Grouse Populations Research Articles

A bioinformatic search for correspondence between differentially expressed genes of domestic versus wild animals and orthologous human genes altering reproductive potential.

One of the greatest achievements of genetics in the 20th century is D.K. Belyaev’s discovery of destabilizing selection during the domestication of animals and that this selection affects only gene expression regulation (not gene structure) and inf luences systems of neuroendocrine control of ontogenesis in a stressful environment. Among the experimental data generalized by Belyaev’s discovery, there are also f indings about accelerated extinc tion of testes’ hormonal function and disrupted seasonality of reproduction of domesticated foxes in comparison with their wild congeners. To date, Belyaev’s discovery has already been repeatedly conf irmed, for example, by independent observations during deer domestication, during the use of rats as laboratory animals, after the reintroduction of endangered species such as Przewalski’s horse, and during the creation of a Siberian reserve population of the Siberian grouse when it had reached an endangered status in natural habitats. A genome-wide comparison among humans, several domestic animals, and some of their wild congeners has given rise to the concept of self-domestication syndrome, which includes autism spectrum disorders. In our previous study, we created a bioinformatic model of human self-domestication syndrome using differentially expressed genes (DEGs; of domestic animals versus their wild congeners) orthologous to the human genes (mainly, nervous-system genes) whose changes in expression affect reproductive potential, i. e., growth of the number of humans in the absence of restrictions caused by limiting factors. Here, we applied this model to 68 human genes whose changes in expression alter the reproductive health of women and men and to 3080 DEGs of domestic versus wild animals. As a result, in domestic animals, we identif ied 16 and 4 DEGs, the expression changes of which are codirected with changes in the expression of the human orthologous genes decreasing and increasing human reproductive potential, respectively. The wild animals had 9 and 11 such DEGs, respectively. This difference between domestic and wild animals was signif icant according to Pearson’s χ2 test (p < 0.05) and Fisher’s exact test (p < 0.05). We discuss the results from the standpoint of restoration of endangered animal species whose natural habitats are subject to an anthropogenic impact.

Demographic history and divergence of sibling grouse species inferred from whole genome sequencing reveal past effects of climate change

BackgroundThe boreal forest is one of the largest biomes on earth, supporting thousands of species. The global climate fluctuations in the Quaternary, especially the ice ages, had a significant influence on the distribution of boreal forest, as well as the divergence and evolution of species inhabiting this biome. To understand the possible effects of on-going and future climate change it would be useful to reconstruct past population size changes and relate such to climatic events in the past. We sequenced the genomes of 32 individuals from two forest inhabiting bird species, Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) and Chinese Grouse (T. sewerzowi) and three representatives of two outgroup species from Europe and China.ResultsWe estimated the divergence time of Chinese Grouse and Hazel Grouse to 1.76 (0.46–3.37) MYA. The demographic history of different populations in these two sibling species was reconstructed, and showed that peaks and bottlenecks of effective population size occurred at different times for the two species. The northern Qilian population of Chinese Grouse became separated from the rest of the species residing in the south approximately 250,000 years ago and have since then showed consistently lower effective population size than the southern population. The Chinese Hazel Grouse population had a higher effective population size at the peak of the Last Glacial Period (approx. 300,000 years ago) than the European population. Both species have decreased recently and now have low effective population sizes.ConclusionsCombined with the uplift history and reconstructed climate change during the Quaternary, our results support that cold-adapted grouse species diverged in response to changes in the distribution of palaeo-boreal forest and the formation of the Loess Plateau. The combined effects of climate change and an increased human pressure impose major threats to the survival and conservation of both species.

Chick survival and hunting are important drivers for the dynamics of two Alpine black grouse Lyrurus tetrix populations

Alpine black grouse populations are generally declining, but the underlying demographic drivers are largely unknown. We studied the dynamics of two adjacent black grouse populations over a 20 years period in the Italian Alps that differ in hunting pressure to identify the main demographic process affecting these populations and to study the impact of hunting on males. We collected radio-tracking data and conducted population surveys in spring to count displaying cocks and in late summer to determine the breeding success by means of pointing dogs. These different data sets were jointly analysed using a seasonal integrated population model to estimate population sizes and various demographic rates. The two populations fluctuated in size and the number of males from one population increased after hunting intensity was reduced. The main demographic rates did not differ between the populations. Adult survival was relatively low and productivity was high, so the life history shows the feature of a fast turnover species. In both populations, the variability of survival from hatching to the age of five weeks (chick survival) contributed more to the variation of the population growth rates than the variability of survival in later life-history stages, and the former was positively affected by ambient temperatures in July, favouring chick survival. The adult sex ratio of the population where males hunting occurred was shifted towards females, but it evened over time with the reduction of hunting pressure. The adult sex ratio in the population without hunting and the chick sex ratios in both populations were even, suggesting that hunting acted as a mostly additive source of mortality.

