Temperate grasslands, including mixed-grass prairies, suffer from the greatest levels of habitat loss and degradation of any ecosystem, which can have cascading negative effects. Livestock grazing is the predominant land use across western North America and directly affects the structure, composition, and productivity of native grasslands. While certain grazing regimes can negatively affect wildlife habitat, properly managed grazing can be compatible with wildlife conservation and is preferable to other land uses that destroy or fragment native grasslands. With large home ranges and differing requirements for nesting and winter habitat, sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) require large and complex areas of habitat, making them an ideal indicator species for grassland habitats. Poor range management has been implicated in the decline of sharp-tailed grouse throughout North America, but the effects of specific grazing regimes on grouse populations have not been studied. Therefore, a better understanding of the ecological impacts of different grazing systems is required to develop effective conservation strategies. We monitored radio-collared sharp-tailed grouse in eastern Montana to assess the effects of grazing management on grouse ecology and evaluate whether specific grazing regimes are appropriate methods for improving wildlife habitat.
Results/Conclusions
In our evaluation of multiple population parameters, we found no evidence for an effect of grazing system on sharp-tailed grouse ecology. Demographic parameters such as nest survival were driven primarily by small-scale vegetation cover. There was only a weak connection between grazing management and vegetation cover, suggesting that livestock grazing was not creating heterogeneity at a scale relevant to nesting sharp-tailed grouse. Small-scale heterogeneity due to inherent landscape variation and the selective grazing of cattle likely outweighed any patch-level heterogeneity created by grazing management. By assessing the influence of different grazing management practices on multiple aspects of sharp-tailed grouse ecology, this project will develop specific recommendations for the conservation of an important indicator species for grassland ecosystems.