Development of landscape scale resource selection models for the management of Gunnison sage-grouse in the Gunnison Basin population

Development of landscape scale resource selection models for the management of Gunnison sage-grouse in the Gunnison Basin population

Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) have declined substantially from their historica range and were listed as threatened by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in November of 2014. GUSG are distributed into seven isolated populations in Colorado and one population, Gunnison Basin (GB) comprises 85-09% of all GUSG in the state. Concern over the small population size and isolated and fragmented nature of many of the smaller populations has led to interest in the habitat use of GUSG. Much of the information that has been used on GUSG habitat selection has come from studies pertaining to Greater Sage-grouse. Currently the USFWS have designated most of the Gunnison basin as critical habitat, but there may be some variability to the quality and use of that critical habitat which could refine those maps for better management of the species. To successfully manage and understand the Gunnison sage-grouse, we must identify the habitat that is most important to the birds using data driven models. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has collected radio-telemetry data from almost 200 birds from 2004-2010 which could be used to model habitat selection with a robust dataset specific to the Gunnison sage-grouse in the Gunnison basin.

Rice, Mindy B.

Gunnison sage-grouse

Wildlife management

5 pages

2015

Text

application/pdf

English

Cost Center 3420 Avian Research. Work Package 0659 Greater sage-grouse conservation