Drivers of black grouse trends in the French Alps: The prevailing contribution of climate

AbstractAimMountains host complex ecosystems whose wide range of ecological conditions over small geographical distances makes them biodiversity hotspots. To ensure their long‐term conservation, a better understanding of the interaction between climate change and modifications in land use is necessary. Most studies have focused on only one of these factors at a time, leading to incomplete predictions. In this study, we explored the relative contribution of both recreative activities and climate change on the population dynamics of the black grouse (Tetraotetrix), an emblematic cold‐adapted species of the Alps.MethodsWe used data from a network of 47 monitoring sites dispersed around the French Alps and surveyed since the 1980s or 1990s. We estimated black grouse population growth rates using state‐space models and tested for effects of biotic and abiotic pressures on both long‐term trends and inter‐annual variations in these rates.ResultsPopulation trajectories were strongly heterogeneous in space; nevertheless, a general decline at the edge of the black grouse distribution area was revealed in the southern pre‐Alps. We found very little influence of hunting and new ski lift cables installation on inter‐annual variability in population growth rate. In contrast, our results suggest strong impact of climatic conditions and phenology. While temperature positively influenced growth rate, precipitation had a negative effect. Early snowmelt and vegetation season were correlated with high positive values of annual population growth rates.Main conclusionsBirds in mountain habitats may be drastically affected by ongoing climate change, perhaps to a greater extent than by an increase in recreational activities. However, other human activities in the mountains (such as animal grazing or forest exploitation) that were not taken into consideration in this study might also have a strong impact on habitat structure and indirectly affect populations’ growth.

Long-Term Trends of Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) in the Bohemian Forest (Šumava), Czech Republic, 1972–2019

The population dynamics of Hazel Grouse were studied by presence/absence recording at stationary sites along fixed routes (110 km) in the central part of Šumava (Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic) from 1972 to 2019. The 100 km2 study area covered altitudes between 600 m (Rejštejn) and 1253 m above sea level (Mt. Sokol). Our database contained indices of Hazel Grouse occupancy: positive sites/visited sites for a yearly increasing number of Hazel Grouse occurrence sites (n = 134) for 48 years. We used a loglinear Poisson regression method to analyze the long-term population trend for Hazel Grouse in the study area. In the period from 1972 to 2006 we found a stable Hazel Grouse population (p = 0.83). From 2006–2007 to 2019, the population index dropped (−3.8% per year, p &lt; 0.05). This decline is assumed to be influenced by habitat loss due to succession, resulting in older, more open forest stands, by strongly increasing forestry and windstorm “Kyrill”, followed by clear cutting, bark beetle damage, and the removal of pioneer trees in spruce plantations, which diminished buds and catkins, the dominant winter food of Hazel Grouse. The influence of disturbance by increasing tourist activities and/or predation is also discussed. Our results could help to optimize the conservation efforts for Hazel Grouse in the Bohemian Forest.

Spatially Explicit Habitat Models for Prairie Grouse: Implications for Improved Population Monitoring and Targeted Conservation

ABSTRACTWe collaboratively designed and implemented a pilot study to evaluate improved methods for estimating the distribution and abundance of prairie grouse in South Dakota and North Dakota. Current prairie grouse population monitoring in both states relies on annual surveys of male birds on leks within designated survey blocks. Although the survey results may give insight into local populations, they have limited utility in estimating statewide abundances or trends because survey blocks are often non‐random, biased toward high quality habitat, and lack adequate spatial coverage. To improve upon current methods, we surveyed male prairie grouse on 865 randomly selected Public Land Survey Sections from 2010–2016, then developed habitat‐based spatially explicit occurrence and density models, which we then applied to the universe of environmental predictors to create spatial maps. Our results were consistent with prairie grouse biology, showing strong selection for grasslands and avoidance of developed areas. We demonstrate how our approach provides several avenues to estimate relative abundance of males with confidence limits, along with suggestions to improve estimates. In addition to providing insight into broad‐scale habitat selection, spatially explicit habitat models can be valuable tools for identifying and prioritizing areas for conservation treatments such as protection, restoration, or enhancement of habitat. We provide recommendations for future data collection and application of conservation treatments to improve prairie grouse population monitoring and conservation delivery across large landscapes. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.

