Greater prairie chicken nesting habitat, Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota

Abstract

Greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) populations and habitats have declined dramatically in the Great Plains. The Sheyenne National Grassland (SNG) has the largest population of greater prairie chickens in North Dakota, but this population has declined over the past 15 years. Lack of nesting habitat has been identified as a significant factor contributing to the decline in greater prairie chicken populations throughout their range. We used the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model for greater prairie chickens to evaluate the nesting habitat conditions on the SNG. This population of greater prairie chickens appears to sustain itself on the brink of extirpation by nesting in the few areas that provide nesting cover and in private alfalfa fields. Encroachment of woody plants into the SNG, changes in private land use patterns, removal of forage by domestic livestock contribute to the low suitability of the SNG for nesting by greater prairie chickens.

Parent Publication

• Conserving biodiversity on native rangelands: Symposium proceedings

Citation

McCarthy, Clinton; Pella, Tim; Link, Greg; Rumble, Mark A. 1997. Greater prairie chicken nesting habitat, Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota. In: Uresk, Daniel W.; Schenbeck, Greg L.; O''Rourke, James T., tech coords. Conserving Biodiversity on Native Rangelands: symposium proceedings: August 17, 1995; Fort Robinson State Park, Nebraska. General Technical Report RM-GTR-298. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. p. 13-18