Resource selection and survival of plains sharp-tailed grouse at a wind energy facility
Data files
Jan 01, 2025 version files 1.45 GB
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README.md
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Survival_and_Selection_Data.zip
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Abstract
As the demand for wind energy development increases across much of the Great Plains region, there is a need to understand how this type of energy generation may impact wildlife. Due to their extensive range across areas with high wind resources plains sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus jamesi) represent a valuable species to evaluate how selection and survival are associated with existing wind energy infrastructure. We used spatial and demographic data collected from radio-marked female sharp-tailed grouse to evaluate resource selection (nest, brood-rearing, and breeding season) and survival (nest and female) near existing wind energy infrastructure during the April to August breeding season over a 3-year period from 2020–2022 in northeastern South Dakota, USA. We monitored 119 GPS-marked females captured at 8 leks over the study period. We did not find evidence that females selected nest sites in relation to wind energy infrastructure but found that females with broods and females during the breeding season (Apr–Aug) avoided areas near high densities of wind turbines within 1.0 and 5.0 km of their home range, respectively. We found consistent selection for lower lengths of transmission lines across all life stages at the home range scale. We did not detect an effect of wind energy infrastructure on nest or female survival. Based on the results of our study, limiting the siting (the process of selecting the optimal location for a project and the associated features) of wind turbines within 5.0 km of sharp-tailed grouse breeding habitat may represent an important siting tool to minimize avoidance of otherwise suitable habitats.
README: Resource selection and survival of plains sharp-tailed grouse at a wind energy facility
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.r2280gbnw
Description of the data and file structure
Datasets contain information to evaluate nesting, brood-rearing, and breeding season resource selection at home range and within home range scales, and nest and individual survival of sharp-tailed grouse.
Files and variables
File: Survival_and_Selection_Data.zip
Description:
All datasets contain spatial predictor variables used to evaluate resource selection and survival. Covariates are described in Table 1 of manuscript. Each predictor contains a number following the name, which corresponds to the moving window size. Non-Euclidean distance based habitat covariates were estimated within 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.3, 3.2, and 5.0 km. Wind energy infrastructure variables were estimated across 1.0, 1.3, 3.2, and 5.0 km radii scales. In the datasets, the moving windows are demarcated by _200 (0.2 km), _500 (0.5 km), _1000 (1.0 km). _1300 (1.3 km), _3200 (3.2 km), and _5000 (5.0 km) following the variable name. For example, AllGrass_3200 is the proportion of grassland within 3.2 km.
Resource selection datasets are broken down into nest, brood, and adult resource selection each measured at the 2nd and 3rd order scales. For example, BroodSelection2ndOrder.txt contains data used to measure resource selection during the brood rearing period at the home range (2nd order) scale, and BroodSelection3rdOrder.txt pertains to resource selection during the brood rearing period at the within home range (3rd order) scale.
Covariates:
- alfalfa_200, alfalfa_500, alfalfa_1000, alfralfa_1300, alfalfa_3200, alfalfa_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing alfalfa. Values range from 0-1.
- AllGrass_200, AllGrass_500, AllGrass_1000, AllGrass_1300, AllGrass_3200, AllGrass_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing grassland. Values range from 0-1.
- corn_200, corn_500, corn_1000, corn_1300, corn_3200, corn_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing corn. Values range from 0-1.
- developed_200, developed_500, developed_1000, developed_1300, developed_3200, developed_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing development or impervious services. Values range from 0-1.
- HerbWetland_200, HerbWetland_500, HerbWetland_1000, HerbWetland_1300, HerbWetland_3200, HerbWetland_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing herbaceous wetland. Values range from 0-1.
- soybeans_200, soybeans_500, soybeans_1000, soybeans_1300, soybeans_3200, soybeans_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing soybeans. Values range from 0-1.
- RoadDist – distance to roads in meters.
- Turbdist – distance to turbines in meters.
- TurbDens_1000, TurbDens_1300, TurbDens_3200, TurbDens_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing soybeans. Values range from 0-1.
- TlineDist – distance to transmission lines in meters.
- Tline_1000, Tline_1300, Tline_3200, Tline_5000 – the length of transmission line within each moving window in meters.
- TPI, TPI_200, TPI_500, TPI_1000, TPI_1300, TPI_3200, TPI_5000 – Topographic position index within each moving window calculated as variability in mean elevation.
- TRI, TRI_200, TRI_500, TRI_1000, TRI_1300, TRI_3200, TRI_5000 – Terrain roughness index within each moving window calculated as variability in mean elevation.
- totalcrop_200, totalcrop_500, totalcrop_1000, totalcrop_1300, totalcrop_3200, totalcrop_5000 - proportion of cells within each moving window containing cropland. Values range from 0-1.
In addition, each dataset contains additional columns:
For resource selection datasets (BreedingSelection2ndOrder, BreedingSelection3rdOrder, BroodSelection2nd, BroodSelection3rd, NestSelection2ndOrder, NestSelection3rd.txt), the column ‘Present’ identifies whether a row was a used location (Present=1) or an available location (Present=0), the ‘uid’ identifies an unique individual, and the Year columns identifies the year the data was collected. The UTME and UTMN columns contain the Easting and Northing coordinates, for the location.
The nest survival dataset (NestSurvival.txt) contains a ‘GSMID’ column which identifies each individual, ‘Year’ identifies the year when the nest was identified, ‘NestNumber’ identifies if it was an individual’s first of second nest attempt of the season, ‘EstNestInitiation’ column is the estimated date the nest was initiated, ‘EstNestHatch’ column identifies the estimated date the nest hatched, ‘SurvTime’ column describes the number of days the nest survived, and an ‘Event’ column (1=failed nest, 0=hatched nest).
The adult survival dataset (AdultSurvival.txt) contains a column identifying each individual ‘final.uid’, ‘start’ and ‘stop’ columns describe the survival interval in days, and an ‘event’ column (1=mortality, 0=survived).
Access information
Publicly available spatial data was derived from the following sources:
- Department of Homeland Security. 2022. Electric power transmission lines. Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data, DHS, Washington, D.C.
- United States wind turbine database (Ver. 5.3, January 2023). U.S. Geological Survey, American Clean Power Association, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory data release.
- Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2012. Roads, Minnesota, 2012.
- South Dakota Department of Transportation. 2022. Local roads. Published March 29, 2022.
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2023. USDA's national agricultural statistics service South Dakota field office.
- US Geological Survey (USGS). 2023. The national map. TNM Download V2.0. Topo Map data, 3DEP products, Lidar, lfSAR, NHD (Hydrography Dataset), NAIP Plus Imagery, National Structures Dataset.