| interspecific variation in sugar and amino acid transport by the avian cecum. | previous studies of cecal sugar and amino acid transport in the domestic chicken led to a widely held generalization that the avian cecum is unimportant as a site of nutrient transport. in fact, we found that the uptake capacity of the cecum for hexose sugars and amino acids is substantial in some species of birds. cecal transport of glucose was measurable in all five study species (canada goose, sage grouse, domestic chicken, red-necked phalarope, and rock dove), approached or exceeded intestin ... | 1989 | 2575122 |
| male-driven evolution among eoaves? a test of the replicative division hypothesis in a heterogametic female (zw) system. | because avian females are heterogametic, the reverse of mammals, avian sex chromosomes undergo significantly different patterns and numbers of dna replications than do those in mammals. this makes the w (female-specific) and the z chromosomes an excellent model system for the study of the replicative division hypothesis, which purports that dna substitution rate is determined by the number of germline replications. the sex-specific chromosome in birds (the w) is predicted to change at the slowes ... | 1999 | 10594176 |
| blood parasites in sage-grouse from nevada and oregon. | peripheral blood smears from 196 adult and yearling female greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) were examined for blood parasites (167 from the breeding and 29 from the brood-rearing season) to determine prevalence of blood parasites, to attempt to correlate infection with chick survival, and to establish base-line values of prevalence in sage-grouse from nevada and oregon (usa). birds were captured and released on two study areas during 1999-2001; sheldon national wildlife refuge (sn ... | 2003 | 12685084 |
| susceptibility of greater sage-grouse to experimental infection with west nile virus. | populations of greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) have declined 45-80% in north america since 1950. although much of this decline has been attributed to habitat loss, recent field studies have indicated that west nile virus (wnv) has had a significant negative impact on local populations of grouse. we confirm the susceptibility of greater sage-grouse to wnv infection in laboratory experimental studies. grouse were challenged by subcutaneous injection of wnv (10(3.2) plaque-forming u ... | 2006 | 16699144 |
| factors contributing to process variance in annual survival of female greater sage-grouse in montana. | populations of greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) have declined by 69-99% from historic levels, and information on population dynamics of these birds at a landscape scale is essential to informed management. we examined the relationships between hen survival and a suite of landscape-scale habitat and environmental conditions. we radio-marked 237 female sage-grouse and measured 426 vegetation plots during 2001-2004 at four sites in a 3200-km2 landscape in north-central montana, usa. ... | 2006 | 16937816 |
| linking occurrence and fitness to persistence: habitat-based approach for endangered greater sage-grouse. | detailed empirical models predicting both species occurrence and fitness across a landscape are necessary to understand processes related to population persistence. failure to consider both occurrence and fitness may result in incorrect assessments of habitat importance leading to inappropriate management strategies. we took a two-stage approach to identifying critical nesting and brood-rearing habitat for the endangered greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) in alberta at a landscape s ... | 2007 | 17489256 |
| an observation of clostridium perfringens in greater sage-grouse. | mortality due to infectious diseases is seldom reported in the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). a case of necrotic enteritis associated with clostridium perfringens type a is described in a free-ranging adult male sage-grouse in eastern oregon. clostridial enteritis is known to cause outbreaks of mortality in various domestic and wild birds, and should be considered as a potential cause of mortality in sage-grouse populations. | 2007 | 17699098 |
| west nile virus and greater sage-grouse: estimating infection rate in a wild bird population. | understanding impacts of disease on wild bird populations requires knowing not only mortality rate following infection, but also the proportion of the population that is infected. greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) in western north america are known to have a high mortality rate following infection with west nile virus (wnv), but actual infection rates in wild populations remain unknown. we used rates of wnv-related mortality and seroprevalence from radiomarked females to estimate i ... | 2007 | 17992928 |
| liver metal concentrations in greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). | greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) are a species of concern due to shrinking populations associated with habitat fragmentation and loss. baseline health parameters for this species are limited or lacking, especially with regard to tissue metal concentrations. to obtain a range of tissue metal concentrations, livers were collected from 71 greater sage-grouse from wyoming and montana. mean +/- se metal concentrations (mg/kg wet weight) in liver were determined for vanadium (v) (0.12 + ... | 2008 | 18436686 |
| a currency for offsetting energy development impacts: horse-trading sage-grouse on the open market. | biodiversity offsets provide a mechanism to compensate for unavoidable damages from new energy development as the u.s. increases its domestic production. proponents argue that offsets provide a partial solution for funding conservation while opponents contend the practice is flawed because offsets are negotiated without the science necessary to backup resulting decisions. missing in negotiations is a biologically-based currency for estimating sufficiency of offsets and a framework for applying p ... | 2010 | 20442770 |
| population cycles are highly correlated over long time series and large spatial scales in two unrelated species: greater sage-grouse and cottontail rabbits. | animal species across multiple taxa demonstrate multi-annual population cycles, which have long been of interest to ecologists. correlated population cycles between species that do not share a predator-prey relationship are particularly intriguing and challenging to explain. we investigated annual population trends of greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) and cottontail rabbits (sylvilagus sp.) across wyoming to explore the possibility of correlations between unrelated species, over mu ... | 2011 | 20848136 |
| identifying and prioritizing greater sage-grouse nesting and brood-rearing habitat for conservation in human-modified landscapes. | balancing animal conservation and human use of the landscape is an ongoing scientific and practical challenge throughout the world. we investigated reproductive success in female greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) relative to seasonal patterns of resource selection, with the larger goal of developing a spatially-explicit framework for managing human activity and sage-grouse conservation at the landscape level. | 2011 | 22022587 |
