Santa, Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, USA. (abstract)
  • LeBeau, C.W. Beck, J.L., Johnson, G.D., Nielson, R.M., and Holloran, M.J. 2012. Short-term impacts to greater sage-grouse from wind energy development. National Wind Coordinating Collaborative and the American Wind Wildlife Institute, Wind Wildlife Research Meeting IX, Broomfield, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • Taylor, K.L., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Winter survival risk for pronghorn encountering wind energy development in south-central, Wyoming. National Wind Coordinating Collaborative and the American Wind Wildlife Institute, Wind Wildlife Research Meeting IX, Broomfield, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • Beck, J.L., and Gregory, A.J. 2012. Spatially heterogenic responses of sage-grouse to energy disturbance in Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • LeBeau, C., Beck, J. Beck, Johnson, G., and Holloran, M. 2012. Short-term impacts to greater sage-grouse fitness from wind energy development. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Pratt, A.C., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Greater sage-grouse migration ecology and response to bentonite mining in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Taylor, K.L., Beck, J.L., and Huzurbazar, S. 2012. Winter survival risk for pronghorn encountering wind energy development: Evaluating time-dependent variables. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Buchanan, C.B., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Can elk mitigate disturbance risk associated with natural gas development Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Clapp, J.G., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Habitat ecology and effects of habitat alteration for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) translocated to the Seminoe Mountains, Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Smith, K.T., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Identification of nesting, brood-rearing, and non-brooding habitat by greater sage-grouse in central Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. (abstract)
  • Beck, J.L. 2012. Research provides answers to mitigate impacts of energy development to wildlife. Restoring the West Conference 2012: Balancing energy development and biodiversity. Utah State University, Logan, Utah. (abstract)
  • Buchanan, C.B., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Elk mitigate disturbance risk associated with natural gas development. The Wildlife Society 19th Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, USA. Poster presented with abstract.
  • Taylor, K.L., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Winter survival risk for pronghorn on a wind energy developed landscape in south-central, Wyoming. The Wildlife Society 19th Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, USA. Poster presented with abstract.
  • Pratt, A.C., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Greater sage-grouse migration ecology and response to bentonite mining in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. The Wildlife Society 19th Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, USA. Poster presented with abstract.
  • Beck, J.L., and Gregory, A.J. 2012. Spatially heterogenic responses of sage-grouse to energy disturbance in Wyoming. The Wildlife Society 19th Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, USA. (abstract)
  • Dinkins, J.B., Conover, M.R., Kirol, C.P., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Greater sage-grouse select nest-sites and brood-sites away from avian predators. The Wildlife Society 19th Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, USA. (abstract)
  • LeBeau, C.W., Beck, J.L., Johnson, G.D., and Holloran, M.J. 2012. Short-term impacts to greater sage-grouse fitness from wind energy development. Fifth North American Ornithological Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (abstract)
  • LeBeau, C.W., Beck, J.L., Johnson, G.D., and Holloran, M.J. 2012. Short-term impacts to greater sage-grouse fitness from wind energy development. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 28th Western States Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • Pratt, A.C., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Greater sage-grouse migration ecology and response to bentonite mining in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming: an introduction. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 28th Western States Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • Kirol, C.P., Beck, J.L., and Huzurbazar S.V. 2012. Spatially quantifying greater sage-grouse habitat value in an energy development landscape. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 28th Western States Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • Dinkins, J.B., Conover, M.R., Kirol, C.P., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Greater sage-grouse select nest-sites and brood-sites away from avian predators. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 28th Western States Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • Hess, J.E., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Comparison of prescribed burning and mowing to enhance greater sage-grouse nesting and brood-rearing habitat in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 28th Western States Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Symposium, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. (abstract)
  • LeBeau, C.W., Beck, J.L., Johnson, G.D., and Holloran, M.J. 2012. Short-term impacts of wind energy development on greater sage-grouse fitness parameters. Journal of Wildlife Management. (pending)
  • Beck, J.L., Booth, D.T., and Kennedy, C.L. 2012. Assessing greater sage-grouse breeding habitat with aerial and ground imagery. Rangeland Ecology and Management. (pending)
  • Beck, J.L., Smith, K.T., Flinders, J.T., and Clyde, C.L. 2012. Seasonal habitat selection by elk in north-central Utah. Western North American Naturalist. (pending)
  • Dinkins, J.B., Conover, M.R., Kirol, C.P., Beck, J.L., and Frey, S.N. 2012. Effects of common raven removal on greater sage-grouse nesting success. Journal of Wildlife Management. (pending).
