Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Selection, Survival, Abundance, and Space-Use in the Bi-State Distinct Population Segment of California and Nevada

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereinafter sage-grouse) is a sagebrush obligate species and widely considered an indicator species for sagebrush ecosystems and other sagebrush-dependent species (Hanser and Knick, 2011; Prochazka and others, 2023). Sagebrush ecosystems are threatened by a wide range of disturbances and anthropogenic factors, including climate change, severe drought, altered wildfire regimes, expansion of invasive species, and anthropogenic development. Collectively, these threats have led to reduced ecological integrity and sage-grouse habitat quality within the sagebrush biome (Doherty and others, 2022). Steady and long-term declines in sage-grouse populations have led to large-scale efforts to improve population performance and prevent additional loss of habitat for sage-grouse and other sagebrush-dependent species (Coates and others, 2021). Due to their complex space use and habitat selection patterns during different life stages, requirements for large intact tracts of sagebrush, declining population trends, and status as a proposed protected species, sage-grouse have become integral to land management and conservation policy throughout the western United States (Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2015; Doherty and others, 2022).
References cited:
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