Sensitivity of multiple vital rates for Ruffed Grouse in the Upper Great Lakes Region

AbstractEffective management of wildlife requires a full understanding of population dynamics and knowledge of potential drivers that influence population growth. The Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is a popular upland game bird widely distributed across the northern United States and Canada that has experienced population declines within portions of its range in response to forest maturation and habitat loss. Although the species has been extensively studied, few efforts have been made to synthesize demographic data into a sensitivity analysis to guide management actions. We reviewed the literature and compiled Ruffed Grouse vital rates from 14 field studies conducted across four decades (1982−2018) within the Upper Great Lakes region of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, USA. We parameterized a deterministic matrix model to evaluate population dynamics and conducted sensitivity analyses to identify vital rates projected to have the greatest influence on the finite rate of population change (λ). Our modeling effort projected a stable but highly variable annual rate of population change (λ = 1.01; 95% CI = 0.88–1.14) for Ruffed Grouse in the Upper Great Lakes region. Stochastic rates of population change derived from spring drumming surveys (λ = 1.01; 95% CI = 0.61–1.45) and Christmas Bird Count surveys (λ = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.62–1.76) of the corresponding regional population provided validation of stable trends over the same time period as our demographic model. Prospective elasticities and variance-scaled sensitivities suggested λ would be greatly influenced by components of reproductive performance: nesting success, chick survival, and post-fledging juvenile survival. Retrospective analysis indicated that much of the overall variability in λ and annual productivity was also attributed to annual variation in nesting success. Management of this species has often focused on fall and overwinter survival, but population projection models provided little evidence that survival was the predominant factor affecting population growth of Ruffed Grouse in this region. A suite of confounding factors and demographic processes that drive population trends can differ significantly across a species’ range. In the Upper Great Lakes region, management efforts aimed at maximizing reproductive success would likely have the greatest potential influence on Ruffed Grouse population growth. Other types of systematic, regional survey data can also be useful for validating population trends derived from demographic modeling studies.

Evaluation of Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Predation Risk to Forest Grouse Nests in the Central European Mountain Regions.

Simple SummaryForest grouses are among the most endangered ground-nesting birds in Central Europe. Their rapid population decline was associated with habitat loss and increasing predation risk leading to low breeding success. The aim of this study was to describe black grouse nest predators and potential predation risk in a study area with a small, extant population of black grouse (Ore Mts.) and in a study area with an already extinct grouse population (Jeseníky Mts.) in the Czech Republic. In order to determine the predation intensity to black grouse nests, 50 artificial nests (28 in Ore Mts., 22 in Jeseníky Mts.) were monitored using camera traps. The results showed that 56% of nests were predated. Within the time needed for successful incubation of the eggs (25 days), the nest survival probability was on average 45.5%. The proportion of depredated nests did not differ between habitat types (i.e., open forest interior, clearing, forest edge). The stone marten was the main potential nest predator in both study areas (39% in total), followed by common raven (25%) and red fox (22%). In conclusion, our study revealed the high predation pressure on black grouse nests which corresponds with increasing population trends of mesopredators and wild boars in Central Europe.We evaluated the spatiotemporal patterns of predation risk on black grouse nests using artificial nests that were monitored by camera traps in mountain areas with a small extant (Ore Mts.) and already extinct (Jeseníky Mts.) black grouse population. The overall predation rate of artificial nests was 56% and we found significant differences in survival rate courses over time between both study areas (68% Ore Mts. vs. 41%, Jeseníky Mts.). Within the time required for successful egg incubation (25 days), nest survival probability was 0.32 in the Ore Mts. and 0.59 in Jeseníky Mts. The stone marten (Martes foina) was the primary nest predator in both study areas (39% in total), followed by common raven (Corvus corax, 25%) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes, 22%). The proportion of depredated nests did not differ between habitat types (i.e., open forest interior, clearing, forest edge), but we recorded the effect of interaction of study area and habitat. In Ore Mts., the main nest predator was common raven with seven records (37%). The Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) was responsible for most predation attempts in Jeseníky Mts. (five records, i.e., 83%), while in the Ore Mts., most predation attempts were done by red fox (six records, i.e., 38%).

