Lesser Prairie-chicken incubation behavior and nest success most influenced by nest vegetation structure

Jacquelyn M. Gehrt; Daniel S. Sullins; Bram H. F. Verheijen; David A. Haukos

doi:10.1002/ece3.10509

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70256512

Lesser Prairie-chicken incubation behavior and nest success most influenced by nest vegetation structure

Jacquelyn M. Gehrt·Daniel S. Sullins·Bram H. F. Verheijen·David A. Haukos

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Incubation breaks are necessary for any nesting bird but can increase the mortality risk of the nest or attending parent. How intrinsic and extrinsic variables affect nest attentiveness—the proportion of time a female is on nest during incubation— and subsequent survival of the nest remains unclear for uniparental species. We related female nest attentiveness to nest survival and tested the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic variables on nest attentiveness by female Lesser Prairie-chickens ( Tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) using GPS locations of 87 females at 109 nest sites in 3 study areas in Kansas during 2013–2015. Daily nest survival increased by 39% when nest attentiveness increased from 21% to 98%. Female Lesser Prairie-chickens were 18% less attentive as body mass increased from 600 to 920 g. Daily precipitation and temperature, controlled for days into the incubation period, had interactive effects on nest attentiveness with nest attentiveness lowest on cool, wet days and increasing as temperature increased, regardless of precipitation (41% attentiveness at 16°C and 79 mm of precipitation to 90% attentiveness at 37°C and 41 mm of precipitation). Nest attentiveness increased by 11% as the quantity of grass at the nest site increased from 5% to 78% when visual obstruction was at 1 and 2 decimeters (dm) and increased 9% as the quantity of grass at the nest site increased from 5% to 83% when visual obstruction was at its maximum (3 dm). Our findings reveal the critical importance of nest attentiveness and incubation behavior, not only in relation to demography, but within the context of changing environmental conditions. As warmer temperatures and extreme precipitation events become more common and change the growth rates of vegetation, species like the Lesser Prairie-chicken that are ground-nesting, rely on vegetation cover, and exhibit uniparental care could experience negative demographic consequences.

Explore related subjects

Ecology and Evolution Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 37.008194507545156° to 39.758697568480756° latitude; -102.12271341717144° to -97.49062380349912° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Jacquelyn M. Gehrt, Daniel S. Sullins, Bram H. F. Verheijen, David A. Haukos. 2023-09-06. Lesser Prairie-chicken incubation behavior and nest success most influenced by nest vegetation structure. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10509

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

The further you are, the closer you get: Environmental similarity connects aquatic invertebrate communities across the terrestrial landscape in a large river network

Biodiversity is structured on the landscape through a combination of spatial, environmental, and stochastic factors. In freshwater river networks, the interaction of the linear river network and the three-dimensional terrestrial landscape creates multiple pathways for ecological connectivity that affect aquatic community structure through habitat filtering and dispersal dynamics. Here, we use the high throughput capacity of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to explore the influence of spatial relationships and environmental heterogeneity across an expansive and diverse landscape. We collected invertebrate eDNA samples from 70 aquatic habitats in the lower Colorado River Basin (LCRB), ranging from small, free-flowing headwater tributaries to anthropogenically-altered high order rivers, spanning five major drainage regions. Communities displayed high alpha and beta diversity among the drainage regions, structured by a combination of spatial, environmental, and stochastic factors. A novel distance-decay framework adapted from population genetics revealed the influence of terrestrial pathways of ecological connectivity among communities throughout the network. Hierarchical clustering identified patterns of convergent similarity in headwater tributaries despite extreme river network distances separating sites. These results reveal the dual influence of spatial and environmental metacommunity dynamics in aquatic invertebrate communities in the LCRB and the specific influence of interbasin terrestrial connectivity across large spatial scales. Overall, this highlights how terrestrial landscapes can shape convergent patterns of biodiversity in river networks.

Arizona, California, Nevada↗

USGS2026

Conflicts and collisions with an endangered carnivore: Landscape drivers and spatial risk pattern

Human–wildlife conflicts and anthropogenic mortality are expected to increase with the continuous encroachment on natural habitats within and around protected areas, yet the processes governing these risks remain poorly understood. We investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of two distinct processes involving the endangered Florida panther ( Puma concolor coryi ; hereafter, panther): (1) direct human–panther interactions and livestock depredation (hereafter, conflicts), and (2) vehicle collisions (hereafter, collisions). Using long-term data collected between 2006 and 2022 within the panther's breeding range in Southwest Florida, USA, we applied dynamic occupancy models to estimate probabilities of occurrence, colonization, and extinction of conflicts and collisions while accounting for imperfect detection. A total of 277 conflicts and 239 collisions were recorded during the study period. Occurrence probabilities for both conflicts and collisions increased during the early years of the study and subsequently stabilized. Landscape configuration consistently showed strong associations with both processes. Conflicts were more likely in areas with fragmented but closely spaced habitat patches, whereas collisions were more likely along road segments characterized by connected landscapes with low resistance to panther movement. In contrast, areas that showed greater distances between habitat patches and increased proportions of protected area were associated with lower probabilities of conflict or collision persistence over time. A predictive map was created to highlight areas with high probability of conflict and road segments with high probability of collision in Southwest Florida, USA. Identifying areas with elevated risk can inform targeted mitigation strategies, including habitat management, wildlife crossings, and outreach efforts, and further support long-term coexistence between humans and large carnivore populations.

Florida↗

USGS2026

Disease, drought, and warming: A triple threat to a declining high-elevation amphibian

Managing species in an uncertain future is a reality for natural resource decision makers. Climate change is expected to exacerbate threats such as habitat loss and disease, and cause phenological mismatches, but there is uncertainty in the magnitude of these effects. Amphibians are among the most threatened taxa on earth, and most species in North America are uniquely tied to water availability for breeding, larval development, thermal refugia, and food availability. Changes in water availability and temperature may result in phenological mismatches with one or more of these processes. Thus, quantifying the dependency of amphibians to water on the landscape is critical to understanding how species may respond, as well as understanding the interplay with other threats, such as disease. We developed a dynamic co-occurrence occupancy model to explore the effects of climate change on the breeding occurrence of boreal toads ( Anaxyrus boreas ) and the amphibian chytrid fungus ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis , Bd) in the southern Rocky Mountains (SRM). We derived novel covariates to test hypotheses related to multi-generational impacts of climate on the dynamics of both boreal toad breeding and Bd. We report estimates of current (2001–2019) and future (2055–2069) occupancy under a range of plausible climate scenarios. The probability of boreal toad breeding occurrence at a site in the SRM declined > 40% from 2001 to 2019, and further declines are likely under future scenarios, particularly as active season length increases. To help integrate this information into management, we developed a web-based decision support tool to summarize predicted future hydrological and occupancy conditions.

Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming↗