Proceedings brand creation for a prescribed fire culture – utilizing key social media parameters. Lars Coleman*1, J. Kelly Hoffman1, Thomas McDaniel1, R. Patrick Bixler2, Urs P. Kreuter1, Morgan Russell3

Advances in technology have provided new research tools for monitoring wildlife, but there is often a lag between when these tools are used and when they are applied to wildlife management. Here, we borrow newly common tools from the research world and suggest how they could be applied towards livestock-carnivore conflict mitigation. Remote-sensing cameras (RSC) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become powerful tools for monitoring wildlife habitat use, changes in land cover, and wildlife movements. As RSC have become less expensive and more widely available, and new open-source GIS software has become accessible, these two tools are now within reach of the general public. We suggest a new way to combine RSC and GIS to create a proactive method for livestock-carnivore conflict prevention. We have sample data from RSC deployed in the Verdugo Mountains of Southern California and the Cosumnes River Preserve in the Central Valley to demonstrate how these methods could be used to prevent livestock-carnivore interactions. By mapping site-specific carnivore habitat use, livestock operators can project relative risk on their own property. With this specially tailored tool, they can plan grazing activities to avoid high-activity, and therefore high-risk, areas within their own grazing allotments. These promising tools, applied in a new way, could help minimize conflict on rangelands, protecting livestock, human livelihoods, and carnivores alike.

USING LANDSAT (HARPER) PROCESS FOR HERBAGE ASSESSMENTS OF BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARD (BNLL) HABITAT STATUS
. Karen Doran*¹, Keith S. Guenther², Royce Larsen³; ¹Bureau of Land Management, Paso Robles, CA, ²Wildland Solutions, brewster, WA, ³University of California Cooperative Extension, Paso Robles, CA

ABSTRACT

The HARPER process utilizes LANDSAT 8 imagery to accurately identify and map areas of low herbage and areas of undesirably high herbage in designated Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard (BNLL) core areas within the BLM’s Carrizo Plain National Monument. The use of satellite imagery greatly increased the rangeland managers ability to assess, quantify and map herbage levels for BNLP core areas within each pasture.  The cost of implementing a monitoring program using the HARPER process on a long-term basis is likely to be about equal to the current process of clipping and weighing herbage multiple times at random key areas. The HARPER process however yields significantly more useful information for rangeland managers and provides the ability to obtain good monitoring information for large areas with difficult access.

MAPPING INVASIVE SPECIES FOR MANAGEMENT

Weeds and invasive plants from conifer to cheatgrass to knapweed and many others are rapidly degrading rangelands. Knowing the location, extent and cover of these is instrumental in managing and controlling their spread. Monitoring the effects of treatments is also crucial in managing these species. ORC has developed several tools that provide managers with this information.

ESTABLISHING NATIVE PRAIRIES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF GAME BIRDS AND WILDLIFE SPECIES

COW-CALF ENTERPRISE BUDGETS' ROLE IN EVALUATING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SAGE-GROUSE CONSERVATION ON RANCHING OPERATIONS. Holly Dyer*, Tom Hilken, Holly Kirkpatrick, Kendall Roberts; University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Through USDA-NRCS funded sage-grouse habitat improvement projects, more than 1,000 ranchers have restored or conserved approximately 4.5 million acres, with private land conservation expected to reach 8 million acres by 2018. These conservation efforts have resulted in both reduced threats to the greater sage-grouse in 90% of the species’ breeding habitat and have also benefited ranching operations by improving grazing and livestock water supplies. Existing research focuses on ecological effects, but the economic impacts to ranchers implementing sage-grouse habitat conservation plans remain unknown. The enterprise budget data across Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) within the sage-grouse core habitat presented in this poster are a crucial first-step to evaluating ranch-level economic impacts from sage-grouse conservation practices.

Researchers at the University of Wyoming gathered the data and produced the enterprise budgets which comprise all resources necessary for ranching production along with the rates of use and costs. These enterprise budgets help producers benchmark their operation’s production and economic performance and estimate business decision outcomes. While a useful tool for producers, enterprise budgets also provide insight to researchers about representative operations within a region. Many Land-Grant Institutions already use enterprise budgets; however, most cow-calf enterprise budgets are outdated or nonexistent within the Western United States.