| towards the conservation of endangered avian species: a recombinant west nile virus vaccine results in increased humoral and cellular immune responses in japanese quail (coturnix japonica). | west nile virus (wnv) arrived in north america in 1999 and is now endemic. many families of birds, especially corvids, are highly susceptible to wnv and infection often results in fatality. avian species susceptible to wnv infection also include endangered species, such as the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus uropbasianuts) and the eastern loggerhead shrike (lanius ludovicianus migrans). the virus has been shown to contribute towards the likelihood of their extinction. although a clear and pres ... | 2013 | 23825633 |
| measuring the effectiveness of conservation: a novel framework to quantify the benefits of sage-grouse conservation policy and easements in wyoming. | increasing energy and housing demands are impacting wildlife populations throughout western north america. greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus), a species known for its sensitivity to landscape-scale disturbance, inhabits the same low elevation sage-steppe in which much of this development is occurring. wyoming has committed to maintain sage-grouse populations through conservation easements and policy changes that conserves high bird abundance "core" habitat and encourages development ... | 2013 | 23826250 |
| the influence of mitigation on sage-grouse habitat selection within an energy development field. | growing global energy demands ensure the continued growth of energy development. energy development in wildlife areas can significantly impact wildlife populations. efforts to mitigate development impacts to wildlife are on-going, but the effectiveness of such efforts is seldom monitored or assessed. greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) are sensitive to energy development and likely serve as an effective umbrella species for other sagebrush-steppe obligate wildlife. we assessed the re ... | 2015 | 25835296 |
| combined effects of energy development and disease on greater sage-grouse. | species of conservation concern are increasingly threatened by multiple, anthropogenic stressors which are outside their evolutionary experience. greater sage-grouse are highly susceptible to the impacts of two such stressors: oil and gas (energy) development and west nile virus (wnv). however, the combined effects of these stressors and their potential interactions have not been quantified. we used lek (breeding ground) counts across a landscape encompassing extensive local and regional variati ... | 2013 | 23940732 |
| mitigation effectiveness for improving nesting success of greater sage-grouse influenced by energy development. | sagebrush (artemisia spp.) habitats being developed for oil and gas reserves are inhabited by sagebrush obligate species-including the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) that is currently being considered for protection under the u.s. endangered species act. numerous studies suggest increasing oil and gas development may exacerbate species extinction risks. therefore, there is a great need for effective on-site mitigation to reduce impacts to co-occurring wildlife such ... | 0 | 26366042 |
| molecular forensics in avian conservation: a dna-based approach for identifying mammalian predators of ground-nesting birds and eggs. | the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) is a ground-nesting bird from the northern rocky mountains and a species at risk of extinction in in multiple u.s. states and canada. herein we report results from a proof of concept that mitochondrial and nuclear dnas from mammalian predator saliva could be non-invasively collected from depredated greater sage-grouse eggshells and carcasses and used for predator species identification. molecular forensic approaches have been applied to identif ... | 2016 | 26738484 |
| a serosurvey of greater sage-grouse ( centrocercus urophasianus ) in nevada, usa. | to better understand the potential avian diseases in greater sage-grouse ( centrocercus urophasianus ) in the great basin in nevada, us, we collected 31 blood samples march-april 2014 and tested for antibodies to eight viruses and two bacteria. specifically, sera were tested for antibodies to avian leukosis virus type a, b, and j (alv-a, alv-b, and alv-j, respectively), infectious bursal disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, reticuloendothelial virus, avian influenza virus (aiv), west nile ... | 2017 | 27705104 |
| hematozoa in sage grouse from colorado. | blood films from 361 sage grouse ( centrocercus urophasianus ) from north park, colorado, were examined for hematozoa. parasites found were: plasmodium pedioecetii , haemoproteus canachites , leucocytozoon bonasae , trypanosoma avium , and microfilariae. the sage grouse represents a new host record for plasmodium . prevalence of parasitism was not age or sex related, with no significant (p > 0.05) differences between age or sex class. parasite burdens increased significantly (p < 0.05) from janu ... | 1977 | 24228963 |
| susceptibility and antibody response of vesper sparrows (pooecetes gramineus) to west nile virus: a potential amplification host in sagebrush-grassland habitat. | west nile virus (wnv) spread to the us western plains states in 2003, when a significant mortality event attributed to wnv occurred in greater sage-grouse ( centrocercus urophasianus ). the role of avian species inhabiting sagebrush in the amplification of wnv in arid and semiarid regions of the north america is unknown. we conducted an experimental wnv challenge study in vesper sparrows ( pooecetes gramineus ), a species common to sagebrush and grassland habitats found throughout much of north ... | 2016 | 26981692 |
| modeling fence location and density at a regional scale for use in wildlife management. | barbed and woven wire fences, common structures across western north america, act as impediments to wildlife movements. in particular, fencing influences pronghorn (antilocapra americana) daily and seasonal movements, as well as modifying habitat selection. because of fencing's impacts to pronghorn and other wildlife, it is a potentially important factor in both wildlife movement and habitat selection models. at this time, no geospatial fencing data is available at regional scales. consequently, ... | 2014 | 24416180 |
| how predation risk affects the temporal dynamics of avian leks: greater sage grouse versus golden eagles. | leks often attract predators as well as mates, yet most evolutionary models have assumed that sexual selection, not predation, drives lekking behavior. we explored the influence of predation on lek dynamics using a stochastic dynamic game model based on the lek-breeding greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) and its principal avian predator, the golden eagle (aquila chrysaetos). the model predicts time-dependent male lek attendance as a function of factors affecting both mating success ... | 2004 | 14767844 |
| better living through conifer removal: a demographic analysis of sage-grouse vital rates. | sagebrush (artemisia spp.) obligate wildlife species such as the imperiled greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) face numerous threats including altered ecosystem processes that have led to conifer expansion into shrub-steppe. conifer removal is accelerating despite a lack of empirical evidence on grouse population response. using a before-after-control-impact design at the landscape scale, we evaluated effects of conifer removal on two important demographic parameters, annual survival ... | 2017 | 28333995 |
