Knowledge on the Ecology of Sage Grouse
Sage grouse population status has inflicted concerns to biologists and sportsmen over the past 80 years. Regardless of the continuous research and management strategies, the population of sage grouse has declined continuously by about 17%-47% since the 1930s. Western sage grouse in Washington was declared endangered as a result of its habitat and population decline. Sagebrush habitats relate closely to the population of sage grouse in the ecosystem due to the dependence possessed by the sage grouse during winter (Connelly et al., 967). Over the last 50 years, the quantity and quality of sagebrush habitats have continuously declined despite the knowledge the human population possesses on the significance of the habitat to other sagebrush obligates and the sage grouse.
Several guidelines have been provided to help maintain the sage grouse habitats. Information obtained from the publication includes; the effects posed by insecticides on the sage grouse, seasonal use of the habitats, the essence of herbaceous cover in the habitats used for breeding, and the impacts of fire on the habitat. Under the direction of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee and the Western States Sage has been entitled to demand expansion and revision of the published guidelines initially due to the continuously growing concern of the habitats and the sage grouse population. The new information obtained (Connelly et al., 978).
Sage grouse different migratory patterns annually. The populations may have the following varieties of seasonal movement;
- Well-integrated seasonal habitats (non-migratory populations),
- Distinct winter areas and integrated breeding, and summer areas,
- Distinct winter areas and summer areas, integrated winter, and breeding area, and,
- Distinct winter, breeding, and summer areas.
Sage grouse population should be determined based on the geographical and temporal basis because the seasonal movements complicate population definition attempts. The variation is seasonal movements stipulates three different types of the sage grouse population;
- Two-stage migratory (sage grouse moves in three distinctive seasonal ranges),
- One-stage migratory (sage grouse moves in two distinctive seasonal ranges), and
- Non-migratory (no long-distance is covered during movement (approximately 10kilometres) among or between seasonal ranges).
The survival rate for the adult female and yearling sage grouse is at 40% and 35% correspondingly, and several female tetraonids nest as a yearling. Breeding in sage grouse requires a conducive breeding habitat found in areas bordered by sagebrush but not restricted to ridge tops and low sagebrush flats, burned areas, landing strips, cropland, and old lakebeds. The habitats used by sage grouse inbreeding include the summer-late brood-rearing habitats, fall habitats, and winter habitats.
The effects of habitat alteration are as a result of the range management treatments, land-use, weather, and predation. The population of sage grouse covers a larger location, thus involving both jurisdiction and ownership. Therefore, federal and state agencies and private landowners should harmonize efforts to implement the suggested guidelines effectively. The guidelines are in place to help the landowners and agencies to manage and assess populations, manage and protect the remaining habitat, and reestablish the destroyed habitats. It is recommended that all provinces and states implement and develop plans to help in conserving the sage grouse. The policies initiated should focus on local groups consisting of individuals, organizations, interested agencies to solve and identifies issues in the region.
Management of Sage Grouse and their Habitats
The greater sage grouse falls under the biological family of Phasianidae. The greater sage grouse is the largest grouse species in North America. Male adults have a length of 26 to 30 inches and a weight of 4 to 7 pounds while the female adults weigh between two to four pounds with a length of about 19 to 23 inches. Male sage grouse meet during spring breeding season to carry out courtship demonstrations in leks. Productive areas of nesting are characterized by sagebrush composed of native forbs and grasses, vertical and horizontal physical diversity providing herbaceous forage for breeding and pre-laying hens, insect prey base, and cover for the hen during incubation (Sage-grouse, Greater, and Conservation Primer Series. “TO GREATER SAGE-GROUSE.). Sage grouse live for a period between 3 years and six years. Hens survive for a longer time due to the disproportionate effect of predation on males in the leks.
Greater sage grouse survive in a shrub-steppe habitat; hence the distribution of sage grouse correlates to the sagebrush habitat distribution. Sage grouse need large area of attached sagebrush for survival. The occurrence of sagebrush species and subspecies relates to the climatic conditions, soil moisture, and soil type. Sagebrush dominance varies according to the disturbance history and site conditions. Sagebrush contains plats that live up to 150 years. Before the late 1800s Euro-American settlement, the limited amount of sagebrush was unaltered from its condition. As a result of the original patterns distribution, components, and processes of the sagebrush ecosystem, it is challenging to restore distributed areas and the long generation time of the sagebrush.
Limited information is available of the minimum sagebrush required to support a given sage grouse population. Before the implementation of the systematic survey in the 1950s, sage grouse abundance estimation was anecdotal. The reports indicated that the number of birds ranged from 1,600,000 to 16,000,000. Population estimation is difficult because of the past sampling inconsistencies of leks across various states, difficulty in accessing the habitats, and the wide variety of sage grouse species. Due to the inaccuracy in the number of currents and pre-settlement sage grouse, the magnitude and definite rate of decrease are indeterminate.
Techniques to identify non-migratory and migrating Sage grouse populations for their effective habitat management
In research, investigations supported that the population of the Greater sage grouse is dynamic to the upland game birds. However, in the recent past, insights into the Greater sage grouse population is unique due to low winter population mortality, migratory populations, and a high annual rate of survival. The research obtained data on nests, attendance, leks, and movement and female demographic data summarized during the breeding season. Long migrations between different seasonal ranges are another distinct characteristic of greater sage grouse (Crawford et al., 11). The migratory movements play a role in integrating the population of greater sage grouse in sagebrush habitats. The survival rates of the sage grouse are directly comparable.
Work Cited;
Connelly, John W., et al. “Guidelines to manage sage grouse populations and their habitats.” Wildlife Society Bulletin (2000): 967-985.
Sage-grouse, Greater, and Conservation Primer Series. “TO GREATER SAGE-GROUSE.”
Crawford, John A., et al. “Ecology and management of sage-grouse and sage-grouse habitat.” Rangeland Ecology and Management 57.1 (2004): 2-19.