American Bison - Buffalo Field Campaign

6.3 Demographics ........................................................................................................................47
6.3.1 Population structure ..................................................................................................48
6.3.2 Reproduction ..............................................................................................................49
6.3.3 Mortality factors and survival ....................................................................................49
6.3.4 Population growth rates ............................................................................................53
CHAPTER 7 Numerical and Geographic Status .....................................................................................55
7.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................55
7.2 Numerical Status ..................................................................................................................56
7.3 Geographic Status .................................................................................................................57
7.4 Population Size Distribution ..................................................................................................59
7.5 Mate Competition .................................................................................................................60
7.6 Presence of Wolves ...............................................................................................................60
7.7 Presence of Reportable Diseases ..........................................................................................60
7.8 Cattle Gene Introgression ......................................................................................................61
7.9 Conclusions ...........................................................................................................................61
CHAPTER 8 Legal Status, Policy Issues and Listings ...........................................................................63
8.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................63
8.2 History of Protection and Conservation .........................................................................63
8.2.1 Early legal and policy efforts by governments to protect plains and wood bison ........... 63
8.2.1.1 Early policy development in the United States ............................................63
8.2.1.2 Early policy development in Canada............................................................63
8.2.1.3 Policy development in Mexico .....................................................................64
8.2.2 Plains bison conservation by the private sector ........................................................64
8.2.3 Conservation efforts by tribes and First Nations ...............................................................................64
8.3 Important Policy and Regulatory Considerations .................................................................65
8.3.1 Legal status and listings of bison ...............................................................................65
8.3.1.1 International and global status ....................................................................65
8.3.1.2 Status in North America ..............................................................................65
8.3.2 Disease status ...........................................................................................................73
8.4 Legal and Policy Obstacles Hindering Conservation of Bison...............................................75
8.4.1.1.1 Confusing legal classification and status .........................................75
8.4.1.1.2 Historical management policies .......................................................75
8.4.1.1.3 Complex partnerships needed to manage large landscapes ............75
8.4.1.1.4 Defining the social and economic value of wild bison .....................76
8.4.1.1.5 Coordination of policies, rules, and regulations by government ......76
8.4.1.1.6 Agricultural conflicts among mixed land ownership ........................76
8.5 Overcoming Obstacles to the Ecological Restoration of Bison .............................................77
8.5.1 Disease management considerations .........................................................................77
8.5.2 Legal status and policy considerations ......................................................................77
American Bison: Status Survey and Conservation Guidelines 2010 vii