Forest management legacies affect demographics and population dynamics of spruce grouse in northern Maine

Conserving wildlife in managed forests requires knowledge of the interplay between species’ ecology and forestry practices. Spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) are obligate residents of North American conifer forests with a southern range terminus in the northern U.S. We studied survival and reproduction of spruce grouse from 2012 through 2018 in north-central Maine, USA, within a landscape managed extensively for commercial forest products. We used radio telemetry data from 151 unique spruce grouse to monitor nest survival, brood success, and mortality of two age classes (juvenile and adult), and related these factors to a geospatial layer of stand harvest histories that provided a record of the timing and method of silvicultural treatments over the previous 30 years. We evaluated how demographic rates were affected by these forest practices, constructed stage-structured models of spruce grouse population growth, and used these models to quantify potential effects of management legacy on population dynamics. Nests in clearcuts with post-harvest treatments (herbicide and pre-commercial thinning) had lower success than those located in other stand types. Success of broods during summer increased with greater use of residual stands (unharvested for > 31 years), however, juvenile spruce grouse that made greater use of residual stands following independence had reduced survival. Adults that used a greater proportion of clearcuts lacking post-harvest treatments had the greatest annual survival. Deterministic and stochastic population models predicted values of λ < 1.0, suggesting population decline, and we found that λ was most sensitive and elastic to survival of adult females. Combined results from demographic analyses and our population model showed that greater use of untreated clearcuts by adult females had the largest potential to increase population growth, and that a stable to increasing growth rate (λ ≥ 1.0) could be achieved with particular combinations of stand use at different life stages. In this system the demographic mechanisms affecting relationships between forest management and spruce grouse population dynamics were complex. Ongoing changes in forest practices within the region may shift forests away from conifer-dominated composition, with negative consequences for the future status of the species.

Lek attendance and disturbance at viewing blinds in a small, declining Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) population

Roy, C. L. and P. L. Coy. 2021. Lek attendance and disturbance at viewing blinds in a small, declining Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) population. Avian Conservation and Ecology 16(2):25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01986-160225

Biased sex-ratio in woodland grouse population of the Tatra National Park, suggested by molecular sexing of non-invasive samples

Sex ratio (ratio between the number of male and female individuals in a population) is an important factor contributing to the survival rates of the population in wild. Imbalanced sex ratio is often the cause of diminished survival rates of endangered species. The analysis of DNA collected through noninvasive methodologies effectively allows to monitor populations of rare species or species that are difficult to observe in the wild. Such method was used to determine the sex ratio in populations of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) in the Tatra National Park. We collected over 250 samples (mostly excrement) in the area of the Tatra National Park and identified species via microsatellite genotyping and determined the sex using fragments of the CHD gene. We found that the majority of the samples belonged to male specimens irrespective of the species suggesting a large deviation from an equal sex ratio in wild populations of capercaillie and black grouse in the Tatra National Park. Our results point out the fundamental contribution of genetic assessment of sex ration to monitor the viability of both species in the Tatra National Park.

Impact of tourism on habitat use of black grouse (Tetrao tetrix)in an isolated population in northern Germany.

