Jack H. Berryman Institute, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America.
Remote Sensing/GIS Laboratory, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United State of America.
PLoS One. 2019 Jan 30;14(1):e0209968. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209968. eCollection 2019.
Anthropogenic infrastructure can negatively affect wildlife through direct mortality and/or displacement behaviors. Some tetranoids (grouse spp.) species are particularly vulnerable to tall anthropogenic structures because they evolved in ecosystems void of vertical structures. In western North America, electric power transmission and distribution lines (power lines) occur in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) landscapes within the range of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended using buffer zones near leks to mitigate the potential impacts of power lines on sage-grouse. However, recommended buffer distances are inconsistent across state and federal agencies because data are lacking. To address this, we evaluated the effects of power lines on sage-grouse breeding ecology within Utah, portions of southeastern Idaho, and southwestern Wyoming from 1998-2013. Overall, power lines negatively affected lek trends up to a distance of 2.7 and 2.8 km, respectively. Power lines died not affect lek persistence. Female sage-grouse avoided transmission lines during the nesting and brooding seasons at distances up to 1.1 and 0.8 km, respectively. Nest and brood success were negatively affected by transmission lines up to distances of 2.6 and 1.1 km, respectively. Distribution lines did not appear to affect sage-grouse habitat selection or reproductive fitness. Our analyses demonstrated the value of sagebrush cover in mitigating potential power line impacts. Managers can minimize the effects of new transmission power lines by placing them in existing anthropogenic corridors and/or incorporating buffers at least 2.8 km from active leks. Given the uncertainty we observed in our analyses regarding sage-grouse response to distribution lines coupled with their role in providing electric power service directly to individual consumers, we recommend that buffers for these power lines be considered on a case-by-case basis. Micrositing to avoid important habitats and habitat reclamation may reduce the potential impacts of new power line construction.
人为基础设施可能通过直接导致死亡和/或迁移行为对野生动物产生负面影响。一些 Tetranoids（松鸡科物种）特别容易受到高大人为结构的影响，因为它们在没有垂直结构的生态系统中进化而来。在北美西部，输电和配电线路（电线）出现在包含大松鸡（Centrocercus urophasianus；松鸡）的范围内的山艾灌木丛（Artemisia spp.）景观中。美国鱼类和野生动物管理局建议在繁殖地附近使用缓冲区来减轻电线对松鸡的潜在影响。然而，由于缺乏数据，州和联邦机构推荐的缓冲区距离并不一致。为了解决这个问题，我们评估了 1998 年至 2013 年期间，犹他州、爱达荷州东南部和怀俄明州西南部的电线对松鸡繁殖生态的影响。总的来说，电线对繁殖地的影响分别可达 2.7 和 2.8 公里。电线没有影响繁殖地的持续存在。雌性松鸡在筑巢和育雏季节会避开输电线路，可达 1.1 和 0.8 公里的距离。筑巢和育雏成功率分别在距离 2.6 和 1.1 公里的范围内受到输电线路的负面影响。配电线路似乎不会影响松鸡对栖息地的选择或繁殖适应性。我们的分析表明，山艾灌木丛的覆盖度在减轻潜在电线影响方面具有价值。管理者可以通过将新的输电线路放置在现有的人为走廊中，并/或将缓冲区至少设置在距离活跃繁殖地 2.8 公里的地方，来最小化新输电线路的影响。考虑到我们在分析中观察到的对配电线路的松鸡反应的不确定性，以及它们在为个别消费者直接提供电力服务方面的作用，我们建议在具体情况下考虑这些线路的缓冲区。为了避免重要的栖息地和栖息地开垦，微选址可能会降低新的输电线建设的潜在影响。
