CONTRIBUTIONS OF GROUSE RESEARCH IN CANADA TO ECOLOGY

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CONTRIBUTIONS OF GROUSE RESEARCH IN CANADA TO
ECOLOGY

• Susan Hannon, University of Alberta
• Kathy Martin, University of British Columbia
• IGS 2008 Whitehorse

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OUTLINE

• Grouse in Canada and conservation status
• Contributions of Canadians to grouse research
• Prognosis for grouse and research in Canada

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Canadian grouse

• 9 species
• 3 groups forest, arctic/alpine, grassland

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Forest grouse
Dusky grouse Dendragapus obscurus Interior
Sooty Grouse Dendragapus fuliginosus Pacific
coast ranges
Blue grouse
Status secure, still occupy most of their former
range Some concern over interior dusky grouse
decline Threats clearcutting (boom/bust),
overgrazing, fire suppression
Zwickel et al. 2005. Blue Grouse. BNA. Ithaca
Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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Forest grouse
Boag and Schroeder. 1992. Spruce Grouse. BNA.
Ithaca Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Spruce Grouse Falcipennis canadensis
Status secure, still occupy most of their former
range, some declines at southern range limit
(WA) Threats reduction conifer forests (esp
pine) from development, large-scale forestry
(matrix), habitat conversion
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Forest grouse
Rusch et al. 2000. Ruffed Grouse. BNA. Ithaca
Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Early successional deciduous (aspen)
Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus
Status secure, still occupy most of their former
range Threats fire control, opposition to
clear-cut logging practices, forest conversion to
conifer, hunting in some areas
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Arctic/alpine grouse
Hannon et al.. 1998. Willow Ptarmigan. BNA.
Ithaca Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus
Arctic and alpine shrubby tundra
Status secure, except possibly in Newfoundland
Threats disturbances (mining, oil and gas
activities, transportation, recreational
activities), accumulation of contaminants,
climate change, hunting pressure (Nfld?)
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Arctic/alpine grouse
Montgomerie and Holder. 2008. Rock Ptarmigan.
BNA. Ithaca Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Arctic and alpine tundra
Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta
Status secure Threats disturbances (mining,
oil and gas activities, transportation,
recreational activities), climate change
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Arctic/alpine grouse
Status secure, except in Vancouver Island (blue
listed) Threats human habitat alteration and
disturbance, climate change
White-tailed Ptarmigan Lagopus leucura
Braun et al. 1993. White-tailed Ptarmigan. BNA.
Ithaca Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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Grassland grouse
Connelly et al. 1998. Sharp-tailed Grouse. BNA.
Ithaca Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Sharp-tailed Grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus
Status numbers declining in the south and east
portions of historical range, northern pops
secure Threats hunting in BC, Yukon?, habitat
conversion, overgrazing, fire suppression
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Grassland grouse
Schroeder et al.1999. Greater Sage-Grouse.
BNA. Ithaca Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Greater Sage-Grouse Centrocercus urophasianus
Status EXTIRPATED Phaios subspecies (British
Columbia population) ENDANGERED Urophasianus
subspecies (Prairie population) Threats habitat
loss and degradation (agriculture, sage-brush
removal, grazing, oil and gas, change in fire
regime), disease
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Grassland Grouse

• one extirpated (Greater prairie chicken,
  Tympanuchus cupido )
• Conversion of tall grass prairie to agriculture,
  overgrazing

Svedarsky et al. 2003. Effects of
management practices on grassland birds Greater
Prairie-Chicken. Northern Prairie Wildlife
Research Center.
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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• The early years
• Up to 1960 only 29 pubs
• ROWAN, W. 1926. Comments on two hybrid grouse and
  on the occurrence of Tympanuchus americanus
  americanus in the province of Alberta. AUK
• TAVERNER, P. A. 1929. A study of the Canadian
  races of rock ptarmigan (Lagopus rupestris) BULL
  NAT MUS CANADA
• Mostly systematics, disease, parasites,
  population cycles

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Early monographs on behaviour
• MacDonald , S. D. 1968. The courtship and
  territorial behavior of Franklin's race of the
  Spruce Grouse. Living Bird
• MacDonald , S. D. 1970. The breeding behavior of
  the Rock Ptarmigan. Living Bird
• National Museum of Canada

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• 1960s Population regulation
• BOAG, D. A. 1966. Population attributes of blue
  grouse in southwestern Alberta. Canadian Journal
  of Zoology
• BERGERUD, A.T MERCER, W. E. 1966.
• Census of the willow ptarmigan in Newfoundland.
  Journal of Wildlife Management
• ZWICKEL, F. C. BENDELL, J. F. 1967. Early
  mortality and the regulation on numbers in blue
  grouse (Dendrogapus obscurus fuliginosus).
  Canadian Journal of Zoology

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Population regulation
• RUSCH D H KEITH L B 1971. SEASONAL AND ANNUAL
  TRENDS IN NUMBERS OF ALBERTA RUFFED GROUSE.
  Journal of Wildlife Management
• BOAG D A MCCOURT K H HERZOG P W ALWAY J H.
  1979. POPULATION REGULATION IN SPRUCE GROUSE
  CANACHITES-CANADENSIS-FRANKLINII A WORKING
  HYPOTHESIS. Canadian Journal of Zoology
• MOSSOP, DH. 1988. WINTER SURVIVAL AND BREEDING
  STRATEGIES OF WILLOW PTARMIGAN. The Book.

