A meta-analysis of lesser prairie-chicken nesting and brood-rearing habitats: implications for habitat management
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Abstract
The distribution and range of lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has been reduced by >90% since European settlement of the Great Plains of North America. Currently, lesser prairie-chickens occupy 3 general vegetation communities: sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia), sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii), and mixed-grass prairies juxtaposed with Conservation Reserve Program grasslands. As a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act, there is a need for a synthesis that characterizes habitat structure rangewide. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of vegetation characteristics at nest sites and brood habitats to determine whether there was an overall effect (Hedges' d) of habitat selection and to estimate average (95% CI) habitat characteristics at use sites. We estimated effect sizes (di) from the difference between use (nests and brood sites) and random sampling sites for each study (n = 14), and derived an overall effect size (d++). There was a general effect for habitat selection as evidenced by low levels of variation in effect sizes across studies and regions. There was a small to medium effect (d++) = 0.20-0.82) of selection for greater vertical structure (visual obstruction) by nesting females in both vegetation communities, and selection against bare ground (d++ = 0.20-0.58). Females with broods exhibited less selectivity for habitat components except for vertical structure. The variation of d++ was greater during nesting than brooding periods, signifying a seasonal shift in habitat use, and perhaps a greater range of tolerance for brood-rearing habitat. The overall estimates of vegetation cover were consistent with those provided in management guidelines for the species.
Suggested Citation
Hagen, C.A., Grisham, B.A., Boal, C.W., and Haukos, D.A., 2013, A meta-analysis of lesser prairie-chicken nesting and brood-rearing habitats: implications for habitat management: Wildlife Society Bulletin, v. 37, no. 4, p. 750-758, https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.313.
ISSN: 1938-5463 (online)
ISSN: 0091-7648 (print)
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | A meta-analysis of lesser prairie-chicken nesting and brood-rearing habitats: implications for habitat management |
| Series title | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| DOI | 10.1002/wsb.313 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication Date | August 05, 2013 |
| Year Published | 2013 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Wildlife Society |
| Publisher location | Washington, D.C. |
| Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Atlanta |
| Description | 9 p. |
| First page | 750 |
| Last page | 758 |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |