WEST Biologists Chad LeBeau, Renae Sattler, and Kyle Ebenhoch, with Statisticians Matthew Crane and Sierra Pugh, are authors of the recently published research article, “Patterns in Lek Persistence and Attendance by Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) Near a Wind Energy Facility in Southern Kansas,” in the Journal of Wildlife Biology.
As wind energy development expands across the Great Plains, it’s crucial to understand its impact on species like the lesser prairie-chicken (LEPC). Our study evaluated trends in LEPC lek attendance and persistence following the construction of the Cimarron Bend Wind Energy Facility (CBWRA) in southern Kansas from 2017 to 2024. Using Bayesian generalized linear regression models, we found leks located in areas with relatively higher density of turbines and had lower annual attendance were less stable, and leks located in areas with relatively higher grass cover were less likely to be abandoned over our eight years of monitoring. Interestingly, these effects did not negatively impact the local LEPC population at CBWRA, as total lek attendance showed a positive trend over the 8-year study.
“The results of this study build upon a previously completed telemetry study where we evaluated habitat selection and survival rates of the same affected LEPC population. Combined, these results paint a clear picture that siting wind energy turbines in cultivated croplands, and conserving grassland dominated landscapes, is a good minimization measure and important for the conservation of this species.” – Chad LeBeau, Lead Author