Data from: Does a decision support tool designed to depict West Nile Virus risk explain variation in ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) use of managed forests?

Infectious diseases are commonly cited as significant contributors to
wildlife population declines. It is, therefore, important to investigate
the extent to which tools designed to mitigate the effects of infectious
diseases explain wildlife responses to habitat management. Ruffed grouse
(Bonasa umbellus) populations have experienced long-term declines
throughout their eastern range. These declines are strongly correlated
with the reduced availability of early successional forests and, in more
recent decades, the mosquito-borne pathogen, West Nile Virus
(Flaviviridae, Flavivirus; WNV). Efforts to increase the amount of early
successional forests have intensified in Pennsylvania over the past twenty
years, especially across northern hardwood and mixed oak timber stands.
Additionally, a decision support tool for predicting WNV risk (the Grouse
Priority Area Siting Tool, G-PAST) was developed to help inform where
ruffed grouse habitat creation would be most effective by minimizing
contact between grouse and WNV-carrying mosquitoes. Forest type is also
known to influence ruffed grouse space use and demography. Thus,
monitoring ruffed grouse response to habitat creation through the lens of
predicted WNV risk and forest community type (northern hardwood vs. mixed
oak) may provide managers with further insight regarding strategies for
ruffed grouse population recovery. From 2021-23, we deployed autonomous
recording units (paired with an autonomous classifier) in 305 regenerating
timber harvests (7–16-year-old) across Pennsylvania. Survey locations were
stratified by WNV risk level (low vs. high) and forest type. Overall,
ruffed grouse occupancy ( Ψ  = 0.75) in Pennsylvania was most
influenced by landscape connectivity (+), % mixed oak (-), and short woody
stem density (-) but not G-PAST predicted WNV risk. Thus, land managers
aiming to conserve Pennsylvania’s ruffed grouse should focus their
attention on aspects of landscape connectivity and forest type when
implementing grouse habitat management. Managers in Pennsylvania can
expect, on average, high ruffed grouse occupancy (~75% of sites) in
7–16-year-old northern hardwood or mixed oak stands, regardless of WNV
risk predicted by G-PAST. Our results demonstrate that successful outcomes
for forest management that target ruffed grouse will be driven by
landscape characteristics, forest type, and within-stand vegetation.
Future work correlating longer-term patterns (e.g., dynamic occupancy) or
demographic rates with G-PAST predictions may provide additional insight
to help further guide grouse conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.