A model-based decision support framework for siting communication tower infrastructure to reduce adverse effects on a sagebrush-obligate species

The ongoing expansion of human enterprise into remote environments has contributed to degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems globally, reducing plant and animal species’ habitats and viability. Western North America’s sagebrush ecosystems have been reduced to half the area of their historical range, largely driven by anthropogenic activities. A relatively recent advancement has been the rapid construction of wireless communication infrastructure. While modern communication technology is essential for economic progress and critical to rural communities, its associated infrastructure may have undesired influences on sagebrush ecosystems and associated wildlife. However, such influences, along with their potential remediation to benefit species conservation, are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of communication tower infrastructure over 25 years (1996–2020) on the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ; hereafter, sage-grouse), a species of conservation concern often considered to be an indicator for the health of sagebrush ecosystems. We used hierarchical population state-space models coupled with male lek counts to investigate spatiotemporal effects of towers on sage-grouse annual rate of change ( λ ˆ ) in apparent abundance while considering influences of other anthropogenic infrastructure and environmental characteristics at multiple spatial scales. Both tower density and proximity were negatively related to λ ˆ up to 12.5 km away from tower sites. Higher elevation and sagebrush cover positively influenced λ ˆ while tree cover and annual grass cover exhibited negative associations. We used model results to inform a decision support framework that could guide location siting of future communication infrastructure based on minimization of effects to sage-grouse populations. Increases in communication tower infrastructure was one of the factors contributing to a ~1.6% overall decrease in expected λ ˆ during the study, but simulations demonstrated how placing infrastructure away from sage-grouse breeding areas could minimize negative effects. Our findings, coupled with decision support analyses, can help inform local, regional, and national conservation strategies that seek to minimize or mitigate undesired effects of communication infrastructure.