Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Evaluating habitat suitability for lesser prairie-chicken conservation in the mixed-grass prairie ecoregion(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2022) Solomon, Morgan Jean; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Lance McNewPopulations of lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; hereafter "prairie-chicken") in the southern Great Plains have declined by an estimated 85% and the species is currently being reconsidered for protections under the federal Endangered Species Act. Despite efforts to increase the quantity, quality, and connectivity of available habitat, prairie-chicken populations in the mixed-grass prairie ecoregion have remained relatively stable-to-declining. To provide information that will assist in providing more appropriate qualifications of available prairie-chicken habitat, I used ensemble modeling approaches and a least-cost path analysis to develop spatially-explicit predictions of prairie-chicken habitat and assess connectivity of identified habitat within the mixed-grass prairie ecoregion. In addition, I provided a critical comparison of the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Habitat Evaluation Guide and research-based field indices used to quantify the amount and quality of habitat for prairie-chicken conservation on a proprety participating in an incentive-based conservation program. I also explored the potential for using ecological site descriptions and relative condition (similarity index) to monitor reproductive habitat for prairie-chickens. Predictions from our ensembled model identified ~4,576 km 2 of potentially suitable prairie-chicken habitat both occupied and unoccupied. Least-cost path analyses revealed a low degree of connectivity between areas of occupied and unoccupied habitat indicating a low probability of natural recolonization. Managers should consider focusing conservation efforts on targeting habitat restoration between, within and around areas of identified occupied and unoccupied habitat. Habitat quality under the HEG habitat assessment protocol showed the property had excellent prairie-chicken habitat quality while research-based estimates showed the property only had marginal habitat quality for prairie-chickens. Differences in habitat quality assessments were in areas that had low percent cover of vegetation species preferred by prairie-chickens and in areas that had recently experienced fire. Thus, managers should consider using components of both habitat assessments protocols when quantifying habitat for prairie-chicken conservation to reduce the probability of producing erroneous estimates of habitat quality. Limited sample size within moderate categories of similarity index across ecological sites prevented us from reliably executing further analyses exploring the utility of using a similarity index as a tool for monitoring prairie-chicken habitat.Item Impacts of species protections on wind turbine development: evidence from golden eagle protection policies(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2023) O'Brien, Brock Daniel; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Diane CharltonAs demand for wind energy grows, policymakers face tradeoffs between wind turbine development and wildlife species protections. This is particularly relevant for golden eagles, which have a habitat that overlaps areas of high wind energy development potential. Golden eagle protections, such as the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), therefore potentially conflict with wind energy development goals. Policymakers face a lack of information regarding the existence and size of potential impacts of species protections on wind development. To approach this issue, I employ a difference-in-differences research design exploiting variation in BGEPA enforcement over time and geographic variation in golden eagle exposure to identify the impacts of species protections on wind development in resource-rich areas. I find that counties with high golden eagle exposure experienced declines in expected wind turbine capacity additions of 3.78 megawatts during the enforcement period, suggesting a total of 420 megawatts of foregone wind energy. This electricity generation loss has an estimated value of $56 to $142 million annually. Existing golden eagle valuation methods suggest significant economic gains from wind turbine expansion, although these estimations arguably apply only to marginal wildlife impacts and should be applied with caution. These results emphasize that the value of foregone renewable energy is an often-overlooked component of species protection policy discussions, and that effective conservation measures and funding are necessary both for the futures of many species and for renewable technology deployment.Item Habitat selection and movement behavior of Chiricahua leopard frogs(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2015) Hinderer, Ross Kenneth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Andrea Litt; Andrea R. Litt, Magnus McCaffery and Robert A. Garrott were co-authors of the article, 'Dispersal of Chiricahua leopard frogs from perennial ponds' submitted to the journal 'Journal of herpetology' which is contained within this thesis.; Andrea R. Litt, Magnus McCaffery and Robert A. Garrott were co-authors of the article, 'Habitat selection by Chiricahua leopard frogs' submitted to the journal 'Journal of herpetology' which is contained within this thesis.Degradation of habitat and disruption of dispersal are major drivers of amphibian declines, including that of the Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis). Currently, the Chiricahua leopard frog is federally threatened and restricted to anthropogenic sources of water, including ponds maintained for livestock, throughout much of its range. Habitat selection and patterns of dispersal between disjunct water sources are not well understood for this species. We captured frogs leaving ponds using pitfall traps and attached radio transmitters to frogs on the Ladder Ranch in southern New Mexico during summers 2013 and 2014. We checked pitfall traps and located telemetered frogs daily for up to 8 weeks. We assessed cues affecting the number of frogs emigrating from ponds using linear models, distances moved by frogs each day using linear mixed models, and finescale habitat selection using conditional logistic regression. Emigration of frogs from ponds was related to rainfall and was greatest at an intermediate level of rain. Daily movement distances were highly variable among individual frogs and not related to sex or size of the frog, which suggests that individual heterogeneity in dispersal behavior may be an adaptation of this species. We observed daily and total movement distances longer than any previously recorded for the species. Habitat selection was very consistent among individuals. Frogs chose habitats with more low-lying cover, a tree overstory, and a mud substrate, features created by summer monsoon rains. We suggest preservation and restoration of habitat features important for frogs and selecting translocation sites and times based on movement behavior observed in this study. Our findings will inform reintroductions of and habitat improvements for Chiricahua leopard frogs, with the eventual goal of delisting this species.Item The genesis of wildlife conservation in Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1987) Brownell, Joan LouiseItem Analysis of the listing of species as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1993) Easter-Pilcher, Andrea L.Item Impacts of winter recreationists on wildlife in a portion of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1981) Aune, Keith