Prioritizing seasonal habitats for comprehensive conservation of a partially migratory species

Abstract

For conservation reserves to protect habitat to support viable populations, they must be effective in protecting all vital requirements; yet, it is unclear the extent that conservationists need to prioritize seasonal habitats when delineating reserves for partially migratory species. Identifying the similarity among seasonal habitats will assist conservationists in prioritizing specific requirements. Habitat similarity presumably falls along a gradient depending on the degree to which a species is migratory. How migratory a population is may even vary considerably within a species. A partially migratory species of conservation concern is the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), where breeding habitat has been prioritized. Our goal was to determine if a more migratory sage-grouse population required a different habitat conservation strategy to meet its comprehensive requirements than a less migratory population. Firstly, even though our study populations differed in behavior they both reflected what was expected for partially migratory populations with seasonal habitats that on average had a moderate degree of similarity. This suggests that prioritizing the conservation of one seasonal habitat will result in partly protecting other seasonal requirements but not completely meet all requirements. Secondly, for both populations, prioritization of breeding habitat was justified because breeding habitat was most like other seasonal requirements. Thirdly, information specific to each study population was necessary to identify the importance of prioritizing additional seasonal habitat with a greater need to include summer and winter habitat for the more migratory population. We created a cumulative habitat prediction map that depicts comprehensive habitat requirements to help guide reserve delineation. This process can be used to delineate priority areas for conservation reserves for other partially migratory species.