As many other wild living species, black grouse Tetrao tetrix has to cope with anthropogenic disturbances in many habitats. Impacts of tourism and outdoor recreation on grouse species Tetraoninae have been subject to several studies in mountainous habitats in Central Europe and the United Kingdom. The geographically isolated and critically endangered black grouse population of Lower Saxony (North Germany) has been consistently monitored but beyond that poorly studied. This also applies to the key habitats of the nature reserve Lüneburg Heath (Lüneburger Heide) which, in turn, serves as a recreational area as well. In this study, the impact of tourism activity on habitat use of black grouse was investigated using data of GPS-tracked individuals. Additionally, visitor numbers on public and (usually undisturbed) closed routes were monitored using infrared light barriers. The spatio-temporal distribution of locations and the recreational activity were evaluated by linear mixed-effects models. Tagged individuals avoided the vicinity of public routes and avoiding distances were directly related to intensity of human activity. There was no seasonal change of black grouse habitat use alongside public routes. However, towards closed routes, significantly higher distances appeared during peak phases of visitor numbers (August and September), implying temporary increased disturbance levels within a key refuge area. Diurnal adaptation of habitat use was strongly dependent on the route density within the home range. Individuals used the vicinity of public trails at night and dawn but evaded these habitats during peak human activity around noon and afternoon. Recreational disturbances appeared to significantly affect the effective habitat availability for black grouse in the nature reserve. Visual cover by vegetation, however, seemed to diminish negative effects emerging from hiking trails. This provides an effective protective measure which requires minimal effort for the local conservation management.

The importance of habitat diversity and plant species richness for hazel grouse occurrence in the mixed mountain forests of the Western Carpathians

Hazel grouse habitat requirements are relatively well known in coniferous forests, and less known in mixed or deciduous forests. We studied habitat differences between sites occupied by hazel grouse Tetrastes bonasia and control plots in mixed mountain forests of the Western Carpathians in 2009 and 2010. Hazel grouse presence at sites was determined in April and May. The habitat variables (n = 21) and the proportion of tree and shrub species (n = 22) were collected both in sites of hazel grouse presence and control plots within a radius of 100 m. Greater numbers of tree species and greater proportions of deciduous trees (mainly birch Betula sp.) were found in sites where hazel grouse was present. Lower canopy cover was an important variable for hazel grouse occurrence, and sites with hazel grouse had a greater proportion of young trees (< 40 years). Sites were also characterized by a higher proportion of overgrown glades and dead woods in comparison with control plots. Sites occupied by hazel grouse were characterized by a greater number of tree species in the undergrowth (minimum of five species) in comparison with control plots. GLM models revealed that the most important environmental factors for hazel grouse occurrence in mixed mountain forests were open habitats (overgrown glades), good hiding opportunities (fallen trees and dead woods) and good conditions for foraging (trees cover in undergrowth). Poplar (Populus sp.) and willow (Salix sp.) were the most important tree species for hazel grouse occurrence. The presence of habitat structures and the vegetations richness provides good shelter or food for the hazel grouse. Extensive forest management should be proposed to increase the number of hazel grouse. Large areas covered by herbs and light-seeded tree species of low economical value for forestry are recommended to support hazel grouse population.

Differential responses of heather and red grouse to long-term spatio-temporal variation in sheep grazing

During the last century, afforestation and intensification of sheep grazing in the British uplands have led to widespread declines in globally rare heather moorland. We quantified changes in heather cover over 70 years in relation to changes in sheep grazing on Langholm Moor, and examined the impact on red grouse, a gamebird inhabiting heather moorland. Between 1948 and 2009, when grazed heavily by sheep, heather-dominated vegetation declined from 53 to 14% cover. Large-scale sheep reductions from 2011 then allowed increase of heather-dominated vegetation cover to 18% by 2015. However, changes in heather cover were associated with changes in grouse abundance only where heather-dominated cover was reduced below thresholds of 27% (95% CL 18–36%; pre-breeding) and 17% (95% CL 13–20%; post-breeding). The number of grouse shot between 1951 and 1992 remained high where 37–65% of dominant heather cover was retained, but then declined between 1992 and 1996 following increased predation by raptors, leading to the cessation of shooting. Subsequently, grouse densities fluctuated in relation to periodic management by gamekeepers (1992–1999 and 2008–2016), but heather loss continued possibly until 2011, and predation in this context prevented sustained increases sufficient for ‘driven’ shooting. Grouse shooting provides an economic incentive to maintain and restore heather moorland. On Langholm Moor, however, afforestation in the surrounding landscape and isolation from other heather moors may have led to a grouse population less well buffered against growing predation pressure, especially outside keepered periods. As grouse shooting could not be restored, the future management of the moor remains uncertain.

