Landscape features and seasonal habitat predicts lek-site selection and lek size of a <em>Tympanuchus</em> grouse

<p>The lek hotspot hypothesis predicts that leks will form in areas where males are more likely to encounter females, providing wildlife managers with a framework supporting the use of leks as the focus for prairie and shrubland grouse conservation and monitoring. The lek hotspot hypothesis also implies that the number of males attending leks (lek size) will be higher in areas where there are more females. We used sharp-tailed grouse (<em>Tympanuchus phasianellus</em>) to evaluate if lek locations and lek size were more influenced by habitat requirements during different seasons or by landscape features that minimized risks to males attending leks or increased the probability of detection leks by nearby females. First, we evaluated which landscape features influenced habitat selection and mortality risk during different seasons: nesting (Apr–Jun), brood-rearing (Jun–Aug), early nonbreeding (Sep–Nov), and late nonbreeding (Dec–Mar) seasons in south-central Wyoming (<em>n</em> = 213 VHF-marked females; 2017–2020). We found that habitat selection and mortality risk varied by season. Subsequently, we modeled lek locations and lek size relative to seasonal habitat requirements (selection and mortality risk) and landscape features to identify key variables explaining lek-site selection and lek size. We found that lek-site selection was related to landscape features that promoted the detection of leks by females and to seasonal habitat. Specifically, leks were located in areas surrounded by more herbaceous vegetation and litter, less rugged terrain, and more nesting habitat. We found that lek size was related to seasonal habitat, with larger leks surrounded by more brood-rearing habitat. Our findings suggest that leks were located in areas that increased the probability of detection by females and in areas more likely to frequented by females, consistent with the lek hotspot hypothesis. Our research supports continuing to use lek locations as focal points for habitat management for lekking grouse.</p>