| weather, habitat composition, and female behavior interact to modify offspring survival in greater sage-grouse. | weather is a source of environmental variation that can affect population vital rates. however, the influence of weather on individual fitness is spatially heterogeneous and can be driven by other environmental factors, such as habitat composition. therefore, individuals can experience reduced fitness (e.g., decreased reproductive success) during poor environmental conditions through poor decisions regarding habitat selection. this requires, however, that habitat selection is adaptive and that t ... | 2017 | 28052504 |
| wildfire, climate, and invasive grass interactions negatively impact an indicator species by reshaping sagebrush ecosystems. | iconic sagebrush ecosystems of the american west are threatened by larger and more frequent wildfires that can kill sagebrush and facilitate invasion by annual grasses, creating a cycle that alters sagebrush ecosystem recovery post disturbance. thwarting this accelerated grass-fire cycle is at the forefront of current national conservation efforts, yet its impacts on wildlife populations inhabiting these ecosystems have not been quantified rigorously. within a bayesian framework, we modeled 30 y ... | 2016 | 27791084 |
| seasonal habitat use by greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) on a landscape with low density oil and gas development. | fragmentation of the sagebrush (artemisia spp.) ecosystem has led to concern about a variety of sagebrush obligates including the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). given the increase of energy development within greater sage-grouse habitats, mapping seasonal habitats in pre-development populations is critical. the north park population in colorado is one of the largest and most stable in the state and provides a unique case study for investigating resource selection at a relativel ... | 2016 | 27788202 |
| does wyoming's core area policy protect winter habitats for greater sage-grouse? | conservation reserves established to protect important habitat for wildlife species are used world-wide as a wildlife conservation measure. effective reserves must adequately protect year-round habitats to maintain wildlife populations. wyoming's sage-grouse core area policy was established to protect breeding habitats for greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). protecting only one important seasonal habitat could result in loss or degradation of other important habitats and potential d ... | 2016 | 27515024 |
| microbial detoxification in the gut of a specialist avian herbivore, the greater sage-grouse. | one function of the gut microbiota gaining recent attention, especially in herbivorous mammals and insects, is the metabolism of plant secondary metabolites (psms). we investigated whether this function exists within the gut communities of a specialist avian herbivore. we sequenced the cecal metagenome of the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus), which specializes on chemically defended sagebrush (artemisia spp.). we predicted that the cecal metagenome of the sage-grouse would be enri ... | 2016 | 27242374 |
| microhabitat conditions in wyoming's sage-grouse core areas: effects on nest site selection and success. | the purpose of our study was to identify microhabitat characteristics of greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) nest site selection and survival to determine the quality of sage-grouse habitat in 5 regions of central and southwest wyoming associated with wyoming's core area policy. wyoming's core area policy was enacted in 2008 to reduce human disturbance near the greatest densities of sage-grouse. our analyses aimed to assess sage-grouse nest selection and success at multiple micro-spa ... | 2016 | 27002531 |
| integrating spatially explicit indices of abundance and habitat quality: an applied example for greater sage-grouse management. | predictive species distributional models are a cornerstone of wildlife conservation planning. constructing such models requires robust underpinning science that integrates formerly disparate data types to achieve effective species management.greater sage-grouse centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter 'sage-grouse' populations are declining throughout sagebrush-steppe ecosystems in north america, particularly within the great basin, which heightens the need for novel management tools that maximize t ... | 2016 | 26877545 |
| landscape characteristics influencing the genetic structure of greater sage-grouse within the stronghold of their range: a holistic modeling approach. | given the significance of animal dispersal to population dynamics and geographic variability, understanding how dispersal is impacted by landscape patterns has major ecological and conservation importance. speaking to the importance of dispersal, the use of linear mixed models to compare genetic differentiation with pairwise resistance derived from landscape resistance surfaces has presented new opportunities to disentangle the menagerie of factors behind effective dispersal across a given lands ... | 2015 | 26045948 |
| insights into transcriptomes of big and low sagebrush. | we report the sequencing and assembly of three transcriptomes from big (artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis and a. tridentata ssp. tridentata) and low (a. arbuscula ssp. arbuscula) sagebrush. the sequence reads are available in the sequence read archive of ncbi. we demonstrate the utilities of these transcriptomes for gene discovery and phylogenomic analysis. an assembly of 61,883 transcripts followed by transcript identification by the program trapid revealed 16 transcripts directly related ... | 2015 | 26020526 |
| western juniper management: assessing strategies for improving greater sage-grouse habitat and rangeland productivity. | western juniper (juniperus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis) range expansion into sagebrush steppe ecosystems has affected both native wildlife and economic livelihoods across western north america. the potential listing of the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) under the u.s. endangered species act has spurred a decade of juniper removal efforts, yet limited research has evaluated program effectiveness. we used a multi-objective spatially explicit model to identify optimal juniper ... | 2015 | 25957623 |
| contrasting effects of different mammalian herbivores on sagebrush plant communities. | herbivory by both grazing and browsing ungulates shapes the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, and both types of herbivory have been implicated in major ecosystem state changes. despite the ecological consequences of differences in diets and feeding habits among herbivores, studies that experimentally distinguish effects of grazing from spatially co-occurring, but temporally segregated browsing are extremely rare. here we use a set of long-term exclosures in northern ... | 2015 | 25671428 |
| monoterpenes as inhibitors of digestive enzymes and counter-adaptations in a specialist avian herbivore. | many plants produce plant secondary metabolites (psm) that inhibit digestive enzymes of herbivores, thus limiting nutrient availability. in response, some specialist herbivores have evolved digestive enzymes that are resistant to inhibition. monoterpenes, a class of psms, have not been investigated with respect to the interference of specific digestive enzymes, nor have such interactions been studied in avian herbivores. we investigated this interaction in the greater sage-grouse (phasianidae: c ... | 2015 | 25652583 |
