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Assessment of Conservation Status of Montana’s Wildlife and Implications for Inventory and Monitoring
No full textThe assessment of the conservation status of species provides valuable information for highlighting species that are undergoing declines or are threatened with extirpation in some or all of their range, allowing managers to prioritize actions to support conservation. In Montana, ranks for animals, plants, and ecosystems are calculated by the Montana Natural Heritage Program (NHP) using standardized NatureServe methodologies that account for the species rarity, threats to persistence, and trends in population. For terrestrial vertebrates, proposed changes to ranks and constituent criteria are reviewed by a committee of NHP and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks staff with consultation of taxonomic experts before final ranks are accepted. Recently NHP staff have undertaken a comprehensive review of the methodology and systems that support rank calculation. During this process we have reviewed the rank data for all birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and developed database driven tools to increase the transparency of status ranks and better display this information to wildlife professionals. We identified data deficiencies within these ranks to provide recommendations for future research to address these deficiencies. Across the Species of Conservation Concern reviewed we found that all had data to assess rarity, 48 lacked short-term trend data and 26 more lacked current trend data, and 18 lacked data to assess threats to persistence. Identification of data deficiencies can help structure future research by providing clear goals for baseline inventories, monitoring intervals, collection of life history data and the precision required for any indices used in the ranking process
Evaluation of Herbicide Treatments in a Large Oligotrophic Lake to Reduce Aquatic Invasive Species
No full textThe goal of our research is to develop a herbicide prescription to reduce the abundance of flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), and stop the advancement of infestation downstream into the Columbia River Basin. Flowering rush is an invasive aquatic plant introduced to North America from Eurasia, and was observed in Montana, on the northwest shore of Flathead Lake in 1964. Since then, flowering rush has become well established in Flathead Lake and spread downstream through the Selish, Ksanka, Qlipse (SKQ) Dam to the lower Flathead River and Clark Fork Rivers, and has established in Lake Pend Oreille; furthermore, moving into Washington and Oregon to the McNeary Dam region. Environmental impacts of flowering rush include threats to native fisheries that have considerable cultural importance to the indigenous people of the region. Habitat changes from open water system to closed water system favor invasive species of fish. The alterations to the food web affect macro invertebrates and algae production. In addition to native plants and animals, flowering rush invasions impact property values and recreation, degrade water quality, increase sedimentation, and reduce irrigation water delivery capacity. Two aquatic herbicides, Imazapyr (Habitat®) and Imazomox (Clearcast®), have been applied to bare ground in mid-April, annually, approximately three weeks before inundation. Sprout counts and rhizome weights have been collected in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and compared with existing data for their efficacy. Results have shown that sequential application of aquatic herbicides is an effective means to reduce and deplete the rhizome of flowering rush
Invasive Annual Grass Management Successes - A Wildlife, Pollinator, and Wildfire Perspective
No full textInvasive winter annual grasses (WAGs) such as cheatgrass, medusahead, and ventenata continue to negatively impact Montana Rangeland. Impacts include displacement of species diversity, displacement of critical wildlife and pollinator habitat, and a drastic increase in fine fuels associated with wildfire. Since beginning in 2015 in collaboration with all the major Universities in the west including Montana State University, over 100 research trials and operational treatments have been implemented with a new WAG tool, Rejuvra. Rejuvra is a new mode of action to land managers that provides multiple years of WAG control with a single application. This allows for the depletion of the WAG soil seed bank, ultimately increasing our restoration success. One concern of land managers, ecologists, and wildlife biologists is the ever-increasing threat of WAGs, the possible permanent displacement of these in-tact ecosystems, and wildfire risk. Several research sites have included lowland, foothills and mountains properties that provide critical overwintering habitat for mule deer, elk, and other wildlife, and treated areas have provided the opportunity to answer several research questions of interest to land managers. Our research has shown that mule deer browse for seven different shrub species and forb forage dramatically increased where cheatgrass was controlled. Invasive WAG treated sites have also resulted in an increase in pollinator habitat and visitation, and fine-fuel loads are greatly reduced. These results reinforce the findings of field managers, that cheatgrass and other invasive WAGs pose a significant threat to the habitat and population of browse and pollinator species in the wes
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' Strategy for the Conservation of Wildlife Movement and Migration
