Within grassland communities of the GPLCC one such key indicator species is the Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidinctus). Lesser Prairie-chicken range extends across the southern portion of the GPLCC area throughout Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Kansas. Lesser Prairie-chickens are a good target species because they are widely distributed across the southern GPLCC, are a species of conservation concern, have large home ranges, and are likely sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances. Similarly, the Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), is a species of conservation concern, with large home range, distributed across the northern portion of the GPLCC including portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Colorado. Moreover, many of the general habitat requirements of Lesser Prairie-chicken will be similar to those required for Greater Prairie-chickens. Thus tools and models developed for use with Greater Prairie-chickens should be easily modified for effective use with Lesser Prairie-chicken.
