Oral Presentations
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Victoria Dreitz
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Wildlife Biology
Abstract / Artist's Statement
This past summer, I worked for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks on the first reintroduction effort of sharp-tailed grouse to western Montana following their extirpation from the region in the late 2000s. I was monitoring nest success, specifically in the Blackfoot Valley, and it was apparent that the nest survival rate was considerably low. Researchers do not know the exact reason sharp-tailed grouse were originally extirpated from the region. However, it has been hypothesized that the use of proper livestock grazing practices could be an important factor in increasing the probability of successfully establishing a population. For this project, I chose to synthesize the information about this topic from scientific literature papers in order to uncover current understandings and areas that need further research. I collected data by using keywords, such as “grazing and sharp-tailed grouse,” to search Google Scholar to find peer-reviewed papers related to the topic of the effects of livestock grazing on sharp-tailed grouse nesting. I divided the research collected into two sections. The first section uses the literature reviewed to describe the commonly used livestock grazing strategies and outline the current knowledge about the effects of these strategies on range condition as it relates to sharp-tailed grouse nesting habitat requirements. The second section summarizes the data published in the scientific literature relating to the relationship between grazing strategy and nesting habitat and/or nest site selection and success for sharp-tailed grouse and related species. This project is important because it synthesizes our existing knowledge about how sharp-tailed grouse nesting is affected by livestock grazing practices and identifies areas where further research is needed. Intact, native mixed-grass prairies are being modified rapidly by human development. Sharp-tailed grouse serve as an indicator species for grassland bird species because they require structurally diverse vegetation, meaning understanding the impact of the common practice of livestock grazing on sharp-tailed grouse population persistence will have direct implications for many other grassland bird species.
Category
Life Sciences
The Effect of Livestock Grazing on Sharp-tailed Grouse Nesting
UC 331
This past summer, I worked for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks on the first reintroduction effort of sharp-tailed grouse to western Montana following their extirpation from the region in the late 2000s. I was monitoring nest success, specifically in the Blackfoot Valley, and it was apparent that the nest survival rate was considerably low. Researchers do not know the exact reason sharp-tailed grouse were originally extirpated from the region. However, it has been hypothesized that the use of proper livestock grazing practices could be an important factor in increasing the probability of successfully establishing a population. For this project, I chose to synthesize the information about this topic from scientific literature papers in order to uncover current understandings and areas that need further research. I collected data by using keywords, such as “grazing and sharp-tailed grouse,” to search Google Scholar to find peer-reviewed papers related to the topic of the effects of livestock grazing on sharp-tailed grouse nesting. I divided the research collected into two sections. The first section uses the literature reviewed to describe the commonly used livestock grazing strategies and outline the current knowledge about the effects of these strategies on range condition as it relates to sharp-tailed grouse nesting habitat requirements. The second section summarizes the data published in the scientific literature relating to the relationship between grazing strategy and nesting habitat and/or nest site selection and success for sharp-tailed grouse and related species. This project is important because it synthesizes our existing knowledge about how sharp-tailed grouse nesting is affected by livestock grazing practices and identifies areas where further research is needed. Intact, native mixed-grass prairies are being modified rapidly by human development. Sharp-tailed grouse serve as an indicator species for grassland bird species because they require structurally diverse vegetation, meaning understanding the impact of the common practice of livestock grazing on sharp-tailed grouse population persistence will have direct implications for many other grassland bird species.