Habitat associations, distribution, and abundance of Smith's longspur (Calcarius pictus), an uncommon species of concern in the Brooks Range, Alaska

• Main Author: Wild, Teri Corvus
• Other Authors: Powell, Abby, Verbyla, Dave, Kendall, Steve
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Arctic; Fairbanks; Canada; Brooks Range; Climate change; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/4442

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2013 Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus) is a species of conservation concern in the U.S. and Canada, yet few studies have been conducted on their breeding grounds in the Arctic, which are expected to undergo dramatic changes due to climate change. For effective conservation, we need information on breeding distribution and abundance; thus I conducted surveys for Smith's Longspur and habitat characteristics across a broad geographic range that included twelve sites within Alaska's Brooks Range, June 2003-2009. My main objectives were to (1) locate breeding populations (2) describe habitats at local and broader geographic scales, (3) develop a predictive distribution map based on habitat characteristics, and (4) estimate densities and abundance of Smith's Longspurs. Smith's Longspurs were detected at seven of twelve sites and were associated with mixed sedge and shrub habitats with high cover of moss and sedges. Across the Brooks Range, I predicted patchy occurrence in valleys and foothills in the north- and south-eastern mountains and in upland plateaus in the western mountains. Density estimates varied, ranging from 0 - 0.39 males/ha due to their patchy distribution within and among sites. I estimated abundance as ~30,000 males in the Brooks Range. My data provides a baseline for future monitoring of this little-known species.