Article
Gunnison Sage-Grouse Use of Conservation Reserve Program Fields in Utah and Response to Emergency Grazing: A Preliminary Evaluation
Wildlife Society Bulletin
(2006)
Abstract
Little information is available on the use of areas enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) or the impacts of grazing on their habitat selection and movement patterns. Using radiotelemetry, we monitored 13 Gunnison sage-grouse in San Juan County, Utah, USA during 2001-2002 to determine their use of CRP. Additionally, in 2002 some of the CRP land used by the birds in 2001 was grazed under a drought emergency declaration. This afforded us an opportunity to monitor their response to livestock grazing. Although Gunnison sage-grouse used CRP for nesting, brood-rearing, and summer habitat, it was not selected in greater proportion than its availability (P ≤ 0 10) on the landscape. Bird-use sites in the CRP did not entirely meet habitat guidelines recommended by the Gunnison sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee (2005). Most of the sage-grouse we monitored avoided CRP fields when livestock were present. The one exception to this was a hen with a brood. We believe long-term maintenance of CRP in San Juan County will result in achieving habitat conditions that are more desirable for Gunnison sage-grouse. Future livestock management practices in areas used by Gunnison sage-grouse should incorporate short-term, high-intensity deferred-grazing rotations.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2006
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2193/0091-7648(2006)34[957:GSUOCR]2.0.CO;2
Citation Information
Terry A. Messmer. "Gunnison Sage-Grouse Use of Conservation Reserve Program Fields in Utah and Response to Emergency Grazing: A Preliminary Evaluation" Wildlife Society Bulletin Vol. 34 Iss. 4 (2006) p. 957 - 962 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/terry-messmer/236/