Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
Browse
20 results
Search Results
Item Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest survival and nest predator response to fence modifications in a grazing modified landscape(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2023) O'Harra, Aaron William; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bok Sowell; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Livestock operations are present across much of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) current range and the infrastructure associated with this land-use type can have negative effects on sage-grouse populations. Recent work has found that the daily survival rate of nests placed close to fences experience a 4-fold decrease in survival probability. The reduction in survival was theorized to be attributed to higher use of fences by predators due to increased movement efficiency and foraging rates predators experience along linear features. In this study, we experimentally modified fences to reduce perch availability and the barrier effects often associated with fences to improve sage-grouse nest survival. We monitored 177 nests over 8 years to assess the effectiveness of this management technique. We also used camera traps and point count surveys in the last 3 years of the study to assess the occurrence of three common sage-grouse nest predators; badgers (Taxidea taxus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and avian predators. We modeled daily nest survival against modified and traditional fences and landscape features throughout our study area in a Bayesian framework. Our predator occurrence rates were modeled using a single season occupancy model in relation to similar landscape features used for nest survival modeling. We detected evidence of an increase in nest survival of 11.4% (90% CRI: 3.2%, 20.0%) for sage grouse nests placed closer to modified fences (mean survival = 35.8%) when compared to traditional fence types (mean survival = 24.4%). We also found evidence for a 14% (95% CI: 5%, 23%) decrease in badger occurrence and a 15% (95% CI: 12%, 18%) increase in coyote occurrence along recently modified fences. We found no evidence that avian predators used fences more than areas with no fence present. Our results may be influenced by the distribution of fence types between sagebrush species. Our results indicate that predation risk for sage-grouse nests across a landscape is predator specific. We conclude that modifying fences in this way can improve sage-grouse nest survival, and the effectiveness of these modifications is controlled by a combination of the predators and landscape features associated with a nest site.Item Effects of grazing management on sharp-tailed grouse ecology in mixed-grass prairies(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2019) Milligan, Megan Cochran; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Lance McNew; Lorelle I. Berkeley and Lance B. McNew were co-authors of the article, 'Effects of rangeland management on the nesting ecology of sharp-tailed grouse' in the journal 'Rangeland ecology and management' which is contained within this thesis.; Lorelle I. Berkeley and Lance B. McNew were co-authors of the article, 'Effects of rangeland management on the survival of adult sharp-tailed grouse' submitted to the journal 'Journal of wildlife management' which is contained within this thesis.; Lorelle I. Berkeley and Lance B. McNew were co-authors of the article, 'Effects of rangeland management on the habitat selection of sharp-tailed grouse in the mixed-grass prairie' submitted to the journal 'PLOS one' which is contained within this thesis.Many grassland species co-evolved with large herbivores and require habitats along the entire structural gradient created by grazing. Widespread declines of grassland birds, however, have prompted concerns about rangeland management. Conceptually, rest-rotation grazing functions as a conservation strategy to mimic historic disturbance regimes and create pasture-level heterogeneity in the absence of fire, but its utility for improving grouse habitat has not been tested. We evaluated rest-rotation grazing as a conservation management technique compared to traditional grazing systems, including summer rotation and season-long grazing, and assessed the effects on sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), an indicator species for grassland ecosystems. We monitored radio-marked female sharp-tailed grouse in eastern Montana and western North Dakota during 2016-2018 to monitor nesting ecology, adult survival, and habitat selection. Both nest site selection and nest survival were directly related to vertical nesting cover, which was only weakly related to grazing management variables, including grazing system and stocking rate, at moderate stocking rates (< or = 2 AUM ha^-1). Cattle presence during the nesting period had a positive effect on daily nest survival, potentially because either the cow or rancher presence affected predator behavior. Grazing management did not have a meaningful influence on any aspect of the overall survival of adult female sharp-tailed grouse, although seasonal patterns of mortality risk differed among systems. More importantly, cropland increased mortality risk of adult female sharp-tailed grouse. At broad spatial scales, females selected for grassland habitats, but exhibited limited to no selection for either landscape or management variables when selecting habitat at smaller spatial scales. We found limited evidence that grazing management was a driver of habitat selection at either spatial scale examined. Furthermore, female sharp-tailed grouse exhibited strong individual variation in both home range size and third-order habitat selection. Taken together, our results suggest that rest-rotation grazing did not influence any aspect of sharp-tailed grouse ecology we studied relative to other grazing systems and did not increase pasture-level heterogeneity in relevant vegetation variables. Therefore, grazing management strategies with moderate stocking rates that preserve large intact grasslands are a better conservation strategy for sharp-tailed grouse than prescribing specific grazing systems.Item The condition of the northern winter range in Yellowstone National Park : a discussion of the controversy(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1981) Tyers, Daniel Bruce; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: J. E. (John Edgar) TaylorItem Mechanical treatments and interseeding on Northern Plains rangelands(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1976) Reynolds, Donald WayneItem An evaluation of forest grazing in Saskatchewan(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1987) Fraser, Douglas Alexander; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Brian SindelarItem Sheep management on Moroccan rangelands(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1984) El Abbassi, MohamedItem Community composition analysis of altered vegetation communities following the release of grazing pressure(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2015) Buckmaster, Joshua; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Clayton B. MarlowDetermining community composition and recognizing successional gradients of community recovery following release from disturbance is vital in determining proper land management techniques. Successful native plant recovery depends on biotic and abiotic factors and the type and degree of anthropogenic disturbance. Degraded vegetation communities need initial survey efforts to determine the extent of degradation followed by consistent standardized monitoring to determine transition along successional gradients. The aim of this study was to determine community composition and successional gradients following release from livestock grazing. To this end, initial surveys were completed at the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge during the summers of 2013 and 2014, with the aim of evaluating the composition of each previously mapped community type and making recommendations for future management practices. Prior to any fieldwork, various vegetation sampling methods were compared including, Daubenmire percent canopy cover (DPCC), point-intercept and modified Whittaker plots. The DPCC method was determined to be the most efficient for current and future sampling efforts, balancing the quality of data and the time needed for collection. Using this method, a minimum of 60 Daubenmire frames were sampled from 16 vegetation communities. The USFWS project objectives were to (1) determine if each of the premapped community types were named correctly, and (2) collect enough vegetation data to determine a 20% change in the five most common species with an accuracy of 80%. Species area curves were plotted, and sample adequacy calculated to determine if each community was adequately sampled. It was found that a minimum of 24 to 180 sample frames are necessary to sufficiently describe all communities. However, this number may increase as the communities transition to native-dominated stands. Litter depth was found to be the only statistically significant abiotic factor related to community composition (P = 0.03): litter depth is highly correlated with non-native species (r = 0.904), and the lack of litter is correlated with the presence of three climax species (r = 0.736). The intermontane grasslands in this refuge were found to be part of the Northern Fescue Grasslands rather than part of the Palouse Prairie.Item Bitterbrush growth and reproductive characters in relation to browsing in southwest Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1992) Fraas, William WyattItem Elk use of various sized cattle exclosures(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1998) Gross, Jeffrey AlanItem Forage intake of Hereford and 75% Simmental-25% Hereford cows grazing Montana foothill rangeland(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1983) Kronberg, Scott Lloyd