Conceptual Life History and Habitat Suitability Models for the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
Session Number
Project ID: ENVR 01
Advisor(s)
Dr. Yuki Hamada; Argonne National Laboratory
Discipline
Environmental Science
Start Date
19-4-2023 10:20 AM
End Date
19-4-2023 10:35 AM
Abstract
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have experienced extensive population decline across their range in the western United States and Canada due to habitat degradation and loss largely associated with land use change, including the development of clean-energy projects. Modeling the life history and habitat suitability of the species is a key tool in understanding how landscape changes could affect sage-grouse populations. A group of scientists at Argonne National Laboratory developed such models in 2012; however, those models have not been updated since then. We updated the models conceptualizing greater sage-grouse life-history and habitat suitability. The life history model separates sage-grouse by age (chick, juvenile, yearling, and adult) and sex (male, female), tracking major life events such as lekking, mating, brooding, and migration throughout the seasons. The habitat suitability models show requirements/preferences for individual sage-grouse survival and reproduction across various environmental factors. These updates in the models could inform policy decisions and development plans with sage-grouse conservation in mind.
Conceptual Life History and Habitat Suitability Models for the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have experienced extensive population decline across their range in the western United States and Canada due to habitat degradation and loss largely associated with land use change, including the development of clean-energy projects. Modeling the life history and habitat suitability of the species is a key tool in understanding how landscape changes could affect sage-grouse populations. A group of scientists at Argonne National Laboratory developed such models in 2012; however, those models have not been updated since then. We updated the models conceptualizing greater sage-grouse life-history and habitat suitability. The life history model separates sage-grouse by age (chick, juvenile, yearling, and adult) and sex (male, female), tracking major life events such as lekking, mating, brooding, and migration throughout the seasons. The habitat suitability models show requirements/preferences for individual sage-grouse survival and reproduction across various environmental factors. These updates in the models could inform policy decisions and development plans with sage-grouse conservation in mind.