| forb, insect, and soil response to burning and mowing wyoming big sagebrush in greater sage-grouse breeding habitat. | wyoming big sagebrush (artemisia tridentata wyomingensis a. t. nutt. ssp. wyomingensis beetle and young) communities provide structure and forbs and insects needed by greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) for growth and survival. we evaluated forb, insect, and soil responses at six mowed and 19 prescribed burned sites compared to 25, paired and untreated reference sites. sites were classified by treatment type, soil type, season, and decade of treatment (sites burned during 1990-1999 a ... | 2014 | 24499871 |
| a flexible approach for assessing functional landscape connectivity, with application to greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). | connectivity of animal populations is an increasingly prominent concern in fragmented landscapes, yet existing methodological and conceptual approaches implicitly assume the presence of, or need for, discrete corridors. we tested this assumption by developing a flexible conceptual approach that does not assume, but allows for, the presence of discrete movement corridors. we quantified functional connectivity habitat for greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) across a large landscape in ... | 2013 | 24349241 |
| effects of landscape-scale environmental variation on greater sage-grouse chick survival. | effective long-term wildlife conservation planning for a species must be guided by information about population vital rates at multiple scales. greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) populations declined substantially during the twentieth century, largely as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation. in addition to the importance of conserving large tracts of suitable habitat, successful conservation of this species will require detailed information about factors affecting vital rates ... | 2013 | 23824519 |
| modeling ecological minimum requirements for distribution of greater sage-grouse leks: implications for population connectivity across their western range, u.s.a. | greater sage-grouse centrocercus urophasianus (bonaparte) currently occupy approximately half of their historical distribution across western north america. sage-grouse are a candidate for endangered species listing due to habitat and population fragmentation coupled with inadequate regulation to control development in critical areas. conservation planning would benefit from accurate maps delineating required habitats and movement corridors. however, developing a species distribution model that ... | 2013 | 23789066 |
| historical fire regimes, reconstructed from land-survey data, led to complexity and fluctuation in sagebrush landscapes. | sagebrush landscapes provide habitat for sage-grouse and other sagebrush obligates, yet historical fire regimes and the structure of historical sagebrush landscapes are poorly known, hampering ecological restoration and management. to remedy this, general land office survey (glo) survey notes were used to reconstruct over two million hectares of historical vegetation for four sagebrush-dominated (artemisia spp.) study areas in the western united states. reconstructed vegetation was analyzed for ... | 2013 | 23734485 |
| phytochemistry predicts habitat selection by an avian herbivore at multiple spatial scales. | animal habitat selection is a process that functions at multiple, hierarchically. structured spatial scales. thus multi-scale analyses should be the basis for inferences about factors driving the habitat selection process. vertebrate herbivores forage selectively on the basis of phytochemistry, but few studies have investigated the influence of selective foraging (i.e., fine-scale habitat selection) on habitat selection at larger scales. we tested the hypothesis that phytochemistry is integral t ... | 2013 | 23691650 |
| avian wildlife as sentinels of ecosystem health. | birds have been widely used as sentinels of ecosystem health reflecting changes in habitat quality, increased incidence of disease, and exposure to and effects of chemical contaminants. numerous studies addressing these issues focus on the breeding period, since hormonal, behavioural, reproductive, and developmental aspects of the health can be observed over a relatively short time-span. many body systems within individuals are tightly integrated and interdependent, and can be affected by contam ... | 2013 | 23260372 |
| mapping oil and gas development potential in the us intermountain west and estimating impacts to species. | many studies have quantified the indirect effect of hydrocarbon-based economies on climate change and biodiversity, concluding that a significant proportion of species will be threatened with extinction. however, few studies have measured the direct effect of new energy production infrastructure on species persistence. | 2009 | 19826472 |
| post-fire seeding on wyoming big sagebrush ecological sites: regression analyses of seeded nonnative and native species densities. | since the mid-1980s, sagebrush rangelands in the great basin of the united states have experienced more frequent and larger wildfires. these fires affect livestock forage, the sagebrush/grasses/forbs mosaic that is important for many wildlife species (e.g., the greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus)), post-fire flammability and fire frequency. when a sagebrush, especially a wyoming big sagebrush (artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (beetle & a. young)), dominated area largely devoid ... | 2009 | 18790557 |
| monoterpenoid content of sage grouse ingesta. | we tested the hypothesis that the monoterpenoid levels in the ingesta from various digestive organs of sage grouse are less than that expected from the big sagebrush leaves ingested. results supported the hypothesis. dramatic reductions occurred between the gizzard and duodenum. monoterpenoid levels in the ceca were nil; thus adverse effects of monoterpenoids on ceca microbes would also be nil. | 1989 | 24271898 |
| captive-breeding of captive and wild-reared gunnison sage-grouse. | gunnison sage-grouse (centrocercus minimus) distribution in north america has decreased over historical accounts and has received federal protection under the endangered species act. we investigated captive-breeding of a captive-flock of gunnison sage-grouse created from individuals reared in captivity from wild-collected eggs we artificially incubated. we also introduced wild-reared individuals into captivity. our captive-flock successfully bred and produced fertile eggs. we controlled the timi ... | 2016 | 26598960 |
| nest success of gunnison sage-grouse in colorado, usa. | gunnison sage-grouse (centrocercus minimus) is a species of concern for which little demographic information exists. to help fill this information gap, we investigated factors affecting nest success in two populations of gunnison sage-grouse. we assessed the relative effects of (1) vegetation characteristics (e.g., shrub height, shrub cover, grass cover, and grass height), (2) temporal factors (e.g., year, timing of incubation initiation, and nest age), (3) precipitation, and (4) age of the nest ... | 2015 | 26287996 |
| captive-rearing of gunnison sage-grouse from egg collection to adulthood to foster proactive conservation and recovery of a conservation-reliant species. | gunnison sage-grouse (centrocercus minimus) are distributed across southwestern colorado and southeastern utah, united states. their distribution has decreased over the past century and the species has been listed as threatened by the u.s. fish and wildlife service. reduced genetic diversity, small population size, and isolation may affect gunnison sage-grouse population persistence. population augmentation can be used to counteract or mitigate these issues, but traditional translocation efforts ... | 2015 | 26105557 |
