Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, May 2010. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 7, 2010). "School of Biological Sciences." Includes bibliographical references.

The Great Plains variety of the sharp-tailed grouse Pediocetes phasianellus jamesi Lincoln was the predominant upland game bird during the exploratory and early settlement period in North Dakota (Coues 1874 and 1878 . Larson 1928, and Williams 1926) . Since then its status has diminished as the prairie grassland gradually was converted to intensively used pastures and cropland. Although the sharptail is still abundant enough in its remaining habitat to provide for liberal annual harvests , further demand on these lands by a growing human population will make it necessary to apply game management measures other than hunting regulations if the sharptail is to be retained as an important game bird in the state.

Thesis (M.S.)--Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Dept., South Dakota State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-85). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Dept., South Dakota State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-100). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Nest site selection and nesting success of plains sharp-tailed grouse were examined on the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota during the nesting season from 2009-2012. We used conditional logistic regression to assess vegetation production, ecological site description, and landscape position on nest site selection. Two competing models regarding nest site selection: top model consisted of non-native forbs and native cool-season grasses, second best model included all grass and forb. Nine ESDs were used for nesting; loamy and clayey ecological sites most frequently used and produced the highest standing crop. Most frequent observed nest site State were Annual/Pioneer Perennial and Introduced and Invaded Grass. Top model for nest daily survival rates included litter, second-best model included ESD; second-best model showed negative effect for nests initiated in thin claypan, limy backslope, and sandy ecological sites. Based on daily survival estimate and 23-day incubation period, nests were 59% successful.

The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus; CSTG) has experienced range-wide population declines, primarily as a result of habitat loss or degradation, and currently occupies <10% of its historic range. Expansion of wind energy developments across the remaining occupied CSTG range has been identified as a potential threat to the species. To assess the potential influence of wind energy development on CSTG breeding season ecology, I captured and radio-marked 135 female CSTG during 2014-2015 at leks located between 0.1-13.8 km from wind turbines in restored grassland habitats. I subsequently monitored 147 nests and 68 broods and used an information-theoretic model selection approach to assess the potential influence of wind energy distance and density variables, multi-scale habitat features, temporal factors, and precipitation on CSTG nest site selection, daily nest survival, brood success, and chick survival. The best nest site selection model suggested a positive functional response to the amount of restored grassland habitat with >30% forb cover at the nesting core use (60 ha) scale. Daily nest survival was positively associated with visual obstruction readings at the nest and the amount of restored grassland habitat containing >30% forb cover at the core use (60 ha) scale. Nest site selection and daily nest survival were not influenced by proximity to turbines or turbine density at the core use or breeding season home range (1385 ha) scales. Early (14-day) brood success was positively influenced by post-hatch precipitation and late (42-day) brood success was positively influenced by earlier hatch dates. Chick survival to 42 days post hatch was positively influenced by post-hatch precipitation and earlier hatch dates and negatively influenced by increasing densities of wind turbines at the breeding season home range scale. The probability of an individual chick surviving to 42 days decreased by 50% when there were ≥10 turbines within 2.1 km of the nest. In restored grassland habitats, such as Conservation Reserve Program fields, I recommend plantings and management practices that will result in diverse, bunchgrass-dominated nesting habitat with residual grass cover and >30% forb canopy cover during the nesting season. My results suggest that wind turbines occurring within 2.1 km of nesting habitats (i.e., 4.8 km of occupied leks) may negatively affect CSTG recruitment.

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus: hereafter sharp-tailed grouse) populations have been declining. These declines have been attributed to a number of factors, including habitat loss due to agriculture, habitat fragmentation, overgrazing by livestock, and the loss to fire. To gather information about their status in northern Utah, I radio-marked sharp-tailed grouse in 2003 (n=15) and 2004 (n=20) in two research areas. The study areas were located on the south end of Cache County and in eastern Box Elder County. In the Cache study area, I monitored 7 males and 1 female in 2003, and 6 males and 3 females in 2004. In the Box Elder study area, I monitored 6 males in 2003 and 6 males and 5 females in 2004. I then located the radio-marked sharp-tailed grouse using telemetry and collected Visual Obstruction Readings (VOR) and vegetation data on each flush site and on a randomly selected paired point. I completed an unsupervised classification of the two study areas to determine if habitats were used more than would be expected based on availability. I then used a paired point linear regression to determine if vegetation parameters were correlated with sharp-tailed grouse on the landscape. Sagebrush in the Box Elder County study area and forbs in the Cache County study area were significantly correlated with habitat use by sharp-tailed grouse. The VOR readings were higher at the flush sites than at the paired points. The unsupervised classification showed that in Box Elder County, sagebrush was used in greater proportion than is available, while in the Cache County study area there were no habitat types that were used in greater proportion than was available on the landscape. I collected information on nest sites, nest success, broods, and mortality of these 2 populations. Nest success was 75% combined over the 2-year study, and mortality was 72% for both populations over the 2 years. Seasonal habitat use and distance travelled were determined using Global Positioning System points collected at every flush point. The distance traveled ranged from 0.9 km to 14.7 km, with the longest distance being travelled in the winter.