ABSTRACT
Abstract. Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) occur in short-grass and mixed-grass prairies and associated grasslands restored through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) north of the Arkansas River in Kansas. The ShortGrass Prairie/CRP Mosaic Ecoregion currently supports ~65% of the range-wide population of Lesser Prairie-Chickens. CRP lands provide important grassland habitats, especially nesting and brood-rearing areas for breeding Lesser PrairieChickens. A combination of implementation of CRP grasslands at a landscape scale and favorable environmental conditions is thought to have led to a significant increase in the occupied range and population density of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in the ecoregion. Spring lek surveys since 1999 have documented the northern expansion of the observed distribution of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in 2008, 2011, and 2012. An expanding distribution has led to the development of a contact zone of sympatry between Lesser Prairie-Chickens and Greater Prairie-Chickens (T. cupido). Hybridization between the two congeneric species has been documented and is currently estimated to occur at a rate of ~5%. The potential effects of hybridization on the genetic structure of Lesser Prairie-Chickens are poorly understood. Conservation of Lesser
Prairie-Chickens in the region will be best accomplished by maintaining current habitat and provide management tools, guidelines, etc. and implement, recommend management practices, such as grazing, prescribed fire, herbicide application, and prairie restoration, to improve habitat quality at smaller spatial scales. The ecoregion has been only recently occupied by substantial numbers of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, and new data are needed to develop conservation and management plans. Current knowledge gaps include information on population demographics, limiting factors, habitat use and seasonal movements at various scales, habitat management techniques, energy development impacts, and climate change. Additionally, improved land use policies are needed for longterm protection of habitat within the region, beyond the typical duration of 10-15 years for CRP contracts. If conservation goals are met, the ecoregion north of the Arkansas River in Kansas could continue to remain a stronghold for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken in the future.