  • Fedy, B.C., Doherty, K.E., Aldridge, C.L., ODonnell, M.., Beck, J.L., Bedrosian, B., Holloran, M.J., Johnson, G.D., Kaczor, N.W., Kirol, C.P., Mandich, C.A., Marshall, D., McKee, G., Olson, C., Pratt, A.C., Swanson, C.C., and Walker, B.L.. 2012. Habitat prioritization across large landscapes, multiple seasons, and novel areas: an example using greater sage-grouse in Wyoming. Wildlife Monographs. (pending)
  • Dinkins, J.B., Conover, M.R., Kirol, C.P., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) select nest-sites and brood-sites away from avian predators. The Auk 129:600-610.
  • Hess, J.E., and Beck, J.L. 2012. Disturbance factors influencing greater sage-grouse lek abandonment in north-central Wyoming. Journal of Wildlife Management 76:1625-1634.
  • Beck, J.L., Connelly, J.W., and Wambolt, C.L. 2012. Consequences of treating Wyoming big sagebrush to enhance wildlife habitats. Rangeland Ecology and Management 65:444-455.
  • Fedy, B.C., Aldridge, C.L., Doherty, K.E., ODonnell, M., Beck, J.L. Beck, Bedrosian, B. Bedrosian, Holloran, M.J., Johnsosn, G.D., Kaczor, N.W., Kirol, C.P., Mandich, C. Marshall, A.D. , McKee, G., Olson, C., Swanson, C.C., and Walker, B.L. 2012. Interseasonal movements of greater sage-grouse, migratory behavior, and an assessment of the core regions concept in Wyoming. Journal of Wildlife Management 76:1062-1071.
  • Kirol, C. P., Beck, J.L., Dinkins, J.B., and Conover, M.R. 2012. Microhabitat selection for nesting and brood-rearing by the greater sage-grouse in xeric big sagebrush. The Condor 114:75-89.


Progress 03/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: My research, teaching, and service programs are focused on (1) linking wildlife population response to habitat disturbance in western North America, (2) evaluating the efficacy of wildlife habitat treatments, and (3) designing wildlife and habitat monitoring programs. These foci provide a framework for me to address pertinent questions related to the conservation and management of the world-class wildlife resources found in Wyoming. I have designed and implemented a variety of research projects in Wyoming to address my three focal interest areas. Some examples of my research include evaluating the influence of wind energy development on elk, pronghorn, and sage-grouse habitat occurrence and population demography; understanding how elk respond to the disturbance risk presented to them from coalbed methane development; modeling source-sink habitats for sage-grouse in a coalbed methane development field; evaluating the functional and structural response of Wyoming big sagebrush habitat to prescribed burning and mechanical mowing; evaluating the habitat and population response of sage-grouse to habitat treatment in breeding habitat; evaluating the demographic and habitat selection response of sage-grouse to bentonite mining; quantifying the migration ecology of sage-grouse; and evaluating the efficacy of ground and aerial digital imagery to assess sage-grouse breeding habitat. In 2011 I or my students participated in several restoration workshops hosted by the Wyoming Restoration and Reclamation Center. The restoration workshops I participate in are attended by a wide range of restoration practitioners including those employed in the energy and reclamation industries and natural resource management and regulatory agencies. I was successful in getting 5 articles accepted for publication in 2011. Two of these articles were published in 2011 and 3 will be published in 2012. In total, I had 4 journal articles, 1 proceedings paper, and 13 abstracts published in 2011. My lab provided 8 invited and 13 contributed research presentations in 2011 to a variety of scientific audiences.There are currently 5 journal articles in review from my lab and several in preparation. This spring I was invited to give a presentation about my cooperative study on sage-grouse response to wind energy development at a symposium on prairie grouse hosted at a joint national meeting of ornithological