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Experiments!
• ZWICKEL, F.C. 1972. REMOVAL AND RE POPULATION OF
  BLUE GROUSE IN AN INCREASING POPULATION. Journal
  of Wildlife Management
• BENDELL, J.F. 1972. REMOVAL AND RE POPULATION OF
  BLUE GROUSE IN A DECLINING POPULATION. Journal of
  Wildlife Management

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Tests of the Chitty Hypothesis/Spacing Behaviour
• REDFIELD J A ZWICKEL F C BENDELL J F BERGERUD
  A T. 1972. TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL PATTERNS OF
  ALLELE AND GENOTYPE FREQUENCIES AT THE NG LOCUS
  IN BLUE GROUSE DENDRAGAPUS-OBSCURUS. Canadian
  Journal of Zoology
• BERGERUD A T HEMUS H D. 1975. AN EXPERIMENTAL
  STUDY OF THE BEHAVIOR OF BLUE GROUSE
  DENDRAGAPUS-OBSCURUS PART 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
  THE FOUNDERS FROM 3 POPULATIONS. Canadian Journal
  of Zoology
• HERZOG P W BOAG D A. 1977. SEASONAL CHANGES IN
  AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR OF FEMALE SPRUCE GROUSE.
  Canadian Journal of Zoology
• HANNON, SJ. 1983. SPACING AND BREEDING DENSITY OF
  WILLOW PTARMIGAN IN RESPONSE TO AN EXPERIMENTAL
  ALTERATION OF SEX RATIO. Journal of Animal
  Ecology

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Dispersal
• KEPPIE D M 1979. DISPERSAL OVER WINTER MORTALITY
  AND RECRUITMENT OF SPRUCE GROUSE
  CANACHITES-CANADENSIS-FRANKLINII. Journal of
  Wildlife Management
• HINES J E. 1986. SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION OF
  DISPERSING BLUE GROUSE DENDRAGAPUS-OBSCURUS.
  Condor
• SCHROEDER M A. 1986. THE FALL PHASE OF DISPERSAL
  IN JUVENILE SPRUCE GROUSE DENDRAGAPUS-CANADENSIS.
  Canadian Journal of Zoology

FEDY, B. C. et al. 2008. GENETIC AND ECOLOGICAL
DATA PROVIDE INCONGRUENT INTERPRETATIONS OF
POPULATION STRUCTURE AND DISPERSAL IN NATURALLY
SUBDIVIDED POPULATIONS OF WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN
(LAGOPUS LEUCURA). Molecular Ecology
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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Parasites
• WILLIAMS N A MAHRT J L ZWICKEL F C 1980. THE
  ECOLOGY OF BLOOD PARASITES IN BLUE GROUSE
  DENDRAGAPUS-OBSCURUS FROM VANCOUVER ISLAND
  BRITISH-COLUMBIA CANADA. Canadian Journal of
  Zoology
• Contamination
• Organochlorines, lead, heavy metals, Bacillus
  theringiensis

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Mating systems/parental care
• HANNON S J 1984. FACTORS LIMITING POLYGYNY IN
  THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN LAGOPUS-LAGOPUS. Animal
  Behaviour
• MARTIN K COOKE F. 1987. BI-PARENTAL CARE IN
  WILLOW PTARMIGAN A LUXURY? Animal Behaviour
• BERGERUD, A T. 1988. MATING SYSTEMS IN GROUSE.
  IN ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES AND POPULATION ECOLOGY OF
  NORTHERN GROUSE.

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Life history/demography
• Sandercock, B.K. Martin, K. Hannon, S.J.
  2005. Demographic consequences of age-structure
  in extreme environments population models for
  arctic and alpine ptarmigan. Oecologia
• Martin, K. Wiebe, K. L. 2004. Coping mechanisms
  of alpine and arctic breeding birds Extreme
  weather and limitations to reproductive
  resilience. Integrative and Comparative Biology
• Wilson, S. Life history strategies influence
  response to climate variation for sympatric Rock
  and White-tailed Ptarmigan. This conference

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Habitat management in changing landscapes
• Baydack, R. K. 1997. Habitat management for
  sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus on
  private lands in Manitoba, Canada. Wildlife
  Biology
• Harrison, S. Chatterson, B. Paul, D. 1997.
  Landscape connectivity and its effect on the
  ecological processes of spruce grouse Dendragapus
  canadensis populations. Wildlife Biology
• Dussault, C Courtois, R Ferron, J. 1998. Short
  term impact of cutting with the protection of
  regeneration of ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus)
  in a boreal forest. Canadian Journal of Forest
  Research
• Manzer, D.L. Hannon, S.J. 2008. Survival of
  sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus
  chicks and hens in a fragmented prairie
  landscape. Wildlife Biology

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Conservation of endangered spp/pops
• Aldridge, C. L. Boyce, MS. 2007. Linking
  occurrence and fitness to persistence
  Habitat-based approach for endangered Greater
  Sage-Grouse. Ecological Applications
• Naugle, D.E. et al. 2004. West Nile virus
  pending crisis for greater sage-grouse. Ecology
  Letters
• Bush, K.L. et al. Detrimental effects of energy
  development on genetic diversity of Sage Grouse.
  This conference

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Contributions of Canadians to grouse research

• Synthesis

BERGERUD, A. T. AND M. W. GRATSON (ED.).1988
ZWICKEL AND BENDELL (2004) (TWS award)
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Grouse research over time

ISI web of knowledge grouse, ptarmigan, Canada
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Grouse in Canada now

• Grousers- endangered species
• Fully dedicated research rare
• Low monitoring efforts/ management by Fish and
  Wildlife agencies
• Prairie grouse in trouble
• Relentless pace of development and climate change
  will have impacts

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Grouse futures?