Factors Affecting Gunnison Sage‐grouse (Centrocercus minimus) 

Conservation in San Juan County UtahConservation in San Juan County, Utah

Phoebe R. PratherPh.D. DefenseDepartment of Wildland ResourcesUtah State UniversityUtah State University

Advisor: Dr. Terry A. Messmer

Gunnison vs. Greater Sage‐grouseGunnison vs. Greater Sage grouse

• Separated from Greater pin 2000.

• Smaller: shorter tarsus, l d lculmen and carpal 

measurements.• Male mass 400 grams• Male mass 400 grams less than male Greater.

• Shorter retrices, more ,distinct barring.

• Considerably larger and f

• Differ in strutting di lthicker filoplumes. displays.

Distribution

Gunnison Sage‐grouse Lek CountsSan Juan County Utah

120

140

San Juan County, Utah

100

120

SERV

ED

60

80

# MALES OBS

20

40

MAX. #

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YearRoring Lek East Seep Lek Hickman/BLM Lek Dodge Pt. Lek

Conservation EffortsConservation Efforts

• 1997: Gunnison Sage‐grouse Priority Conservation Area.

• Conservation StudyConservation Study Area: contains year‐round range (98% privately owned).privately owned).

• Agriculture fields, grazed rangelands, fallow agriculture fields CRPagriculture fields, CRP, sagebrush, pinyon‐juniper and oak woodlandswoodlands.

Conservation EffortsConservation Efforts

• SWOG formed in 1996 and published a  local conservation plan in 20002000.

• RangewideConservation PlanConservation Plan published in 2005.

• Identify and rank threats.

• Propose conservation strategiesstrategies.

Habitat AssessmentHabitat Assessment• Assessment of vegetation 

di i f b h • Determine if conditionsconditions of sagebrush habitats in Gunnison Sage‐grouse

Determine if conditions meet criteria stated in Rangewide Plan.Sage‐grouse 

Conservation Area.  • Assist managers in developing and prioritizing habitat restoration projects.

MethodsMethods

• Occupied habitat: areasOccupied habitat: areas located within the CSA.

• Unoccupied habitat:Unoccupied habitat:  areas that were historically inhabited orhistorically inhabited or were near an area currently or historically y yinhabited by sage‐grouse (CA and CCA).

Methods

• Plotted historic and 

current lek sites 

(CSA).

• Buffered in 1,500m 

increments.

4Legend

• Extended buffer to  

include unoccupied  4Conservation Study Area boundary

Habitat buffers0 3,300 6,600 9,900 13,2001,650

Meters

p

habitat (CCA).

• Total buffer 7,500m.Total buffer 7,500m.

MethodsMethods

• 1,000 points.

• Selected 150.

• Eliminated 6 points not i b h (144 )in sagebrush (144, map).

• Field visit: eliminated 51 points (93).

4Legend

p ( )– 39 unoccupied.

– 54 occupied.

All b di4LegendRandom vegetation points

Conservation Study Area boundary

Habitat buffers0 3,300 6,600 9,900 13,2001,650

Meters

• All breeding, summer/fall, and winter habitats in CSA.

MethodsMethods

• Gunnison Sage‐grouseGunnison Sage grouse Rangewide Steering Committee Structural Vegetation Collection Guidelines:– Two 30‐m transects.

– Daubenmire method.

Percent cover and height– Percent cover and height of grasses, forbs, and shrubs.

Results – Occupied and Unoccupied d bBreeding Habitat

Percent Cover Height (cm)Habitat P-grass Forbs Sagebrush P-grass Forbs Sagebrush

Occupied 17 (3.2) 3 (1.4) 17 (3.6) 23 (4.4) 3 (0.9) 51 (4.2)

Unoccupied 18 (3.8) 6 (1.6) 17 (4.4) 15 (2.3) 4 (0.7) 46 (4.6)

RCP

Breeding 10-30 5-15 15-25 10-15 5-10 25-50Breeding

Results – Occupied and Unoccupied / ll bSummer/Fall Habitats

Percent Cover Height (cm)Habitat P-grass Forbs Sagebrush P-grass Forbs Sagebrush

Occupied 17 (3.2) 3 (1.4) 17 (3.6) 23 (4.4) 3 (0.9) 51 (4.2)

Unoccupied 18 (3.8) 6 (1.6) 17 (4.4) 15 (2.3) 4 (0.7) 46 (4.6)

RCP

Summer/Fall 10-25 5-15 5-15 10-15 3-10 20-40Summer/Fall

Results – Occupied and Unoccupied bWinter Habitats

Percent Cover Height (cm)Habitat P-grass Forbs Sagebrush P-grass Forbs Sagebrush

Occupied 17 (3.6) 51 (4.2)

Unoccupied 17 (4.4) 46 (4.6)

RCP

Winter 30-40 40-55Winter

DiscussionDiscussion

• Confined to CSAConfined to CSA.

• Bird locations within CSAwithin CSA.

• CA: Mosaic of b hsagebrush 

patches within ipinyon‐

juniper/oak.4Legend

Gunnison sage-grouse locations 4Random vegetation points

Conservation Study Area boundary

Habitat buffers0 3,300 6,600 9,900 13,2001,650

Meters

Discussion – Crested WheatgrassDiscussion  Crested Wheatgrass

• Dominate perennial grass.

• Invaded all sagebrush areas.

Discussion ‐ CRPDiscussion  CRP

• Held steady since Gunnison Sage‐grouse Lek Counts yinitial drop after advent of CRP.

• Permanent cover120

140

g gSan Juan County, Utah

• Permanent cover.• Re‐establish areas of 

sagebrush and native 60

80

100

grasses and forbs.– Corridors between 

sagebrush areas.20

40

60

sagebrush areas.

• Restoration of areas outside CSA.

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Acknowledgementsd dd l k ( d f l )• Advisor: Dr. Terry Messmer.

• Committee: – Dr. Eugene Schupp, Dr. Chris 

• Todd Black (and family)• Tammy Wallace (BLM)• Guy Wallace (UDWR)g pp,

Call, Dr. Fred Provenza, Dr. Tim Graham

• Funders:

Guy Wallace (UDWR)• Canyon Country Youth Corp.• Monticello/Dove Creek LWG

– BLM and NRCS– Endangered Species Mitigation 

Fund

• Private Landowners• Family and friends• My dog Jake– PacifiCorp

– Jack H. Berryman Institute

My dog Jake