Factors affecting sharp-tailed grouse brood habitat selection and survival

Sharp-tailed grouse occur across much of the northern Great Plains of North America where large grassland tracts remain. Though extirpated from areas within the Great Plains, primarily due to habitat loss, sharp-tailed grouse populations have remained relatively stable since European Settlement. Because of their need for large contiguous grasslands, sharp-tailed grouse typically occur in areas managed for or with cattle. In an effort to better understand how land management affects sharp-tailed grouse, we studied hen sharp-tailed grouse during the brooding season to identify habitat use and factors that influenced the daily survival rate of broods. We conducted our study on the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota where cattle herbivory is the primary form of disturbance. We monitored 42 broods from 2013 to 2015. Using conditional logistic regression, we found brood-rearing hens used areas based on the distance to the nearest drainage and choose sites with less litter cover and bare ground relative to random sites at a microhabitat scale. Variables associated with variation in survival did not align with those shown to influence habitat selection. We found that brood survival decreased as the relative slope of a site increased and that survival increased as the distance a hen kept her chicks from a fence line also increased. At the microhabitat scale, survival was positively related to visual obstruction and vegetation height. Our findings demonstrate the importance of numerous variables across multiple scales to brood-rearing sharp-tailed grouse. Managers of grouse populations should manage for heterogeneity, as many factors appear to shape sharp-tailed grouse brood ecology in the Great Plains.

Trade-offs between wood production and forest grouse habitats in two regions with distinctive landscapes

BackgroundForest management affects the viability of forest grouse populations, causing alterations to habitat quality. At the regional level, common targets for wood harvesting and safeguarding of specific habitats are negotiated between various stakeholders. Analysing potential trade-offs between forest grouse habitats and wood production in the region could support resource-smart decision making.MethodsIn this paper, we compiled trade-off curves represented as production possibility frontiers demonstrating the relationship between forest grouse habitat area and wood removal, using a Finnish forestry dynamics model and the Finnish Multi-Source National Forest Inventory. For the modelling of forest grouse habitats, a landscape-level occurrence model based on nationwide wildlife triangle census data was used. Five alternative forest scenarios in terms of wood removal were compiled for two study areas in Finland representing two different landscape structures.Results and conclusionsResults showed that impacts on forest grouse habitats were case-specific. In the southern study area, increasing the roundwood harvesting rate affected grouse habitats more strongly as forests were already fragmented for other land uses and became more spruce-dominated over time. If the maximum sustainable removal rate was implemented, predicted grouse habitat area was 55% less than in a no-removal scenario. In the eastern study area, a more heavily forested region, the decrease was far lower at 22%. Scenario results were also compared to levels of recorded (business as usual) wood removal and that envisaged by valid regional forestry programmes, and their sustainability in terms of grouse habitat area was discussed. The production possibility frontiers calculated in this study support the evaluation of the loss of suitable habitat caused by different wood harvesting rates, or vice versa, the economic cost of increasing habitat areas.

Use of historical data to improve conservation of the black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) in Northeast China

AbstractBiological conservation requires sufficient basic data, like knowledge of the biogeographic characteristics and spatiotemporal dynamics of endangered species. Reconstructing range dynamics through time and detecting their underlying causes can be helpful for present and future conservation actions. Black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) populations have declined during the late 20th century in Northeast China, but the mechanisms are still unclear. We integrated species distribution models with long‐term historical ecological records to reconstruct historical distributions of black grouse in Northeast China (1950s–2000s). Then, we prioritized the landscape for species protection based on the long‐term historical potential distribution to improve the conservation management of this species. The area of potential distribution was 27.01% of the total study area in the 1950s, but the potential distribution in the 2000s was 16.39% of the study area. The range loss from the 1950s to the 2000s was 160,567 km2, representing a 39.30% reduction. Within the study area, the species’ potential distribution in the Changbai Mountains has gradually disappeared since the 1980s. Based on conservation prioritization analysis, the priority conservation area is 151,276 km2, which is mainly distributed in the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains. National nature reserves only included 6.35% of the potential distribution of the black grouse in the 2000s. Several conservation actions should be implemented to rejuvenate black grouse populations in Northeast China.

