Investigating Impacts of Oil and Gas Development on Greater Sage-Grouse Using a Bayesian State-Space Model
USGS and university researchers analyzed changes in male sage-grouse lek counts in Wyoming from 1984 through 2008, measuring disturbance owing to oil and gas development.
Global energy demand is expected to increase substantially in the next two decades, with fossil fuels accounting for more than one-third of that demand. To better understand how male sage-grouse lek attendance is affected by oil and gas development, USGS and university researchers analyzed changes in male lek counts in Wyoming from 1984 through 2008. Disturbance owing to oil and gas development was measured as well density (number of active wells per square kilometer) and disturbance area, which accounted for well pad size and the spatial arrangement of well pads near a lek. Preliminary results indicate that under current regulations, continuing allowable well densities within sage-grouse core areas will likely result in sustaining current rates of decline, and leks outside of core areas are likely to decline more rapidly if development were to increase in the future.
Investigating impacts of oil and gas development on greater sage-grouse
USGS and university researchers analyzed changes in male sage-grouse lek counts in Wyoming from 1984 through 2008, measuring disturbance owing to oil and gas development.
Global energy demand is expected to increase substantially in the next two decades, with fossil fuels accounting for more than one-third of that demand. To better understand how male sage-grouse lek attendance is affected by oil and gas development, USGS and university researchers analyzed changes in male lek counts in Wyoming from 1984 through 2008. Disturbance owing to oil and gas development was measured as well density (number of active wells per square kilometer) and disturbance area, which accounted for well pad size and the spatial arrangement of well pads near a lek. Preliminary results indicate that under current regulations, continuing allowable well densities within sage-grouse core areas will likely result in sustaining current rates of decline, and leks outside of core areas are likely to decline more rapidly if development were to increase in the future.