Role of landscape features in resource selection by female Greater Prairie-chickens within a constrained environment

Abstract

Greater Prairie-chickens ( Tympanuchus cupido ) historically occupied 20 states within the contiguous United States; however, due to habitat degradation and loss, they are currently found in 11 states, only four of which have a stable population. Kansas supports a relatively large abundance of Greater Prairie-chickens, where the Flint Hills ecoregion historically supported the largest population density of all ecoregions. In the past decade, the Flint Hills population has declined by 75 % to an estimated 8,334 individuals in 2021 from 34,180 individuals in 2015 due to landscape changes and intensification of grassland management practices. The Fort Riley Military Reservation in the northwest portion of the Flint Hills ecoregion is one of a few areas within the ecoregion that does not implement grazing or vast annual burning. The Greater Prairie-chicken population within Fort Riley has remained relatively stable over the past 25 years despite being constrained by surrounding landscape features and development. We analyzed multiple scales of resource selection by 46 female Greater Prairie-chickens during March-April 2019–2021 on Fort Riley to investigate why this population is doing relatively well compared to populations in surrounding areas. We tested landscape feature, vegetation, and burn mosaic variables to evaluate which variables had the greatest influence on resource selection. Landscape features had the greatest influence on resource selection. Females avoided trees within Fort Riley for both breeding season use and nest-site selection at a greater margin than any other study in Kansas. Additionally, fourth-order selection was not evident within this study system, contrary to studies within surrounding areas. Our findings join a growing body of literature that suggests containment of woody encroachment as a high priority for managers to maintain or expand prairie grouse habitat in many different environments. This containment is especially critical on Fort Riley because of its constrained environment, and further woody encroachment could lead to loss of habitat that is inescapable by the Greater Prairie-chicken population on Fort Riley. Spatially-explicit evaluations of habitat availability are increasingly important as more areas within the Greater Prairie-chicken range become constrained by urbanization, agricultural expansion, and intensive management practices.