| z chromosome divergence, polymorphism and relative effective population size in a genus of lekking birds. | sex chromosomes contribute disproportionately to species boundaries as they diverge faster than autosomes and often have reduced diversity. their hemizygous nature contributes to faster divergence and reduced diversity, as do some types of selection. in birds, other factors (mating system and bottlenecks) can further decrease the effective population size of z-linked loci and accelerate divergence (fast-z). we assessed z-linked divergence and effective population sizes for two polygynous sage-gr ... | 2015 | 26014526 |
| an integrated modeling approach to estimating gunnison sage-grouse population dynamics: combining index and demographic data. | evaluation of population dynamics for rare and declining species is often limited to data that are sparse and/or of poor quality. frequently, the best data available for rare bird species are based on large-scale, population count data. these data are commonly based on sampling methods that lack consistent sampling effort, do not account for detectability, and are complicated by observer bias. for some species, short-term studies of demographic rates have been conducted as well, but the data fro ... | 2014 | 25540687 |
| two low coverage bird genomes and a comparison of reference-guided versus de novo genome assemblies. | as a greater number and diversity of high-quality vertebrate reference genomes become available, it is increasingly feasible to use these references to guide new draft assemblies for related species. reference-guided assembly approaches may substantially increase the contiguity and completeness of a new genome using only low levels of genome coverage that might otherwise be insufficient for de novo genome assembly. we used low-coverage (∼3.5-5.5x) illumina paired-end sequencing to assemble draft ... | 2014 | 25192061 |
| rapid microsatellite identification from illumina paired-end genomic sequencing in two birds and a snake. | identification of microsatellites, or simple sequence repeats (ssrs), can be a time-consuming and costly investment requiring enrichment, cloning, and sequencing of candidate loci. recently, however, high throughput sequencing (with or without prior enrichment for specific ssr loci) has been utilized to identify ssr loci. the direct "seq-to-ssr" approach has an advantage over enrichment-based strategies in that it does not require a priori selection of particular motifs, or prior knowledge of ge ... | 2012 | 22348032 |
| patterns in greater sage-grouse population dynamics correspond with public grazing records at broad scales. | human land use, such as livestock grazing, can have profound yet varied effects on wildlife interacting within common ecosystems, yet our understanding of land-use effects is often generalized from short-term, local studies that may not correspond with trends at broader scales. here we used public land records to characterize livestock grazing across wyoming, usa, and we used greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) as a model organism to evaluate responses to livestock management. with a ... | 2017 | 28329422 |
| effectiveness of wyoming's sage-grouse core areas: influences on energy development and male lek attendance. | greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined across their range due to human-assisted factors driving large-scale habitat change. in response, the state of wyoming implemented the sage-grouse executive order protection policy in 2008 as a voluntary regulatory mechanism to minimize anthropogenic disturbance within defined sage-grouse core population areas. our objectives were to evaluate areas designated as sage-grouse executive order core areas on: (1) oil and gas we ... | 2017 | 27826693 |
| differential influences of local subpopulations on regional diversity and differentiation for greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). | the distribution of spatial genetic variation across a region can shape evolutionary dynamics and impact population persistence. local population dynamics and among-population dispersal rates are strong drivers of this spatial genetic variation, yet for many species we lack a clear understanding of how these population processes interact in space to shape within-species genetic variation. here, we used extensive genetic and demographic data from 10 subpopulations of greater sage-grouse to parame ... | 2016 | 27483196 |
| fine-scale genetic structure among greater sage-grouse leks in central nevada. | mating systems that reduce dispersal and lead to non-random mating might increase the potential for genetic structure to arise at fine geographic scales. greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) have a lek-based mating system and exhibit high site fidelity and skewed mating ratios. we quantified population structure by analyzing variation at 27,866 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 140 males from ten leks (within five lek complexes) occurring in a small geographic region in central nevad ... | 2016 | 27301494 |
| evaluating vegetation effects on animal demographics: the role of plant phenology and sampling bias. | plant phenological processes produce temporal variation in the height and cover of vegetation. key aspects of animal life cycles, such as reproduction, often coincide with the growing season and therefore may inherently covary with plant growth. when evaluating the influence of vegetation variables on demographic rates, the decision about when to measure vegetation relative to the timing of demographic events is important to avoid confounding between the demographic rate of interest and vegetati ... | 2016 | 27148444 |
| model averaging and muddled multimodel inferences. | three flawed practices associated with model averaging coefficients for predictor variables in regression models commonly occur when making multimodel inferences in analyses of ecological data. model-averaged regression coefficients based on akaike information criterion (aic) weights have been recommended for addressing model uncertainty but they are not valid, interpretable estimates of partial effects for individual predictors when there is multicollinearity among the predictor variables. mult ... | 2015 | 26594695 |
| identifying greater sage-grouse source and sink habitats for conservation planning in an energy development landscape. | conserving a declining species that is facing many threats, including overlap of its habitats with energy extraction activities, depends upon identifying and prioritizing the value of the habitats that remain. in addition, habitat quality is often compromised when source habitats are lost or fragmented due to anthropogenic development. our objective was to build an ecological model to classify and map habitat quality in terms of source or sink dynamics for greater sage-grouse (centrocercus uroph ... | 2015 | 26465037 |
| carryover effects and climatic conditions influence the postfledging survival of greater sage-grouse. | prebreeding survival is an important life history component that affects both parental fitness and population persistence. in birds, prebreeding can be separated into pre- and postfledging periods; carryover effects from the prefledging period may influence postfledging survival. we investigated effects of body condition at fledging, and climatic variation, on postfledging survival of radio-marked greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) in the great basin desert of the western united sta ... | 2014 | 25512845 |
