How well does the greater sage grouse habitat protects other species?

Date:

April 18, 2018

Source:

University of Wyoming

Summary:

Protected areas for sage grouse don't necessarily serve the needs of other species that depend on sagebrush habitat, showing that the bird might not be as much of an umbrella species as had been assumed.

Researchers in the University of Wyoming's Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology discovered that reserve size and species similarity are the primary factors in determining whether multiple wildlife species are indirectly protected under the umbrella of a reserve created to enhance conservation for one species -- in this case, the greater sage grouse in Wyoming.

Credit: Dave Showalter

Researchers in the University of Wyoming's Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology discovered that size does matter -- as it pertains to the effectiveness of secondary species' wildlife protection relative to the size of a wildlife reserve set aside for an umbrella species.