Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

1999

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Geography

Abstract

Modem wildlife and resource managers are faced with a numerous environmental, economic, and political problems in trying to best manage our nation's forests, parks, and preserves. It is easy to lose sight of the very things that actually drive our natural ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them. This is often the scenario seen in the management of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is our nation's oldest and probably most revered natural preserve and recreational park. Millions of tourists and other interested parties visit its magnificent natural splendor each year. Tension and controversy constantly brews under the surface of Yellowstone's scenic beauty, like a geyser ready to erupt at any time. Nowhere is this tension and controversy more apparent than with the free ranging bison inhabiting Yellowstone National Park. Bison are expanding their range beyond the park's borders. Herds leave the park quite freely when environmental pressures force them to do so. The disease brucellosis is considered to be endemic to the Yellowstone herds. Bison migrating out of park boundaries could possibly pass this disease on to domestic livestock. To come up with possible solutions or management options to this problem, all parties involved must attempt to tackle the questions that have generated great interest to first Pre-Columbian Native Americans and later European-American explorers, trappers, traders and soldiers. They all sought to answer questions related to what truly influenced bison movement and migration. Current bison management practices fail to adequately consider historical information concerning bison movement and migration. This information cries out from the dusty journals of trappers, explorers, artists, and soldiers and from the oral traditions and recorded histories of Native Americans. It is found in the fossilized bones of the animals that once roamed North America in the Pleistocene Era and from the remains of bison killed in huge communal procurement hunts commonly referred to as buffalo jumps. It is the retelling of population limiting catastrophes killing thousands of bison. Stochastic events, along with human interactions, fueled prehistoric and historic bison movement and migration. As bison populations steadily declined, the negative impact of natural catastrophes and human pressure became even more significant. These natural and human-induced pressures drastically changed historical bison movement patterns. The driving forces of bison movement are still present today. Understanding bison movement is critical to wildlife management. Prior to European contact, the effects of natural catastrophes would have been localized, affecting only a small part of the overall bison population. Today's free ranging bison herds are all that is left of this vast wild population. When catastrophic events occur, such as the severe winter of 1996-7 in Yellowstone, they force an out movement of this surviving population that can result in dramatic herd losses. Bison losses occur both through natural mortality and by skewed management plans. By using historical knowledge, both wildlife managers and laymen can better understand bison movement and migration. Historical information can also be used to create realistic long-range management program for free ranging bison populations.

Key Words: Bison Movement and Migration, Catastrophic Events, Native Americans, Communal Procurement, Historical Geography, Brucellosis, Before Present (BP)

Library of Congress Subject Headings

American bison

American bison -- Migration

American bison -- Mortality

American bison -- Yellowstone National Park

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

206

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Download

Share

COinS