| wildlife mortality from infrastructure collisions: statistical modeling of count data from carcass surveys. | anthropogenic infrastructure is a mortality source for many vertebrate species. mortality is often measured using periodic counts of carcasses or remains at infrastructure segments, and bias from carcass removal is estimated via field experiments with wildlife carcasses. we describe a model for combining removal experiment and carcass count data to estimate underlying process parameters using joint likelihood. in the model, the instantaneous number of carcasses present is a stochastic birth-deat ... | 2013 | 24279279 |
| a method for estimating population sex ratio for sage-grouse using noninvasive genetic samples. | population sex ratio is an important metric for wildlife management and conservation, but estimates can be difficult to obtain, particularly for sexually monomorphic species or for species that differ in detection probability between the sexes. noninvasive genetic sampling (ngs) using polymerase chain reaction (pcr) has become a common method for identifying sex from sources such as hair, feathers or faeces, and is a potential source for estimating sex ratio. if, however, pcr success is sex-bias ... | 2013 | 23347565 |
| experimental chronic noise is related to elevated fecal corticosteroid metabolites in lekking male greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). | there is increasing evidence that individuals in many species avoid areas exposed to chronic anthropogenic noise, but the impact of noise on those who remain in these habitats is unclear. one potential impact is chronic physiological stress, which can affect disease resistance, survival and reproductive success. previous studies have found evidence of elevated stress-related hormones (glucocorticoids) in wildlife exposed to human activities, but the impacts of noise alone are difficult to separa ... | 2012 | 23185627 |
| experimental evidence for the effects of chronic anthropogenic noise on abundance of greater sage-grouse at leks. | increasing evidence suggests that chronic noise from human activities negatively affects wild animals, but most studies have failed to separate the effects of chronic noise from confounding factors, such as habitat fragmentation. we played back recorded continuous and intermittent anthropogenic sounds associated with natural gas drilling and roads at leks of greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus). for 3 breeding seasons, we monitored sage grouse abundance at leks with and without noise. ... | 2012 | 22594595 |
| site and age class variation of hematologic parameters for female greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) of northern nevada. | decreases in greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) numbers throughout the western united states have been attributed to declining habitat quantity and quality. improving our understanding of how interannual ecologic site variability affects nutritional status and fitness of different bird age classes will lead to improved land management and conservation strategies. greater sage grouse were sampled from two population management units located in northern nevada, united states: tuscaror ... | 2010 | 20090013 |
| vocal and anatomical evidence for two-voiced sound production in the greater sage-grouse centrocercus urophasianus. | greater sage-grouse, centrocercus urophasianus, have been a model system in studies of sexual selection and lek evolution. mate choice in this species depends on acoustic displays during courtship, yet we know little about how males produce these sounds. here we present evidence for previously undescribed two-voiced sound production in the sage-grouse. we detected this ;double whistle' (dw) using multi-channel audio recordings combined with video recordings of male behavior. of 28 males examined ... | 2009 | 19880734 |
| fitness and nutritional assessment of greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) using hematologic and serum chemistry parameters through a cycle of seasonal habitats in northern nevada. | bird health can significantly affect spring reproductive fitness. a better understanding of how female sage grouse health varies with seasonal nutrition changes provides insight for determining if specific nutritional habitats are limiting bird productivity. in 2004, greater sage grouse adult and yearling hens were captured, and blood samples collected, during breeding (march: march 15 to april 11; n = 22), early brood rearing (may: may 20 to june 22; n = 21), and on summer range (july: july 7 t ... | 2009 | 19368237 |
| the adrenocortical response of greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) to capture, acth injection, and confinement, as measured in fecal samples. | investigators of wildlife populations often utilize demographic indicators to understand the relationship between habitat characteristics and population viability. assessments of corticosterone may enable earlier detection of populations at risk of decline because physiological adjustments to habitat disturbance occur before reproductive diminutions. noninvasive methods to accomplish these assessments are important in species of concern, such as the greater sage grouse (grsg). therefore, we vali ... | 2017 | 19199814 |
| normal hematologic and biochemical values for prelaying greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) and their influence on chick survival. | declines in greater sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) productivity and population numbers throughout their range demand a better understanding of how nutrition influences sage grouse populations. during march and april 1999-2001, blood samples were collected from 158 female (73 adult, 85 yearling), free-ranging, prelaying, greater sage grouse from an area in northwestern nevada, usa, and southeastern oregon, usa. these blood samples were evaluated to establish normal blood values for sage ... | 2005 | 17312759 |
| microsatellite dna analysis shows that greater sage grouse leks are not kin groups. | the spectacular social courtship displays of lekking birds are thought to evolve via sexual selection, but this view does not easily explain the participation of many males that apparently fail to mate. one of several proposed solutions to this 'lek skew paradox' is that kin selection favours low-ranking males joining leks to increase the fitness of closely related breeders. we investigated the potential for kin selection to operate in leks of the greater sage grouse, centrocercus urophasianus, ... | 2005 | 16313605 |
| a multilocus population genetic survey of the greater sage-grouse across their range. | the distribution and abundance of the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) have declined dramatically, and as a result the species has become the focus of conservation efforts. we conducted a range-wide genetic survey of the species which included 46 populations and over 1000 individuals using both mitochondrial sequence data and data from seven nuclear microsatellites. nested clade and structure analyses revealed that, in general, the greater sage-grouse populations follow an isolati ... | 2005 | 15813771 |
| microsatellite analysis of female mating behaviour in lek-breeding sage grouse. | we used microsatellite dna markers to genotype chicks in 10 broods of lek-breeding sage grouse, centrocercus urophasianus, whose mothers' behaviour was studied by radio-tracking and observing leks. previous behavioural studies suggested that almost all matings are performed by territorial males on leks and that multiple mating is rare. two broods (20%) were sired by more than one male. genetic analyses of the broods of eight females that visited an intensively studied lek were consistent with be ... | 2001 | 11555247 |
