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Livestock Depredation by Grizzly Bears on Forest Service Grazing Allotments in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Get PDFGrizzly bear population growth and range expansion over the last several decades in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) has led to increased human-bear conflicts, including livestock depredation. In 2015, we began a study to evaluate spatio-temporal relationships between livestock grazing, grizzly bear habitat characteristics, and livestock depredations by grizzly bears on public lands in the GYE during 1992–2014. In collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, and National Park Service, we have obtained 23 years of grazing allotment attributes for 316 USFS and Grand Teton National Park grazing allotments including: livestock stocking information, grizzly bear habitat characteristics, grizzly bear density and distribution, and livestock depredation counts. Overall counts of livestock depredation events, total livestock killed, and the number of allotments experiencing depredations increased from 1992 to 2014, concurrent with range expansion and increasing grizzly bear densities. Annual depredation events per allotment differed by livestock class, where allotments stocked with cow-calf pairs and sheep experienced the majority of depredations. Livestock depredation counts will be modeled with livestock stocking data and grizzly bear habitat variables to better understand which attributes of grazing allotments had the greatest association with the number of depredations over the study period. We will evaluate habitat attributes at two spatial scales, representing daily and annual grizzly bear activity areas. Our results will enhance adaptive approaches to conserve grizzly bears, while also maintaining the economic viability of livestock operations
Acoustic Assessment of Year-round Bat Activity and Distribution in Montana and Surrounding Areas
Get PDFMontana’s bat species face an array of conservation issues including wind energy development and disease. A collaborative project between state and federal agencies was initiated in 2011 to collect baseline data prior to the arrival of White-nose Syndrome and help inform surveillance and future mitigation strategies. In the last 6 years, we deployed a network of Song Meter ultrasonic acoustic detector/recorder stations at 76 sites across the region for an average of 1.8 years per station. Each detector recorded nightly bat passes across all seasons. To date 9.5 million sound files have been recorded. Using automated scrubbing and identification software we identified call sequences and generated initial species identifications, then hand confirmed species presence by month at each site. Over 54,000 bat passes have been reviewed by hand and used to track activity of all species at each site. To date we have 2,770 new records of monthly species presence, regular winter activity of 3 resident species, and year-round presence of 1 species previously considered migratory. Through integrating National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association weather station with our call data, we have found positive correlations in activity with temperature and barometric pressure, and negative correlations with wind speed. Our experiences with these data highlight the importance of: (1) maintaining common settings across recording devices and consistent processing standards; (2) maintaining publicly available call libraries that can be reanalyzed using the latest software and made available to software developers; and (3) making standards used for species determinations available for peer review
Sagebrush Stories
Get PDFWildlife habitat management approaches are often based on success stories we like. The justification for using fire to control juniper encroachment of sagebrush in western Oregon is well founded. Application of this approach in western Montana can have long term negative consequences because the recovery time of our plant species are much slower. Improving sage-brush habitats with fire appeals to our sense of stewardship, even though most sagebrush taxa do not have any evolutionary adaptations to fire. Management suggestions taken from other areas for residual grass heights do not match the vegetation of sage-grouse core areas in Montana because of differences in climate and plant species. Some managers suggest we need to reduce sagebrush cover to promote forb production even though this relationship has not been demonstrated in many places in Montana. We are drawn to stories that are simple and that share our view of the world. Improved management begins when we test these stories
Characterizing Bighorn Sheep Foraging Sites Using the Modified Robel Pole in the Southern Black Hills, South Dakota
Get PDFEvaluating foraging behavior of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and filling information gaps for their habitat requirements is important for population level management in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota. Our objectives were to: (1) evaluate the overall summer foraging area post lambing use during July and August for standing herbage with the modified Robel pole (1.27 cm bands) with visual obstruction readings (VOR) related to clipped herbage at ground level; (2) calibrate the Robel pole visual obstruction (bands) with clipped vegetation; and (3) develop guidelines for monitoring the landscape of the bighorn sheep foraging areas. The study area is located in a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa ) savanna with few shrubs and dominated with native grasses. Each transect had 10 visual obstruction (bands) stations spaced 10 meters apart with 4 visual obstruction readings at each station. At 4 stations, total vegetation was clipped at ground level within a 0.25-m2 circular hoop. Clipped standing herbage ranged from 418 kg/ha