History
What are 2 of the 3 main factors in bison decline?
Commercial/sport hunting, railroads, politics
What does is mean for a population to be bottlenecked?
The population size was greatly reduced, and the new population is founded from few individuals -- leading to low genetic diversity
Provide a brief description of the bison's historical range
Artic circle to Mexico, Oregon to New Jersey -- excluding coasts and deserts
What disease is of most concern to cattle ranchers in terms of bison?
Brucellosis
Are bison a K-selected or R-selected species?
K-selected
What time period had the lowest recorded bison populations?
1880's and 1890's
How does reduced genetic diversity affect a population?
Reduced ability to adapt, more susceptible to stochastic events, increased genetic drift, fixation of dangerous alleles, etc
How much of their historical range to bison now occupy?
Less than 1%
What two groups contend for the right to manage bison policy?
Native Americans and the US Government
What type of breeding system do they have?
Seasonally polygynous
Who were the ranchers responsible for establishing the Texas bison herd?
Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight
What are two other (excluding bottlenecks) factors leading to low genetic diversity?
Isolation, fragmentation, inbreeding
How many bison are in commercial and conservation herds?
500,000 and 30,000
What is one of the most notable bison conservation groups?
American Bison Society
What role do bison play in the food web
Primary consumers
List 4 uses of bison in Native American culture
Fat for cooking oil, buffalo chips for fire, buckskin, meat, rawhide, brains (for hide prep), horns for containers, skull for prayer, tongue for eating, beard for ornaments, hair for pillows headdresses and ropes, hooves for glue, bladder for pouches, bones for tools, hind leg skin for boots
Give an example of a herd that is believed to be genetically pure (from the Brief overview paper)
Yellowstone, all five national park herds, two national refuge herds, two state managed herds
Describe management of bison in Yellowstone
Unfenced, migratory individuals
Once outside the park, hunting opportunities
Transfers to tribes instead of slaughters to manage population size
How might a stakeholder argue for hybridization of bison? Against?
Bison are a valuable range species, some might argue having a native species on the range is better than cattle. By hybridizing they can make individuals with higher meat quality and quantity similar to cattle. Said individuals are also hardier.
Hybrids are not natural or a true representation of their species, Conservation efforts should be focused on pure herds to most closely imitate the historic conditions
Provide three ecological functions of the bison
Creation of heterogeneity through grazing and wallowing, nutrient redistribution, interaction with hydrological processes, competition with other ungulates, prey for predators, habitat creation for grassland species, provided carcasses for scavengers, disturbance of woody vegetation by rubbing, opening access to vegetation in winter, modification of fire regimes, provide wool for small mammals and nesting birds
What was the first federal law to provide specific protection for bison?
Lacey Act
What is the term that describes the incorporation of cattle DNA into bison through the creation of hybrids that are then bred back to the parental population?
Introgression
In the Vermejo Statement, what are the overarching goals for bison restoration?
"Ecological recovery will occur when multiple large herds move freely across extensive landscapes within all major habitats of their historic range, interacting in ecologically significant ways"
Think of a stakeholder not already mentioned (conservation group, rancher, Native Americans), and create a position statement for how they might like to see bison managed
Answers vary, group assess how well it was delivered
Examples may include: hunter, tourist, disease specialist, biologist, meat consumer, agriculture, etc
What is the bison's dental formula
I 0/3, C 0/1, P 3/3, M 3/3; 32 total