| historical biogeography and a mitochondrial dna phylogeny of grouse and ptarmigan. | we sequenced 2690 nucleotides of mitochondrial dna (mtdna) including the entire control region (cr), partial 12s and 16s ribosomal rnas, nadh dehydrogenase subunit 2, and cytochrome b genes from representatives of all the 17 living species of grouse and ptarmigan (aves; galliformes; subfamily tetraoninae). substitution rates and phylogenetic signals were variable among genes, with the cr being more informative than protein-coding and rrna genes. phylogenetic trees, computed with the cr or the co ... | 2001 | 11421655 |
| a population genetic comparison of large- and small-bodied sage grouse in colorado using microsatellite and mitochondrial dna markers | sage grouse (centrocercus urophasianus) from southwestern colorado and southeastern utah (united states) are 33% smaller than all other sage grouse and have obvious plumage and behavioural differences. because of these differences, they have been tentatively recog-nized as a separate 'small-bodied' species. we collected genetic evidence to further test this proposal, using mitochondrial sequence data and microsatellite markers to determine whether there was gene flow between the two proposed spe ... | 1999 | 10564451 |
| directional acoustic radiation in the strut display of male sage grouse centrocercus urophasianus. | we present evidence that the acoustic component of the strut display of male sage grouse centrocercus urophasianus is highly directional and that the nature of this directionality is unique among measured vertebrates. where vertebrate acoustic signals have been found to be directional, they are most intense anteriorly and are bilaterally symmetrical. our results show that sage grouse acoustic radiation (beam) patterns are often asymmetric about the birds' anterior-posterior axis. the beam patter ... | 1999 | 10518472 |
| developing approaches for linear mixed modeling in landscape genetics through landscape-directed dispersal simulations. | dispersal can impact population dynamics and geographic variation, and thus, genetic approaches that can establish which landscape factors influence population connectivity have ecological and evolutionary importance. mixed models that account for the error structure of pairwise datasets are increasingly used to compare models relating genetic differentiation to pairwise measures of landscape resistance. a model selection framework based on information criteria metrics or explained variance may ... | 2017 | 28616172 |
| erratum to: effectiveness of wyoming's sage-grouse core areas: influences on energy development and male lek attendance. | | 2017 | 28190208 |
| correction: assessing greater sage-grouse selection of brood-rearing habitat using remotely-sensed imagery: can readily available high-resolution imagery be used to identify brood-rearing habitat across a broad landscape? | [this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156290.]. | 2017 | 27479589 |
| assessing greater sage-grouse selection of brood-rearing habitat using remotely-sensed imagery: can readily available high-resolution imagery be used to identify brood-rearing habitat across a broad landscape? | greater sage-grouse populations have decreased steadily since european settlement in western north america. reduced availability of brood-rearing habitat has been identified as a limiting factor for many populations. we used radio-telemetry to acquire locations of sage-grouse broods from 1998 to 2012 in strawberry valley, utah. using these locations and remotely-sensed naip (national agricultural imagery program) imagery, we 1) determined which characteristics of brood-rearing habitat could be u ... | 2016 | 27218829 |
| sage grouse war tests limits of partnership in west. | | 2015 | 26089494 |
| spatial heterogeneity in response of male greater sage-grouse lek attendance to energy development. | landscape modification due to rapidly expanding energy development, in particular oil and gas, in the westernusa, have prompted concerns over how such developments may impact wildlife. one species of conservation concern across much of the intermountain west is the greater sage-grouse (centrocercusurophasianus). sage-grouse have been petitioned for listing under provisions of the endangered species act 7 times and the state of wyoming alone represents 64% of the extant sage-grouse population in ... | 2014 | 24918922 |
| a multispecies test of source-sink indicators to prioritize habitat for declining populations. | for species at risk of decline or extinction in source-sink systems, sources are an obvious target for habitat protection actions. however, the way in which source habitats are identified and prioritized can reduce the effectiveness of conservation actions. although sources and sinks are conceptually defined using both demographic and movement criteria, simplifications are often required in systems with limited data. to assess the conservation outcomes of alternative source metrics and resulting ... | 2017 | 29193292 |
| assessing the efficacy of fathead minnows (pimephales promelas) for mosquito control. | mosquitoes function as important vectors for many diseases globally and can have substantial negative economic, environmental, and health impacts. specifically, west nile virus (wnv) is a significant and increasing threat to wildlife populations and human health throughout north america. mosquito control is an important means of controlling the spread of wnv, as the virus is primarily spread between avian and mosquito vectors. this is of particular concern for avian host species such as the grea ... | 2018 | 29649226 |
| using satellite-derived estimates of plant phenological rhythms to predict sage-grouse nesting chronology. | the "green wave" hypothesis posits that during spring consumers track spatial gradients in emergent vegetation and associated foraging opportunities. this idea has largely been invoked to explain animal migration patterns, yet the general phenomenon underlies trends in vertebrate reproductive chronology as well. we evaluated the utility of this hypothesis for predicting spatial variation in nest initiation of greater sage-grouse (centrocerus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern in we ... | 2020 | 33144957 |
| wildfire and the ecological niche: diminishing habitat suitability for an indicator species within semi-arid ecosystems. | globally accelerating frequency and extent of wildfire threatens the persistence of specialist wildlife species through direct loss of habitat and indirect facilitation of exotic invasive species. habitat specialists may be especially prone to rapidly changing environmental conditions because their ability to adapt lags behind the rate of habitat alteration. as a result, these populations may become increasingly susceptible to ecological traps by returning to suboptimal breeding habitats that we ... | 2020 | 32741106 |
| an empirical comparison of population genetic analyses using microsatellite and snp data for a species of conservation concern. | use of genomic tools to characterize wildlife populations has increased in recent years. in the past, genetic characterization has been accomplished with more traditional genetic tools (e.g., microsatellites). the explosion of genomic methods and the subsequent creation of large snp datasets has led to the promise of increased precision in population genetic parameter estimates and identification of demographically and evolutionarily independent groups, as well as questions about the future usef ... | 2020 | 32487020 |