The team of researchers conducted 36 focus groups with ranchers from nine MLRAs (across seven states) to discuss how typical cow-calf ranches operate. Each focus group consisted of 3-5 ranchers and discussed herd characteristics and management activities, feed requirements, land use, variable costs, and physical resources needed for a production cycle. The data gathered from each focus group was applied to develop current, updated budgets for the public and to provide the baseline models for an economic study evaluating ranch-level impacts of sage-grouse habitat conservation practices.

CHARACTERIZATION OF SAGE GROUSE HABITAT IN PRIORITY WATERSHEDS. Concetta C. Brown*; BLM, Ely, NV

ABSTRACT

In the field, technicians systematically traversed nine priority watersheds on roads by vehicle, observing vegetation communities and intermittently collecting GPS points.  At each GPS waypoint, technicians identified dominant plant species (usually dominant shrub), documented average shrub height within a range of <6”, 6” to 12”, 12” to 24”, 24 to 36”, or > 36” and took one site photograph.  Technicians took additional notes and drew line boundaries on field maps where there was visible demarcation between vegetation communities.  The project mapped sage grouse habitat, including important communities such as black sage and Wyoming big sage, as well as other vegetation types in the area. The project area totaled 3,152,143 acres.

RECOGNIZING SITES FOR EFFECTIVE MITIGATION IN SAGE-GROUSE HABITAT &NDASH; QUALITY SAGEBRUSH HABITAT VS QUALITY SAGE-GROUSE LANDSCAPE. Brad Schultz*; UNR, Winnemucca, NV

There has been a proliferation of research about the biology of sage-grouse, their interaction with predators, and habitat requirements. Despite repeated statements that sage-grouse are a landscape species, habitat work often remains focused on plant community composition and structure at or near (<15-30 m) the nest site. Very little work has integrated nest site attributes with landscape level variables and processes, at the scale of the population management unit, which often covers hundreds of thousands of acres. The Montana Mountains in north-central Nevada have the greatest sage-grouse density in Nevada. A unique topography and geomorphology creates a mosaic of low and tall sagebrush species, interwoven with a high density of meadows, which collectively facilitates access to abundant forbs across short distances, from nest creation through late brood rearing. A comparison of the Montana Mountains with other areas inhabited by sage-grouse provides insight for prioritizing sites for mitigation or treatments to enhance sage-grouse populations. More big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata species) on the landscape may or may not confer additional benefit for sage-grouse, as big sagebrush is only one component of a quality sage-grouse landscape. Too often, management focuses on quality sagebrush habitat, instead of understanding what creates a quality sage-grouse landscape. A suite of important habitat elements (to be presented) in close proximity to one-another are needed to have a quality sage-grouse landscape. When habitat elements important for sage-grouse are few and cannot be created/restored, the landscape is inherently less favorable for sage-grouse, regardless of the spatial extent of sagebrush ecological sites. All population management units in Nevada have sub-areas that either have or potentially could have the critical habitat elements in close proximity to one-another. Understanding the mix of these habitat elements helps prioritize projects or other mitigation measures for sage-grouse.

