SAGE-GROUSE IN THE GREAT BASIN: RECENT POPULATION TRENDS ACROSS NEVADA AND THE GREAT BASIN

Steven R Mathews-Sanchez; U.S. Geological Survey; smathews@usgs.gov; Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Megan C. Milligan, Shawn Espinosa, David J. Delehanty

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have experienced substantial reductions in abundance and distribution throughout their range and are a species of high conservation concern. The Great Basin ecoregion contains ~25% of populations range-wide and recent studies have concluded more substantial declines compared to other areas across the range. Using radio- and GPS-telemetry methods, we monitored 15 sub-populations of sage-grouse (>1,700 individuals) across Nevada, Idaho, and California during 2008–2021 to examine demographic processes driving population dynamics within the Great Basin. Specifically, we developed integrated populations models within a Bayesian framework to refine estimates of specific vital rates and population change (?) using a joint likelihood and temporal inference that accounted for natural population oscillations. Since 2008, populations in the Great Basin have experienced substantial declines in abundance resulting in an average annual ? of 0.92 (95% credible interval [CRI], 0.87–0.97) with substantial variation across sites. Importantly, estimated annual survival (0.62, 95% CRI 0.59–0.65) and some reproductive rates were lower than those reported elsewhere range-wide, which may be explained by the effects of drought, wildfire, and other threats unique to the Great Basin. These findings are preliminary, are provided for timely science communication and are subject to change.

Habitat Use, Occupancy and Population Trends of Nevada Wildlife  InPerson Presentation