societies. I was approached by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to serve as a sage-grouse expert that they turn to for advice. I am currently collating summaries from 26 sage-grouse research projects in Wyoming to provide to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as well as to the cooperating researchers. I was also invited by USDA-PHIS Wildlife Services to serve as a subject expert for a scientist grade evaluation panel. PARTICIPANTS: My current research cooperation has largely involved the USDI-Bureau of Land Management, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative, energy and mining companies, and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service. I conduct my work in a multidisciplinary setting and have developed a network of colleagues and graduate students with whom I collaborate. My colleagues are in academia, federal and state research agencies/programs, federal and state land management agencies, and industry in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. In 2011 I advised 3 PhD students (Clay Buchanan, Kurt Smith, and Aaron Pratt) and 3 MS students (Chris Kirol, Chad LeBeau, and Kaitlyn Taylor) in my lab. I was fortunate to graduate Jennifer Hess, who was awarded the outstanding MS student in the College of Agriculture and Natural Reources prior to her graduation in May 2011. TARGET AUDIENCES: I provided presentations on several occasions to the Wyoming Restoration and Reclamation Center, which targets restoration practitioners in private industry and natural resource agencies. My scientific publications were intended to target wildlife and rangeland scientists and managers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The application of findings published in written works provides a tangible impact of research outcomes. Findings from the journal articles that I published in 2011 have provided information on the utility and limitations of using ecological site description data to characterize sage-grouse nesting habitat; have shown that mixed species grazing on subirrigated pasture is best accomplished when cattle are grazed before sheep; provided a sampling design and power analysis to monitor the occupancy of northern goshawk across a sampling frame encompassing Forest Service Region 2; and provided a restoration framework for Wyoming big sagebrush and mountain big sagebrush across the sagebrush biome. The presentations and abstracts that I and my students provided to scientific venues including state and national meetings assisted us in developing a stronger network of colleagues and have led to greater interest in our work. Cooperation is a key factor for success in research programs. My current research cooperation has largely involved the USDI-Bureau of Land Management, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative, energy and mining companies, and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service.

Publications

  • Fedy, B. C., C. A. Aldridge, K. E. Doherty, M. O'Donnell, J. L. Beck, B. Bedrosian, M. J. Holloran, G. D. Johnson, N. W. Kaczor, C. P. Kirol, C. A. Mandich, D. Marshall, G. McKee, C. Olson, C. C. Swanson, and B. L. Walker. 2012. Interseasonal movements of greater sage-grouse, migratory behavior, and an assessment of the core regions concept in Wyoming. Journal of Wildlife Management 76:In press.
  • Hess, J. E., and J. L. Beck. 2012. Burning and mowing Wyoming big sagebrush: do treated sites meet minimum guidelines for greater sage-grouse breeding habitats Wildlife Society Bulletin 36(1): In press. doi: 10.1002/wsb.92
  • Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, J. B. Dinkins, M. R. Conover. 2012. Greater sage-grouse nesting and brood-rearing microhabitat selection in xeric big sagebrush. Condor 114(1):In press.
  • Beck, J. L., R. D. Mealor, B. W. Hess, G. E. Moss, and S. L. Lake. 2011. Case study: effect of cattle and sheep grazing on stocking rate and botanical composition of subirrigated pasture. Professional Animal Scientist 27:500-504.
