Energy infrastructure and associated habitat loss can lead to reduced reproductive rates for a variety of species including the greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Our goal was to refine our understanding of how the physical footprint of energy development relates to sage‐grouse nest and brood survival. Our survival analyses were conditional upon the amount of surface disturbance female sage‐grouse were exposed to during reproductive stages. We quantified levels of exposure and compared them to the surface disturbance levels of the surrounding area. From 2008–2014, we collected data in 6 study areas in Wyoming, USA, containing 4 primary types of renewable and nonrenewable energy development. Our research focused on press disturbance (i.e., disturbance sustained after initial disturbance and associated with existing energy infrastructure and human activity). Our results suggest exposure to press disturbance during nesting and brood‐rearing was related to lower nest and brood survival, which manifested at different spatial scales. Our analysis of nest survival suggested that the likelihood of a successful nest was negatively associated with the amount of press disturbance within an 8‐km² area. Broods exposed to any press disturbance within a 1‐km² area were less likely to survive compared to broods not exposed to press disturbance. Female sage‐grouse consistently used habitat with lower disturbance levels during reproductive periods. Greater than 90% of nest and brood‐rearing locations were in habitat with <3% press disturbance within a 2.7‐km² area. Our research links surface disturbance associated with press disturbance to reproductive costs incurred by sage‐grouse exposed to diverse energy development. Our results demonstrate a pattern of female avoidance of areas where press disturbance was high during nesting and brood‐rearing and survival of nests and broods were highest in areas that had the least amount of disturbance. Our findings underscore the importance of minimizing disturbance to maintain viable sage‐grouse populations. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

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鼠尾草对能源发展的物理足迹有更大的反应

能源基础设施和相关的栖息地丧失可能导致多种物种的繁殖率降低，包括更大的鼠尾草（Centocercus urophasianus）。我们的目标是加深对能量开发的物理足迹与鼠尾草巢和育雏种群存活之间的关系的理解。我们的生存分析取决于雌鼠尾草在生殖阶段受到的表面干扰程度。我们量化了暴露水平，并将其与周围区域的表面干扰水平进行了比较。从2008年至2014年，我们收集了美国怀俄明州6个研究区域的数据，其中包括4种主要类型的可再生和不可再生能源发展。我们的研究集中于新闻界的骚扰（即，最初骚扰后持续的骚扰，并与现有的能源基础设施和人类活动有关）。我们的结果表明，在筑巢和育雏过程中暴露于压榨干扰与降低巢和育雏的存活率有关，表现在不同的空间尺度上。我们对巢生存的分析表明，成功筑巢的可能性与8km²区域内压榨干扰的数量负相关。母鸡在1公里内受到任何压力干扰与没有受到新闻干扰的亲人相比，有^2个地区的生存可能性较低。鼠尾草雌性在繁殖期间一直使用干扰水平较低的栖息地。在2.7 km ²内，有超过90％的巢穴和育雏场所位于压力小于3％的栖息地中区。我们的研究将与压榨扰动相关的表面扰动与鼠尾草暴露于多种能源发展而产生的繁殖成本联系起来。我们的研究结果表明，女性避免在筑巢和育雏过程中压榨干扰较高的地区进行女性回避，而在干扰程度最低的地区，巢和育雏的存活率最高。我们的发现强调了最小化干扰以维持可行的鼠尾草种群的重要性。©2020野生动物协会。