INFLUENCE OF CONIFER ENCROACHMENT ON BODY CONDITION OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE

Recent studies of conifer encroachment into sagebrush steppe have documented negative impacts on demographic rates of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), but few specific mechanisms have been tested.  Conifer densities may be positively related to predation risk, potentially altering time spent feeding by grouse, and closed conifer canopies can reduce floral food resources for sage-grouse.  Altered habitat characteristics resulting from conifer encroachment may influence body condition for grouse, which has implications for individual fitness.  Therefore, we evaluated the relationship of conifer canopy cover and stem density on body condition of sage-grouse during spring and summer of 2017 in southwestern Idaho.  Body condition was assessed using body mass and plasma protein levels, both of which are influenced by protein consumption.  We established two study sites from which we captured grouse, one with high levels of conifer encroachment and one with low encroachment.  We captured male and female grouse, fitted females with VHF radio-collars, and collected habitat data at known-use locations.  We collected 22 blood samples (n=12 hens and 6 males in high-encroachment sites and n=4 hens in low-encroachment sites).  High-encroachment use locations were characterized by average conifer stem densities of 2.08 stems (± 1.56, n = 24) at the 10-m scale, and 15.09 stems (± 15.32, n =44) at the 100-m scale.  Low-encroachment use locations had no conifers within 10 or 100 m.  Average plasma protein for females and males at high-encroachment sites was 4.99 g/dl (± 1.73) and 4.63 g/dl (± 1.17), respectively, and was 5.41 g/dl (± 1.47) for females at low-encroachment sites.  We will evaluate relationships of mass, accounting for body size, with conifer canopy cover and stem density at multiple spatial scales.  Results from this work will help elucidate specific mechanisms responsible for observed demographic rates and inform management efforts aimed at juniper removal in support of greater sage-grouse. 

IMPLICATIONS OF GRAZING UTILIZATION LEVELS ON GREATER SAGE-GROUSE HABITAT IN CENTRAL IDAHO MESIC MEADOWS

Livestock management in mesic meadow pastures is of interest to industry, range managers, and conservationists because of the need to understand how best to accommodate livestock and wildlife.  Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) often use meadow pastures as brood-rearing habitat because of the availability of dietary forbs and insects, which are critical for juvenile sage-grouse survival and population maintenance.  Understanding how grazing affects forbs that are important to sage-grouse can help develop management regimes that are effective for both livestock forage production and sage-grouse habitat.    

WILD HORSE AND CATTLE GRAZING INFLUENCE ON GREATER SAGE GROUSE LATE BROOD REARING HABITAT

. Sebastian A. Tsocanos*¹, Jacob M. Burdick², Sherman R. Swanson³; ¹University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, ²UNR, Reno, NV, ³University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV

ABSTRACT

There is widespread agreement that many lentic meadows throughout Nevada are functionally at risk, threatening the long-term stability and possibly the short-term quality of habitat critical for greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). What puts these riparian areas at risk, however, is often debated where cattle (Bos taurus) and federally protected wild horses (Equus ferus caballus) are both present. Our study examines the condition of 12 randomly selected meadows across Nevada where both cattle and wild horses graze within designated core sage grouse habitat. Large grazing animals can strongly influence the vegetation of wet meadows, affecting the quantity and quality of sage grouse preferred forb species such as dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), clover (Trifolium sp.), and yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and the abundance and structure of stabilizer species such as Nebraska sedge (Carex nebrascensis) and Baltic rush (Juncus balticus), that are important for the long-term stability of meadow morphology, hydrology, and vegetation. In 2016 and 2017 we used trail cameras set to 5 minute intervals from mid-May through mid-September and 30 minute intervals over the winter to establish the timing, duration and number of grazers using each meadow throughout the year. We measured forage quality for sage grouse chicks based on the abundance, phenology, and succulence of their preferred forb species throughout the meadow and adjacent upland transition zone. In addition, we measured the short-term effects of grazers on the stabilizing vegetation along the central flow path through the meadow, specifically stubble height, alterations and stabilizing species cover and composition. This research will help improve our understanding of how current wild horse and cattle grazing management is effecting the quality of sage grouse late brood rearing habitat and the functioning condition of lentic meadows in diverse locations across Nevada.

REPTILES IN SAGEBRUSH ECOSYSTEMS: IS THE GREATER SAGE-GROUSE AN UMBRELLA SPECIES FOR LIZARDS AND SNAKES?

The diversity of lizards and snakes (Order Squamata) is particularly high in the arid and semi-arid rangelands of western North America and yet we know little about how these vertebrates will respond to changes in habitat associated with climate, invasive species, fire, fuel breaks, and natural resource management. Preliminary results suggest there are over 60 species of squamates within the range of the Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasiasnus). Here, we utilize over 40,000 squamate occurrence records to identify which of these species are likely to be affected by habitat management actions aimed at improving or restoring habitats for sage-grouse by modeling current climate suitability within sagebrush ecosystems. Data on habitat management actions were derived from the Department of the Interior Conservation Efforts Database and Land Treatment Digital Library. 