| spatially explicit models of seasonal habitat for greater sage-grouse at broad spatial scales: informing areas for management in nevada and northeastern california. | defining boundaries of species' habitat across broad spatial scales is often necessary for management decisions, and yet challenging for species that demonstrate differential variation in seasonal habitat use. spatially explicit indices that incorporate temporal shifts in selection can help overcome such challenges, especially for species of high conservation concern. greater sage-grouse centrocercus urophasianus (hereafter, sage-grouse), a sagebrush obligate species inhabiting the american west ... | 2020 | 31993115 |
| coproducing science to inform working lands: the next frontier in nature conservation. | conservationists are increasingly convinced that coproduction of science enhances its utility in policy, decision-making, and practice. concomitant is a renewed reliance on privately owned working lands to sustain nature and people. we propose a coupling of these emerging trends as a better recipe for conservation. to illustrate this, we present five elements of coproduction, contrast how they differ from traditional approaches, and describe the role of scientists in successful partnerships. rea ... | 2020 | 31949318 |
| quantifying habitat loss and modification from recent expansion of energy infrastructure in an isolated, peripheral greater sage-grouse population. | new technologies and increasing energy demand have contributed to rapid expansion of unconventional oil and gas development in the u.s. in the past two decades. quantifying the effects of energy infrastructure on land cover and wildlife habitat is essential for informing land-use policy, developing wildlife conservation strategies, and projecting impacts of future development. the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus; grsg) is a species of concern in sagebrush ecosystems of the western ... | 2020 | 31756579 |
| climate change, snow mold and the bromus tectorum invasion: mixed evidence for release from cold weather pathogens. | climate change is reducing the depth and duration of winter snowpack, leading to dramatic changes in the soil environment with potentially important ecological consequences. previous experiments in the intermountain west of north america indicated that loss of snowpack increases survival and population growth rates of the invasive annual grass bromus tectorum; however, the underlying mechanism is unknown. we hypothesized that reduced snowpack might promote b. tectorum population growth by decrea ... | 2019 | 31559006 |
| signatures of adaptive divergence among populations of an avian species of conservation concern. | understanding the genetic underpinning of adaptive divergence among populations is a key goal of evolutionary biology and conservation. gunnison sage-grouse (centrocercus minimus) is a sagebrush obligate species with a constricted range consisting of seven discrete populations, each with distinctly different habitat and climatic conditions. though geographically close, populations have low levels of natural gene flow resulting in relatively high levels of differentiation. here, we use 15,033 snp ... | 2019 | 31462921 |
| the potential importance of unburned islands as refugia for the persistence of wildlife species in fire-prone ecosystems. | the persistence of wildlife species in fire-prone ecosystems is under increasing pressure from global change, including alterations in fire regimes caused by climate change. however, unburned islands might act to mitigate negative effects of fire on wildlife populations by providing habitat in which species can survive and recolonize burned areas. nevertheless, the characteristics of unburned islands and their role as potential refugia for the postfire population dynamics of wildlife species rem ... | 2019 | 31410281 |
| influences of potential oil and gas development and future climate on sage-grouse declines and redistribution. | multiple environmental stressors impact wildlife populations, but we often know little about their cumulative and combined influences on population outcomes. we generally know more about past effects than potential future impacts, and direct influences such as changes of habitat footprints than indirect, long-term responses in behavior, distribution, or abundance. yet, an understanding of all these components is needed to plan for future landscapes that include human activities and wildlife. we ... | 2019 | 31310420 |
| hidden markov models reveal tactical adjustment of temporally clustered courtship displays in response to the behaviors of a robotic female. | we present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden markov model (hmm)-that is broadly applicable to the analysis of temporally clustered display events, as found in many animals, including birds, orthopterans, and anurans. this hmm can simultaneously estimate both the expected lengths of each animal's display bouts and their within-bout display rates. we highlight the hmm's ability to estimate changes in animals' display effort over time and across different social contexts, using data from ... | 2019 | 31251644 |
| ground-dwelling arthropod community response to livestock grazing: implications for avian conservation. | terrestrial arthropods are a critical component of rangeland ecosystems that convert primary production into resources for higher trophic levels. during spring and summer, select arthropod taxa are the primary food of breeding prairie birds, of which many are imperiled in north america. livestock grazing is globally the most widespread rangeland use and can affect arthropod communities directly or indirectly through herbivory. to examine effects of management on arthropod community structure and ... | 2019 | 31232452 |
| conservation genomics in the sagebrush sea: population divergence, demographic history, and local adaptation in sage-grouse (centrocercus spp.). | sage-grouse are two closely related iconic species of the north american west, with historically broad distributions across sagebrush-steppe habitat. both species are dietary specialists on sagebrush during winter, with presumed adaptations to tolerate the high concentrations of toxic secondary metabolites that function as plant chemical defenses. marked range contraction and declining population sizes since european settlement have motivated efforts to identify distinct population genetic varia ... | 2019 | 31135036 |
| correction: the effects of electric power lines on the breeding ecology of greater sage-grouse. | [this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209968.]. | 2019 | 30840698 |
| maladaptive nest-site selection by a sagebrush dependent species in a grazing-modified landscape. | animals are expected to select habitats that maximize their fitness over evolutionary time scales. yet in human-modified landscapes, habitat selection might not always lead to increased fitness because animals undervalue high-quality resources that appear less attractive than those of lower quality. in the american west, agriculture has modified landscapes, yet little is known about whether agricultural changes alter the reliability of the cues animals use to identify habitat quality; ultimately ... | 2019 | 30771681 |
| the effects of electric power lines on the breeding ecology of greater sage-grouse. | anthropogenic infrastructure can negatively affect wildlife through direct mortality and/or displacement behaviors. some tetranoids (grouse spp.) species are particularly vulnerable to tall anthropogenic structures because they evolved in ecosystems void of vertical structures. in western north america, electric power transmission and distribution lines (power lines) occur in sagebrush (artemisia spp.) landscapes within the range of the greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse ... | 2019 | 30699130 |