Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Open Access Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Applied Ecology (MS)

Administrative Home Department

College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Advisor 1

Jared Wolfe

Advisor 2

David Flaspohler

Committee Member 1

Ralph Gutierrez

Abstract

The Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is widely known for its characteristic territorial drumming display. In this study, I used ruffed grouse drumming survey data from Minnesota and Michigan, in a series of mixed logistic models, to identify drivers of drumming log selection by reproductive male ruffed grouse. I collected drumming stage data utilizing a paired-random sampling structure. I used information theoretic model selection to examine three sets of a priori mixed logistic models: one for the entirety of my Minnesota dataset, one consisting of stages identified in aspen stands in Minnesota, and one for my Michigan dataset. In Minnesota, distance to the nearest canopy-forming conifer was the most competitive model for both the entirety of the dataset and the aspen-only subset, with relative likelihood of log selection being positively correlated with distance to the nearest conifer (Pseudo-R2 = 0.265, 0.34). In Michigan my top-rated model was log decay category, with grouse selecting for more decayed logs (Pseudo-R2 = 0.617).

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