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Long-term monitoring of natural resources is imperative for increasing the understanding of ecosystem processes, services, and how to manage those ecosystems to maintain or improve function. Challenges with using these data may occur because methods of monitoring changed over time, multiple organizations collect and manage data differently, and monetary resources fluctuate, affecting many aspects of data. Because many species respond to changes in habitat conditions and predator-prey relationships across different spatial scales that span management boundaries, greater efforts for collaborating are essential. We demonstrate the challenges and methods for standardizing greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) long-term monitoring data across the species range in the western United States to inform population modeling needs identified by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. We used automated and repeatable methods of standardizing data via custom open-source software (grsg_lekdb) to improve the scientific integrity of future sage-grouse population assessments within and among states. Data standardization included reconciling uses of different terminology and expunging unusable data, resulting in the removal of 26% of data records due to database insertion errors and modifications to >1 million values to correct formatting and typing errors. Our approaches maximized the inclusion of usable data and identified data that could inform detection probabilities, population trends, and monitoring guidelines. Using sage-grouse databases as an example, we identified the importance of data management and how quality assurance and quality control measures can improve the usefulness of these data for future research needs. Our methods of using informatics and concluding recommendations can support similar endeavors of flora and fauna monitoring programs, whether those efforts are to use existing data or support new monitoring programs.

In many pronghorn populations there exists uncertainty about which factors most affect survival rates. Also, although pronghorn within the same population might exhibit both migratory and non-migratory behaviors, few studies have assessed whether migration status affects survival rates. We determined cause-specific mortality for 134 adult, radio-tagged pronghorn in southwestern North Dakota, 2004–2008, estimated survival rates, and examined support for 11 a priori models containing combinations of year, age, sex, season, and migration status. We documented 102 deaths (52 females, 50 males) of radio-collared pronghorn. Over half of the observed mortality was due to hunter harvest (58%). Migration status was not an important determinant of pronghorn survival when compared to other factors. A model containing a season × sex interaction was most supported. Seasonal survival rates were >0.90 for males and females except in fall when female survival rates were reduced to 0.8, and male survival was less...

Wildlife managers need empirical data about pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) movements in North Dakota to assess whether mid-summer surveys represent occupancy of pronghorn in hunting units during the fall hunting season. Using data from 121 radiocollared pronghorn we evaluated patterns of pronghorn migrations in southwestern North Dakota from 2004 to 2007. Pronghorn exhibited 2 primary movement patterns between summer and winter ranges: migrations >15 km (45%) and movement