to 3731 kg/ha with a mean of 1519 kg/ha. VOR measurements ranged from 0.2 cm to 14.9 cm with a 3.9 cm mean. Calibration of the modified Roble pole (visual obstruction of bands) with transect means using linear regression reliability predicted average clipped standing herbage (dry weights) within the bighorn sheep foraging area. The relationship was significant (R2 = 0.65; F1, 27 = 50.75, P < 0.01). Cluster analysis (ISODATA) applied to the pole readings (VOR) and herbage resulted in 3 categories: short, intermediate and tall. We recommend 14 Robel pole transects (100 m in length) for VOR measurements within key foraging areas for future monitoring of herbaceous biomass for bighorn sheep. Foraging sites were in areas with little overstory tree canopy, close to rocky escape terrain, and where abundant grasses and forbs had little woody debris. The modified Robel pole provides a simple, reliable and cost effective alternative to clipping vegetation and obtaining dry weights
Effects of Livestock Grazing and Cultural Treatments on Regeneration of Green Ash Woodlands on the Northern Great Plains: An Update
Get PDFMany green ash woodlands (Fraxinus pennsylvanica ) have become decadent with broken stems and limited regeneration of both trees and shrubs on the northern Great Plains. The purpose of this study was to determine the response of woodland regeneration of shrubs, trees and planting woody species over 25 post-treatment years (1) to livestock grazing with thinning low vigor trees, (40% reduction) in woodlands with transplanting woody plants, (2) livestock grazing with un-thinned woodlands-no transplanting of woody plants, (3) no livestock grazing with thinning low vigor trees, (40% reduction) in woodlands with transplanting woody plants, and (4) no livestock grazing with un-thinned woodlands-no transplanting of woody plants. Initial treatment response for trees and shrubs occurred during the first 6 years of post-treatment. After 25 years of post-treatment, trees and shrubs were not different between livestock grazing and no grazing treatments. American elm (Ulmus americana ) decreased in stem density and may have been influenced by disease. Stem density of snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis ) decreased in the unthinned treatment. Common chokecherry (Prunus virginiana ) stem densities remained relatively constant over 25 years of post-treatments. Planted shrub and tree species had greater than 50% survival in ungrazed versus grazed treatments. Survival of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa ), Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ) and American plum (Prunus americana ) was greater when livestock grazing was excluded. Herbaceous standing crop of the grasses, forbs, and total was variable throughout all years among treatments
Northwest Climate Science Center-Linking Climate Science to Wildlife Management and Conservation
Get PDFIn 2009, Secretarial Order 3289 (Interior) established eight regional Climate Science Centers (CSC) to “work with other federal, state, tribal, and local governments and private landowner partners to develop landscape level strategies for understanding and responding to climate change impacts.” This Order acknowledged that climate-driven changes would likely affect ecosystem function, structure and composition, wildlife populations, and biodiversity in ways that no single management entity could effectively address alone. On-going and emerging ecological changes such as hydrologic regime shifts, invasive species, changes in fire regimes, and land use changes are occurring at spatial and temporal scales that demand a coordinated, inter-jurisdictional approach if we are to mitigate for and adapt to these stressors. The Northwest (NW) CSC has developed approaches to coordinate with regional partners, strategize to identify needed science and capacity, and identify resources to fund applied research and implement coordinated application to management needs in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana. In addition, the NW CSC has developed collaborative partnerships with Federal and state agencies, tribal and intertribal organizations, Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs), USDA Climate Hubs, and others to provide needed scientific information and tools. This presentation will outline the goals and operational framework of the NW CSC, present case studies of NW CSC climate research used to inform decision-making relevant to wildlife management and conservation across the region, and provide guidance to scientists and managers for identifying actionable science projects that the NW CSC could support for addressing climate-driven changes in ecological systems
Common Themes in Recent Human Fatalities Due to Grizzly Bear Attacks
Get PDFThere have been 8 fatal grizzly bear attacks on humans in the lower 48 states since 2001. Of these, 6 occurred in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, and 2 occurred in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. An additional encounter occurred in the Cabinet/Yaak ecosystem where a hunter shot and wounded a grizzly bear and then entered thick brush in pursuit of the wounded bear. The bear then attacked him and his hunting partner accidentally shot and killed him while trying to shoot the bear. Of the 8 fatal attacks, 4 occurred in National Forests, 3 in Yellowstone Park, and 1 on Montana state game range lands. Human behaviors at the time of the attacks involved hunting, camping at night, hiking, and mountain biking. Seven of the eight attacks occurred during daylight. Five of the fatalities involved lone individuals and 4 of these were lone hikers. Bear spray was not carried or used by any of the people killed in these attacks. Consistent messaging by management agencies about how to be safe in bear country has not been successful in convincing the public to adopt safety practices. Further efforts are necessary to educate users in grizzly habitat of the risks involved with certain behaviors and the cost of ignoring agency safety messages. The likelihood of fatal encounters could be significantly reduced by the adoption of common safety practices such as not hiking or hunting alone, not running when encountering a bear, the use of bear spray, and understanding the increased danger involved when surprising a bear due to fast travel in grizzly county by trail running or mountain biking