Sharp-tailed Grouse (&lt;i&gt;Tympanuchus phasianellus&lt;/i&gt;) population dynamics and restoration of fire-dependent northern mixed-grass prairie

Case studies of Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) population dynamics before and during re-introduction of fire to northern mixed-grass prairies that lacked fire for multiple decades are unavailable. At a 108-km2 northern mixed-grass prairie refuge in North Dakota, fire was suppressed from the early 1900s through late 1970s. Nine management units (total area 16.8 km2, 15.7% of the refuge) received initial prescribed fire treatments during 1979–1984. The mean annual density of male Sharp-tailed Grouse attending leks on these units during 1981–1985 (9.0 males/km2) was twice that on the same units during 1961–1965 (4.2 males/km2), amid the fire exclusion era; nonoverlap of 90% CIs encompassing the means suggested a significant treatment effect. However, densities of males on units managed without prescribed fire during 1961–1965 and 1981–1985 did not change between the two periods. By 1987, fire had been re–introduced to &gt;50% of the refuge overall. Mean annual abundance (i.e., total numbers) of lekking males on the entire refuge did not differ between 1961–1965 and 1981–1985 but was significantly greater during 1989–1993 than during 1961–1965 and 1981–1985. Changes in density and abundance of lekking males coincided with fire-induced reductions in woody cover and increases in herbaceous cover. Our study illustrates the marked capacity of Sharp-tailed Grouse to respond to reductions of tree and shrub cover resulting from prescribed fire in northern mixed-grass prairie and the species’ attraction to habitat disturbance in general.

Historical decline of genetic diversity in a range-periphery population of Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) inhabiting the Adirondack Mountains

Isolation can affect genetic structure of populations near the edge of a species’ geographic range by reducing gene flow and allelic diversity, resulting in greater among-population differentiation. Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis), which are restricted to the boreal forest biome of North America, persist in small, disjunct lowland conifer patches at the southeastern extent of their range in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This isolated peripheral population has declined since the early twentieth century and is considered highly vulnerable to extirpation. We examined haplotype diversity of mitochondrial control region sequences, comparing modern Spruce Grouse populations sampled from 2004 to 2013 in the Adirondacks and Algonquin Provincial Park, ca. 250 km to the northwest. Genetic diversity in the modern Adirondack population sample was very low compared to our smaller sample from Algonquin Park (three haplotypes vs seven). The modern Adirondack population shared no haplotypes with birds sampled from Algonquin, and these two populations are highly differentiated today (Fst = 0.632). We obtained shorter control region sequences from 18 museum specimens collected in the Adirondack from 1881 to 1986, in which we found six haplotypes, including five no longer found in the Adirondack Region. Some haplotypes that were once found in both regions have been lost from the Adirondacks as that population has declined demographically and shrunk geographically, indicating that the current differentiation is partly the result of these losses; when all 18 historical samples of Adirondack Spruce Grouse are included in the analysis, Fst between Adirondacks and Algonquin drops to 0.359. Haplotype diversity in Adirondack specimens collected prior to demographic decline (1881–1905, n = 10) was h = 0.778 compared to h = 0.245 in the modern Adirondack population, an over a three-fold decrease over period of ca. 130 years. These findings suggest that conservation measures that include supplementation of individuals from more diverse populations may restore genetic diversity in the Adirondack population to levels that existed a century ago.

Annual change in forest grouse in southern Norway: variation explained by temperatures, bilberry seed production and the lunar nodal phase cycle

Forage quality is rarely the focus of studies on grouse performance. The plant stress hypothesis predicts that the protein digestibility of a focal food plant for grouse in Norway, the bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus should be highest after a peak in seed production. Protein digestibility may also be affected positively by cosmic ray (muon) fluxes, which fluctuate with the 9.3-year lunar nodal phase cycle, and negatively by high temperatures in the preceding summers. The annual change (first difference) in ln-transformed black grouse Tetrao tetrix and capercaillie T. urogallus hunting statistic indices from southern Norway 1999–2017 was positively related to the mean June temperature, which is assumed to have a direct positive impact on chick survival. In multiple regression models, there was also a positive relationship with the seed production of bilberry in the preceding year, the lunar nodal phase index with a two-year time lag, and a negative relationship with the combined mean June–September temperature of the two preceding years. Small rodent numbers did not contribute significantly in these models. In further monitoring of grouse populations, the seed production of bilberry or other important food plants should also be recorded.