No full textConservation of wildlife habitat is a core function of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) dating back to 1940 when FWP first pursued conservation of high-value habitats. A critically important role of quality habitat is providing space and security for animals to move across the landscape to utilize seasonally important resources. FWP has been working with private landowners, federal agencies, the Montana Department of Transportation, and other partners to facilitate wildlife movements and conserve important habitats. In 2018 the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) issued Secretarial Order (SO) 3362, which charged DOI agencies to work with 11 eleven western states to conserve winter range and migratory pathways for ungulates and allocated millions in funding. Montana has received more than $1.5 million and used those dollars to continue collaring ungulates, remove fencing, manage weeds, and conserve important parcels of land. FWP released the first SO 3362 Action Plan in 2018 to prioritize work and in 2020 released a strategy formally defining and prioritizing agency efforts related to big game, carnivore and bird movements, commensurate with long-standing efforts by FWP and our partners. FWP is involved with teams of others working on this issue including the Wildlife and Transportation Steering Committee, the WAFWA Wildlife Movement and Migration Working Group and the Migration Coalition. FWP specifically brings to the table a depth of experience working in collaboration with private landowners and state and federal agencies on habitat conservation and now specifically the conservation of wildlife movement and migration
Part I - Tracking Small Wildlife Migration Collaboratively Across the West
No full textWildlife movement, including migration, influences the ability for species to adapt and survive. Without a better understanding of movement and connectivity, most species-focused conservation strategies may not reflect full annual cycles. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System, or Motus, helps to fill that void by deploying miniaturized and digitally encoded VHF tags on wildlife, called Motus tags, in combination with strategic placement of automated receiving units, called Motus stations. In fall of 2018, MPG Ranch spearheaded the “Intermountain West Collaborative” (IWC) Motus Project aiming to expand the western Motus network for all researchers to use. In 2019, the IWC Motus Project grew a network of 12 Motus stations in western Montana and researchers tagged 120 birds and bats. The following year, IWC expanded the array to 23 Motus stations across Montana, Idaho and Oregon, and increased tagging efforts to more than 200 birds and bats. We have detected various species during migration, using this technology, renewing our appreciation for connectivity and our understanding of movement of small wildlife. The Motus network expansion in the West speaks to the collaborative interest many biologists and conservationists hold in unravelling migratory habits of small wildlife and conserving their habitat. In 2021, we are planning to install an additional 20-30 Motus stations throughout the West and as far as Mexico. The flourishing Motus projects in our region will provide species life-history information such as dispersal, survival, departure and arrival dates, and a better understanding of wildlife habitat connectivity throughout the Wes
Anthropogenic Effects on Grouse Detection and Abundance Based Upon Road and Trail Characteristics in Western Montana
No full textAnthropogenic structures, such as constructed roads and trails, and human use may affect space use, demography, and other wildlife population parameters. Alternately, human infrastructure and activity may result in perceived population responses by influencing the ability of biologists to detect individuals during standard population surveys. The evaluation of spatio-temporal factors correlates in detection probabilities and local abundances, which is necessary for proper population management. To evaluate the effects of human use on mountain grouse populations, we developed and conducted replicated surveys throughout western Montana during 2020. Biologists and volunteers collected count data for dusky, ruffed, and spruce grouse during 582 surveys along 291 survey transects located throughout FWP Regions 1-5. Survey transects occurred along two types of human infrastructure: U.S. Forest Service Trails and unimproved roads close to highway vehicle use during the survey period. As a first step, we compared count data for road and trail transect surveys for each species of grouse. Overall, raw counts of dusky grouse were higher for transects located along trails (0.59 ± 1.07SD grouse per transect) than unimproved roads (0.33 ± 0.91SD). Raw counts of ruffed grouse were similar for transects located along trails (0.75 ± 1.42SD) and unimproved roads (0.69 ± 1.55SD). Sample sizes for spruce grouse precluded comparison. In the next phase, we will use hierarchical models to evaluate whether the apparent effect of trail type on raw counts is manifested through effects on local abundance or the probability of detection, and consider the effects of other human-use and habitat characteristics
Enhancing Reasoning and Judgment to Improve Research, Management and Implementation
No full textDesigning research and interpreting findings requires sound reasoning. Implementing results through management requires good judgment. Enhancing the intersection of research, management, and implementation requires wildlife professionals to improve reasoning and judgement skills. Our team conducted a study to identify the essential habits of mind and practices associated with the reasoning and judgement of a sample of peer-selected, highly effective wildlife professionals. Their habits and practices fall into five broad categories: being critically inquisitive and continuously learning; using multi-level, integrative systems thinking; apply self-discipline; taking a balanced approach; and employing emotional intelligence in interactions with others. Based on these findings, we developed a series of practical tools individuals can use to assess the degree to which their habits and practices align with those of highly effective wildlife professionals and develop professional development plans to improve their performance. The tools are available for use at no cost on the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Management Assistance Team (MAT) website. MAT staff can provide assistance with use of the tools as well as creation and implementation of professional development plans