Restoration of Trumpeter Swans on the Flathead Indian Reservation and Adjacent Aboriginal Lands in Northwestern Montana
Get PDFIn an effort to restore extirpated native wildlife to the Flathead Indian Reservation (FIR) and aboriginal lands in western Montana, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) commenced reintroduction and restoration efforts for Trumpeter Swans in 1996 with a trial reintroduction. Since then, 264 captive-propagated Trumpeter Swans were released on the FIR from 2002 through 2016. By 2004, breeding pairs had formed and the first production of wild cygnets in possibly 100 years or more fledged from local wetlands. During the intervening years, at least 119 nesting pairs have produced at least 343 fledgling cygnets. Swans from this project have colonized into several wetland habitats throughout northwestern Montana and may soon do the same in southeastern British Columbia. The primary cause of mortality of released swans has been powerline collisions, and lines are regularly marked with flight diverter installations to minimize potential future collisions. Since annual surveys seemed to indicate a healthy, growing population of Trumpeter Swans in northwestern Montana, the CSKT contracted for a population viability analysis with the University of Idaho to assess overall success of the project and the prognosis for the population to continue to thrive. The results of that analysis indicated that, although the population was predicted to have a low likelihood of persistence, the short time span of data in which adults successfully fledged a brood was increasing (since 2012) was likely a factor in that result. Projecting this analysis into the future, thereby extending the time span of data, indicated that the likelihood of the population persisting was high (approximately 95-96%) over both the short-term (30 years) and the long-term (100 years). As additional population surveys are conducted over the years, the long-term data will better estimate the likelihood of reaching the objectives of longterm sustainability in the future
Bat Use, Human Visitation, and Environmental Attributes of Cave Hibernacula in Montana
Get PDFAcross the eastern United States, caves historically supported large aggregations of overwintering bats. In contrast, few large aggregations have been observed within caves in Montana. To collect comprehensive information on cave use by bats and inform White Nose Syndrome surveillance, we inventoried caves to estimate numbers of hibernating bats, assessed the microclimate within hibernacula, monitored activity of bats using acoustic detectors, and quantified visitation by people using trail cameras. In collaboration with recreational cavers, state, and federal biologists we conducted over 300 structured and incidental surveys at 99 caves. Only 6 caves had counts exceeding 100 individuals, and our largest hibernacula had approximately 1,700 bats. The mean annual temperature and humidity across 16 caves averaged 5.0°C and 100% RH. At the 6 largest hibernacula, we established year round baselines of bat acoustic activity and quantify visitation by people. We found that both the number of people entering caves and bat activity within caves peaked in summer. During the winter, visitation appears largely dependent on accessibility of the cave and all monitored caves had low levels of bat activity. Caves in Montana appear to support relatively few aggregations of overwintering bats. Although we have visited most known caves in the state, the number of hibernating individuals we observed is likely orders of magnitude less than the total number we presume overwinter in-state. Future projects should explore the use of cracks, crevices, talus, and badlands to identify other important hibernacula
The Eagle has Landed: Winter Eagle Research Takes Flight in the Bitterrroot Valley
Get PDFWe began capturing Golden Eagles on the MPG Ranch in the Bitterroot Valley in 2011. Though we began with the intent of using satellite transmitters to learn about the habitat use and migration paths of adult, overwintering Golden Eagles, our research has evolved to encompass placing auxiliary markers on Golden and Bald Eagles of all ages. We also test eagles for environmental contaminants. So far we have captured and marked more than 75 Golden and 20 Bald Eagles. Due to these markers, we've amassed an impressive archive of eagle re-sightings in the Bitterroot Valley and other locations, including Washington and British Columbia. We've also learned that the majority of eagles captured show signs of lead exposure, likely from the ingestion of lead ammunition fragments. This year, we expanded efforts to study wintering eagles throughout the Bitterroot Valley. We've joined forces with Bitterroot Audubon and private landowners to set out carcass and camera stations on private lands throughout the valley. These efforts should increase the likelihood of re-encountering our marked eagles, demonstrate the value of private lands to eagles and other scavengers, and engage people from a variety of backgrounds with our research. We will share preliminary results from this collaboration, including impressive camera “captures” of Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, and other scavengers. We will also share information about the public platform we are using to crowd-source image identification; this platform is available for other camera-trapping projects in Montana