Differential seasonal avoidance of anthropogenic features and woody vegetation by Lesser Prairie-chickens

The influence of seasonal variation in animal behavior and the corresponding response in habitat selection is a critical component of habitat selection analyses. To examine this relationship, we conducted multi-scale analyses of Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) habitat selection in relation to anthropogenic infrastructure associated with oil and gas development, mesquite, and trees during the spring and summer at home range and lek area scales. We tracked 159 Lesser Prairie-chickens using VHF radiotelemetry or PTT-GPS transmitters in the sand shinnery oak prairie region of eastern New Mexico, USA. We used discrete choice models and logistic regression to assess seasonal patterns of habitat selection at home range and lek area scales, respectively. The static habitat features we examined allowed us to observe differential patterns of habitat selection between the two seasons, revealing an overall increase in the degree of avoidance following the spring season. Results of our home range scale analysis indicate that utility pole density, mesquite cover and proximity, distance to active well pads, and proximity to private roads have significant negative effects on habitat selection during both seasons. Avoidance of dense utility pole areas was significantly greater during the summer. Lek area habitat selection results were similar, but differences in sensitivity to features between seasons were stronger. Avoidance of high mesquite cover and utility pole and tree densities, in particular, was significantly greater in the summer. The effects of density and cover of these features, which have previously been understudied or overlooked in Lesser Prairie-chicken research, provide critical information for future conservation practices. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of accounting for potential seasonal patterns of their study species to best examine habitat selection.