Hi folks,

Just got the May issue of the Journal of Range Management, published bi-monthly
by the Society for Range Management. Among the several technical articles was
one by a trio of Oregon State Univ. researchers on nesting habitat on the Yakima
Training Center in Yakima and Kittitas Counties. Here's the abstract:

Sveum, Colin M., W. Daniel Edge, and John A. Crawford. 1998. Nesting habitat selection
by sage grouse in southcentral Washington. J. Range Manage. 51(3): 265-269.

"To characterize western sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus phaios Bonaparte)
nesting habitat in sagebrush-steppe habitat in Washington, we initiated a study on the
Yakima Training Center to determine nesting habitat characteristics and whether these
characteristics differed between successful and unsuccessful nests. Most nests (71%)
were in big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.)/bunchgrass communities. Nest habitat
was characterized by greater shrub cover, shrub height, vertical cover height, residual
cover, and litter than at random locations. Successful 1-m2 nest sites within big sage-
grass/bunchgrass in 1992 had less shrub cover (51%) and shrub height (64 cm) than
depredated sites (70% and 90 cm, respectively). Successful 77-m2 nest areas in big
sagebrush/bunchgrass in 1993 had more tall grass (> 18 cm) than depredated nest areas.
Management that protects the big sagebrush/bunchgrass community is essential for
maintaining nesting habitat for sage grouse."

Find this exciting journal at your local land-grant University library....

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net