  • Beck, J. L., R. C. Skorkowsky, and G. D. Hayward. 2011. Estimating occupancy to monitor northern goshawk in the central Rocky Mountains. Journal of Wildlife Management 75:513-524. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.69
  • Davies, K.W., C.S. Boyd, J.L. Beck, J.D. Bates, T.J. Svejcar, and M.A. Gregg. 2011. Saving the sagebrush sea: an ecosystem conservation plan for big sagebrush plant communities. Biological Conservation 144:2573-2584. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.07.016
  • Doherty, K. E., J. L. Beck, and D. E. Naugle. 2011. Comparing ecological site descriptions to habitat characteristics influencing greater sage-grouse nest site occurrence and success. Rangeland Ecology and Management 64:344-351. doi: 10.2111/REM-D-10-00120.1
  • Beck, J. L., J. G. Klein, J. Wright, and K. P. Wolfley. 2011. Potential and pitfalls of prescribed burning big sagebrush habitat to enhance nesting and early brood-rearing habitats for greater sage-grouse. Pages 27-32 in C. L. Wambolt, S. G. Kitchen, M. R. Frisina, B. F. Sowell, R. B. Keigley, P. K. Palacios, and J. A. Robinson, compilers. Proceedings - Shrublands: Wildlands and Wildlife Habitats, Bozeman, Montana, June 17-19, 2008. Utah State University Natural Resources and Environmental Issues Volume 16, article 5.
  • Beck, J. L., J. E. Hess, and F. C. Blomquist. 2011. Winter habitat selection by greater sage-grouse influenced by energy development. The Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA.
  • Beck, J. L., J. E. Hess, C. P. Kirol, and F. C. Blomquist. 2011. Winter habitat selection by greater sage-grouse influenced by coalbed methane development in south-central Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
  • Beck, J. L., C. W. LeBeau, A. J. Gregory, G. D. Johnson, and M. J. Holloran. 2011. Greater sage-grouse and wind energy development. Symposium on Research on Prairie Grouse in North America. C. E. Braun, J. W. Connelly, L. Flake, and K. C. Jensen, organizers. 2011 joint annual meeting of the Association of Field Ornithologists, Cooper Ornithological Society, and the Wilson Ornithological Society. March 9-12, 2011, Kearney, Nebraska.
  • Buchanan, C. B., J. L. Beck, and T. E. Bills. 2011. Identification of elk resource selection in a natural gas development field. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
  • Buchanan, C. B., J. L. Beck, and T. E. Bills. 2011. Identification of elk resource selection in a natural gas development field. The Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA.
  • Dinkins, J. B., M. R. Conover, C. P. Kirol, and J. L. Beck. 2011. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) select nest-sites and brood-sites away from avian predators. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
  • Fedy, B. C., C. Aldridge, K. Doherty, M. O'Donnell, J. Beck, B. Bedrosian, M. Holloran, C. Kirol, D. Marshall, G. McKee, C. Mandich, C. Olsen, G. Johnson, and B. Walker. 2011. Across space and time: Seasonal and regional variation in habitat selection of greater sage-grouse across large spatial scales. The Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA.
  • Hess J. E., and J. L. Beck. 2011. Greater sage-grouse breeding habitat response to burning and mowing Wyoming big sagebrush. The Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA. Poster presented with abstract.
  • Kennedy, C., D. T. Booth, and J. L. Beck. 2011. Density and distribution of VLSA and ground vegetation images as a basis for evaluating habitat characteristics at sage-grouse leks. Symposium on very-high resolution imaging for resources monitoring. Society for Range Management, 64th Annual Meeting, Billings, Montana.
  • Kirol, C. P., and J. L. Beck. 2011. Quantifying fitness for greater sage-grouse in an energy-development landscape. The Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA.
  • Kirol, C. P., J. L. Beck, S. V. Huzurbazar, and F. C. Blomquist. 2011. Modeling greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats in a developing coalbed methane field in south-central Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
  • Smith, K. T., J. L. Beck, J. T. Flinders, and C. L. Clyde. 2011. Factors influencing seasonal habitat selection by elk in north-central, Utah. Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
  • Wambeke, J., J. L. Beck, and D. T. Booth. 2011. Calibrating grid sample size and comparison of sagebrush rangeland cover from aerial and ground images in SamplePoint. Society for Range Management, 64th Annual Meeting, Undergraduate Papers Presentation, Billings, Montana.