MANIPULATION OF ELK BROWSING TO IMPROVE RANGELAND VEGETATION

Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA

In the Intermountain West, elk (Cervus elaphus) often occur in high numbers and in some cases over-use the best quality rangeland, potentially threatening other wildlife species such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Many shrub-dominated communities are in late successional stages, dominated by mature even-aged shrubs with little recruitment of young plants. Elk supplementation is an attractive option for reducing competition and for rejuvenating sagebrush stands through browsing since specific nutrients allow ungulates to ingest a greater proportion of low-quality and secondary compound-containing woody species like sagebrush. We offered choices of high-energy (granular molasses) and high-protein (soybean meal) supplements presented in 3 feeders stationed at three sites (one feeder per site, each feeder divided to contain each supplement) to encourage elk to visit and forage unproductive sagebrush stands. Elk preferred (3:1) molasses to soybean meal and a scan sampling technique using trail cameras revealed elk consuming supplement and browsing sagebrush on 42± 8.5 % and 57± 4.8 % of the scans recorded (N=435), respectively. Sagebrush utilization was indicated by recording pre and post treatment measurements of shrub canopy cover, sagebrush density along a 1 m wide belt transect with a distance of 100 m from the feeders with three transects at each site. Drop point measurements were taken along each transect post treatment. Three control sites were selected prior and all mentioned measurements were taken post treatment. In conclusion, manipulating elk foraging behavior through supplementation is a promising strategy to rejuvenate sagebrush stands and to enhance ecosystem services in the intermountain west.
 
Keywords: competition, browsing, preference, supplementation, sagebrush, behavioral manipulation.
 
 

INFLUECES OF CATTLE GRAZING ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF THE BELDING'S GROUND SQUIRREL. Kendra R. Allgier*, Tracey N. Johnson; University of Idaho, Moscow, ID

Livestock grazing is a predominant use of grasslands, and its effects on grassland-associated wildlife are still being investigated. Wildlife responses to grazing vary among species and a better understanding of these responses is needed to determine appropriate grazing management that accommodates wildlife habitat and the domestic livestock industry. Burrowing mammals, such as ground squirrels (Family: Sciuridae), provide numerous ecosystem services in grasslands. However, ground squirrels are often viewed as agricultural pests and a large amount of resources are devoted to managing them as such. To better understand the relationship between livestock grazing and ground squirrel populations, we describe the effect of livestock grazing on the Belding’s ground squirrel (Spermophilus beldingi) habitat. We evaluated vegetation and soil attributes at colony (n =  9) and non-colony (n = 6) sites within grazed (n = 12) and ungrazed (n = 4) pastures.  Soils at colony sites were deeper (x = 63.6 cm ±  6.67) than at non-colony sites (x =55.8 cm ± 15.36).  At colony sites, visual obstruction was x = 0.80 dm (± 1.2) and vegetation height was x = 35.02 cm (± 0.95). At non-colony sites, visual obstruction was 0.87 dm (± 0.63) and vegetation height was 50.20 cm (± 1.28).  We also evaluate soil and vegetation attributes at grazed and ungrazed study plots.  Our results will contribute to understanding this species’ response to livestock grazing and will help inform sustainable grazing practices in a northwest bunchgrass prairie in Oregon.

MANAGING OAK WOODLANDS FOR WILDLIFE. Bonnie Eyestone*; Point Blue Conservation Science, Visalia, CA

ABSTRACT

Oak woodlands are perhaps the most important for wildlife biodiversity and conservation. More than 300 species of wildlife depend on oak woodlands at some stage in their life history, but oak woodlands face threat by urbanization and agricultural conversion. Today only two-thirds of California’s original oaks woodlands remain.  Point Blue Conservation Science has partnered with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to encourage and foster private land stewardship to improve the habitat quality of privately owned oak woodlands while maintaining the economic viability of these working lands

DEVELOPING EASTERN AND RIO GRANDE WILD TURKEY HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELS FOR NORTHEAST TEXAS