Chickens and Woody Encroachment: Research Presentations Available for Viewing

On January 29, the Society for Range Management hosted an full-day symposium on the effects  of woody encroachment on western grouse–namely lesser prairie-chickens and greater sage grouse. Twenty scientists presented their findings and discussed management implications for grassland and sagebrush habitats.

If you missed the live-streaming of those presentations, don’t worry—they’re now available for on-line viewing. While all of the 20-minute presentations are captivating, a small subset specifically relate to lesser prairie-chickens and the southern Great Plains, and we’ve highlighted these below. You can view the full suite of presentations on the Sage Grouse Initiative YouTube playlist for the Woodland Expansion Symposium.

1. Impact of Mesquite Distribution on Seasonal Space Use of Lesser Prairie-Chickens. Lead researcher Matt Bogie presents his findings from his study of lesser prairie-chickens in eastern New Mexico.

Read our Science to Solutions summary of Bogie’s research, Mesquite Removal Restores Habitat for Lesser Prairie-Chickens.

2. Lesser Prairie-Chicken Avoidance of Trees in a Grassland Landscape. Lead researcher Joseph Lautenbach presents findings from his study of lesser prairie-chickens in redcedar-encroached grasslands in south-central Kansas.

Read our Science to Solutions summary of this research, Redcedar Removal Restores LEPC Habitat.

3. Targeted Woodland Removal to Recover At-Risk Grouse and Their Sagebrush-Steppe and Prairie Ecosystems. Rick Miller presents a new mapping tool that offers high-resolution mapping of woody encroachment in lesser prairie-chicken and greater sage-grouse habitat regions and discusses implications for management.

Read our Science to Solutions summary of this research, New Mapping Tool Helps Target Woody Encroachment.