Monitoring ruffed grouse in the Black Hills: occupancy spreadsheet program
Abstract
Monitoring ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in the Black Hills National Forest is a priority for forest managers due to the bird’s status as the management indicator species for quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and its value to hunters and other recreational groups. We conducted drumming surveys, estimated occupancy, and assessed the influence of sampling and site variables to determine benchmark levels of precision for ruffed grouse occupancy and detection probability estimates. Using these estimates and simulations, we developed a monitoring protocol for ruffed grouse in the Black Hills. We then created a user-friendly program that uses monitoring data in Microsoft Excel to calculate ruffed grouse occupancy and detection probability estimates.
Downloads
- Occupancy Spreadsheet Program (18 MB)