Montana Bug Study Investigates Benefits of Prescribed Grazing for Sage Grouse Chicks
Hayes Goosey is leading a unique four-year study near Roundup, Montana, to investigate a key part of sage grouse diet in spring and summer, particularly for the growing chicks. Preliminary findings of the study after two field seasons reveal that the Sage Grouse Initiative rest-rotation grazing program is working when it comes to boosting the abundance of arthropods. The results show that the rested or deferred pastures from grazing host the most arthropods across all taxa.
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Entomologist Hayes Goosey from Montana State University and his team are in the field this summer investigating the link between arthropod (insects & spiders) abundance and rested versus actively grazed pastures near Roundup as part of Sage Grouse Initiative science projects.
The Billings Gazette featured a story on his work on June 8, and the Sage Grouse Initiative has a related story plus a report on preliminary findings from Goosey showing a strong correlation between favorite chick insects/ spider foods and rested pastures. (Photo of bug sampling in the field near Roundup, courtesy of Hayes Goosey).
Contact:
Hayes B. Goosey-Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Montana State University
cell: (406) 580-0119
work: (406) 994-2012
Montana Ongoing Study Suggests
More Insects in Rested Pastures
Hayes Goosey is leading a unique four-year study near Roundup, Montana, to investigate a key part of sage grouse diet in spring and summer, particularly for the growing chicks. Specifically, he’s looking for arthropods that are important for nutrition: beetles, the larvae of butterfly and moths, grasshoppers and crickets, spiders, and ants.
Preliminary findings of the study after two field seasons reveal that the Sage Grouse Initiative rest-rotation grazing program is working when it comes to boosting the abundance of arthropods. The results show that the rested or deferred pastures from grazing host the most arthropods across all taxa.
Goosey is an entomologist in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at Montana State University. He initiated the project out of his own interest in conserving sage grouse and sagebrush steppe habitats, as well as ranching.
“From my perspective and SGI as a whole, the way to serve sage grouse is from these partnerships with ranches and keeping ranches on the ground and profitable and not converting them into wheatfields,” Goosey said.
Out in the sagebrush steppe, Goosey and his crew have two techniques for sampling: pitfall traps and sweep nets. To create the traps he digs holes in the upland shrublands and places cups inside of the holes. At night, beetles and other insects fall into the cups and can’t scramble out. To sample arthropods above ground, the team walks along a transect sweeping the shrubs and grasses with heavy canvas nets. Next comes the laborious process of counting, sorting and identifying the catch. When it comes to determining genus and species, Goosey turns to an excellent identification specialist, Marni Rolfton, research associate at MSU.
With data in hand, Goosey compares his findings with the needs of sage grouse chicks. The first six weeks are critical, a time when mortality rates are highest and the chicks are too young to make a journey to wetlands where even more insect protein can be found. For the first 21 to 28 days, the chicks eat arthropods almost exclusively. Butterfly and moth larvae are particularly important.
So far, he’s seeing a notable trend. Taller grasses and sagebrush and less bare ground correlate with higher numbers of beetles, moth and butterfly larvae and other arthropods. Goosey points out in his two-year report that grazing systems that decrease the percentage of bare ground also increase the carrying capacity (AUMs) for livestock. In other words, rested pastures with plentiful bugs are a good deal for cattle and sage grouse alike. As the study progresses, he hopes to have more data to lead to conclusions about insect diversity on the rested versus actively grazed pastures.
To continue this important research for sage grouse across their range, Goosey will receive SGI science funding support for the next two seasons. Until now, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has played a pivotal funding role, and will continue to do so with a new infusion of funds.
“We’re thrilled that SGI is now a partner and helping double the length of a study so tied to the crucial part of the sage grouse life cycle, early chick survival,” said Dave Naugle, SGI science advisor.