Natural and Anthropogenic Landscape Features Influence Greater Sage- Grouse Seasonal Habitat Selection in Carbon County, Montana
No full textQuantifying resource selection by animals assists wildlife and land managers in making habitat decisions that can be used for restoration and conservation planning. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter ‘sage-grouse’) are the focus of much research and conservation efforts owing to their obligate relationship with sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and dramatic population declines over the last 50 years. Sage-grouse typically utilize different habitats during breeding, summer, and winter seasons and resource use varies throughout the home range of an individual animal. Our objective was to identify natural and anthropogenic landscape features that influence resource selection for female sage-grouse during breeding, summer, and winter seasons. We used data from 85 GPS-tagged female sage-grouse in Carbon County, Montana and Park County, Wyoming from April 2018–2020. We examined resource use based on intensity of use by implementing a Resource Utilization Function (RUF) for each season. We identified natural landscape features from remotely sensed data and identified anthropogenic features such as roads, oil and gas development, agriculture, and houses. We evaluated each variable at multiple scales ranging from 100 m to 3200 m across each season. We found differences in sage-grouse resource use based on scale and season. Wildlife managers should consider not only seasonal habitat used by sage-grouse, but also those areas that are used most frequently and the habitat characteristics associated with increased areas of sage-grouse use
Part II - Tracking Small Wildlife Migration Collaboratively Across the West
No full textWildlife movement, including migration, influences the ability for species to adapt and survive. Without a better understanding of movement and connectivity, most species-focused conservation strategies may not reflect full annual cycles. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System, or Motus, helps to fill that void by deploying miniaturized and digitally encoded VHF tags on wildlife, called Motus tags, in combination with strategic placement of automated receiving units, called Motus stations. In fall of 2018, MPG Ranch spearheaded the “Intermountain West Collaborative” (IWC) Motus Project aiming to expand the western Motus network for all researchers to use. In 2019, the IWC Motus Project grew a network of 12 Motus stations in western Montana and researchers tagged 120 birds and bats. The following year, IWC expanded the array to 23 Motus stations across Montana, Idaho and Oregon, and increased tagging efforts to more than 200 birds and bats. We have detected various species during migration, using this technology, renewing our appreciation for connectivity and our understanding of movement of small wildlife. The Motus network expansion in the West speaks to the collaborative interest many biologists and conservationists hold in unravelling migratory habits of small wildlife and conserving their habitat. In 2021, we are planning to install an additional 20-30 Motus stations throughout the West and as far as Mexico. The flourishing Motus projects in our region will provide species life-history information such as dispersal, survival, departure and arrival dates, and a better understanding of wildlife habitat connectivity throughout the West
Sampling for Rocky Mountain Tailed Frogs in Overwhich Creek Post Rotenone Treatment
No full textRocky Mountain Tailed Frogs (Ascaphus montanus) are widely distributed and relatively common west of the Continental Divide in small, high elevation streams with cobble substrates. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) used the piscicide Rotenone to remove non-native Yellowstone cutthroat trout from the headwaters of Overwhich Creek in the Bitterroot Mountains near Lost Trail Pass in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Pre-treatment surveys for amphibians were not conducted in 2017 and 2018, but fisheries biologists anecdotally reported large numbers of Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog larvae dying during treatments, and that the number of tailed frogs appeared to decline after the first two treatments. Prior to the 2019 treatment, an MFWP and Montana Natural Heritage Program crew used kicknet surveys to sample twenty-three 10-meter stream reaches in the treatment area to document the number and age distribution of tailed frog adults, juveniles, and larval classes. This survey found all age classes distributed throughout the treatment area associated with cobble substrates, but densities appeared to be greatly reduced from those reported by fisheries biologists prior to the 2017 treatment. A caged study that measured survival of all age classes during the treatment indicated high mortality rates, but some larvae did survive. A 2020 repeat kicknet survey also showed all age classes to be widespread in the treatment area. Several more years of survey are needed to document recovery post-treatment in Overwhich Creek and more thorough pre- and post-treatment surveys are needed in other streams slated for Rotenone treatment where tailed frogs are presen