We used a hierarchical Bayesian modeling framework to estimate resource selection functions and survival for early and late brood-rearing stages of sage-grouse in relation to a broad suite of habitat characteristics evaluated at multiple spatial scales within the Great Basin from 2009 to 2019. Sage-grouse selected for greater perennial grass cover, higher relative elevations, and areas closer to springs and wet meadows during both early and late brood-rearing. Terrain characteristics, including heat load and aspect, were important in survival models, as was variation in shrub height. We also found strong evidence for higher survival for both early and late broods within previously burned areas, but survival within burned areas decreased as annual grass cover (i.e. cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum) increased. This interaction effect demonstrates how invasion of annual grasses into burned areas, which has become prevalent in Great Basin sagebrush ecosystems, can lead to maladaptive habitat selection by brood-rearing greater sage-grouse. Understanding these complex relationships aids wildlife conservation and habitat management as wildfire and annual grass cycles continue to accelerate across western ecosystems.

We applied spatially-explicit models to a spatiotemporally robust dataset of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest locations and fates across wildfire-altered sagebrush ecosystems of the Great Basin ecoregion, western USA. Using sage-grouse as a focal species, we quantified scale-dependent factors driving nest site selection and nest survival across broad spatial scales in order to identify wildfire impacts and other environmental influences on variation in nesting productivity across a broad ecoregion spanning mesic and xeric shrub communities. To investigate the consequences of habitat selection and explore the potential for a source-sink reproductive landscape, we sought to classify nesting habitat on a scale ranging from adaptive (high selection, high survival) to maladaptive (high selection, low survival).

We applied spatially-explicit models to a spatiotemporally robust dataset of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest locations and fates across wildfire-altered sagebrush ecosystems of the Great Basin ecoregion, western USA. Using sage-grouse as a focal species, we quantified scale-dependent factors driving nest site selection and nest survival across broad spatial scales in order to identify wildfire impacts and other environmental influences on variation in nesting productivity across a broad ecoregion spanning mesic and xeric shrub communities. To investigate the consequences of habitat selection and explore the potential for a source-sink reproductive landscape, we sought to classify nesting habitat on a scale ranging from adaptive (high selection, high survival) to maladaptive (high selection, low survival).

These data represent habitat selection of greater sage-grouse during the late portion of the brood rearing process.

These data represent habitat selection of greater sage-grouse during the late portion of the brood rearing process.

These data represent habitat selection of greater sage-grouse during the early portion of the brood rearing process.

These data represent habitat selection of greater sage-grouse during the early portion of the brood rearing process.

These data represent relative survival probability for greater sage-grouse during the late portion of the brood rearing season.

These data represent relative survival probability for greater sage-grouse during the late portion of the brood rearing season.

These data represent relative survival probability for greater sage-grouse during the early portion of the brood rearing season.