Yellowstone's Northern Range - Greater Yellowstone Science ...

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THE NORTHERN RANGE 106 appear suppressed by high densities of elk. Where competition is suspected or proven between ungulate species, it does not seem outside the realm of normal sharing of a common range, and does not seem to threaten the survival of any species. The elk and bison are a crucial source of nutrition for numerous predators and scavengers, including federally listed rare species such as grizzly bears, wolves, and bald eagles, all protected under the Endangered Species Act. 7, Despite more than 60 years of dire predictions of overgrazing and imminent disaster, the northern range continues to produce large, healthy ungulate herds year after year in harmony with a productive range. The northern range elk herd is regulated by a variety of natural and modern human forces, including predation by a full suite of native animals and variations in climate. Hunting by humans north of the park may have also' influenced both the population's dynamics (age and sex ratio, population numbers), and certainly its migratory and diurnal behavior. Since intensive scientific study began on the n0l1hern herd in the 1960s, the herd has shown several strong densitydependent, or naturally regulating responses. 8. Large ungulate herds and intensive grazing on the northern range do not appear to be negatively affecting native species biodiversity. The evidence indicates the number of grass, forb and shrub species on the northern range was the same in grazed and ungrazed sampling plots. Community plant diversity on the northern range, however, may have experienced a slow decline in the past century due to the decline in aspen and willow stands, but this is somewhat unclear due to the greater native species diversity outside of exclosures versus inside excIosures. While some species of native vel1ebrates (e.g., tall willowobligate breeding birds) are selected against on the northern range, there are appropriate similar habitats available in other parts of the park and the ecosystem, and there are other vertebrate species that are favored in short willow and other riparian habitats. Native invertebrate diversity appears to be enhanced by the high levels of ungulates. 9. Yellowstone's northern range, one of the few places remaining in the world with all of its "component parts and processes," continues to provide ecologists with one of the world's most exciting and challenging "natural laboratories" for studying the complexities of landscape ecology, and clearly has much more to teach us about the processes that shape wildlands and native grazing systems. 10. The northern Yellowstone elk herd has long had great social value, as demonstrated by consistently high public interest in northern range controversies. These elk have intrinsic value as part of the Yellowstone experience, for visitors from around the world. With the cessation of artificial population control on the nOlthern herd, this herd has also taken on great regional economic value as tl,e basis of one. of North America's premier recreational hunts and wildlife viewing attractions. Communities near the park have experienced significant economic gains because of recreational interest in the northern herd, and the negative economic impacts on those communities must be considered in any deliberations over future artificial manipulation of this elk herd. 11. In the past, the National Park Service and others have refened to the natural regulation policy on the northern range as an "experiment." In the strict sense of the scientifiC method it is not because it has no scientific controls and no replication. It is instead, a management model in the sense of Walters' (1986) and Macnab's (1983) "adaptive management" of renewable resources, where the management model is updated or revised on a periodic basis as new information is obtained. Such an update is warranted now in light of the enormous amount of information becoming available as a result of the recent research initiative.
107 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The text was written by Norm Bishop (NPS, Yellowstone), Paul SchullelY (NPS, Yellowstone), Francis Singer [U.S. Geol. Surv.-Biol. Res. Div. (BRD)], Fort Collins, Colorado, and John Varley (NPS, Yellowstone). The manuscript was reviewed by Mark Boyce (Univ. of Wisconsin, Stevens Point), Wayne Brewster (NPS, Yellowstone), Don Despain (BRD), Bozeman, Montana), Doug Frank (Syracuse University), Doug Houston (BRD), (Olympic National Park), Sue Consolo Murphy (NPS, Yellowstone), Dan Huff (NPS, Denver), William Romme (Fort Lewis ColI., Colorado). Additional technical assistance was provided by Irving Friedman (U.S. Geol. Surv.-Geol. Res. Div., emeritus, Denver), John Mack (NPS, Yellowstone) and Jennifer Whipple (NPS, Yellowstone). Assistance with figure research was provided by Susan Kraft and Vanessa Christopher (NPS, Yellowstone). This book was produced by the Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park. Copyediting and proofreading was by Sarah Broadbent, Sue Consolo Murphy, and Renee Evanoff, with text styles by Sarah Broadbent. Tables and figures were adapted or created by Sarah Broadbent, Lori Compas, Sue Consolo MUlphy, Renee Evanoff, Linda Phillips, and John Varley. Maps created by the Yellowstone Spatial Analysis Center) Sarah Broadbent) and Renee Evanoff. The ornamental figures and sketches throughout the book by Renee Evanoff. We express our deep appreciation to Canon USA Inc~, who generously donated the costs of printing this document through their "Expedition into Yellowstone" program.
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 16 Northern rang
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 22 dendrochronol
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 24 Figure 2.7. A
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 26 et al. (1991)
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 28 earlier time,
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 32 systems-range
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 34 indicates the
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 36 Data were gat
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 38 grazed and un
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Figure 4.1. Northern range, showing
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 48 Figure 4.4. I
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 50 public lands,
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THE NORTIlERN RANGE 52 Figure 4.5.
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 54 able uncertai
Page 72 and 73: THE NORTHERN RANGE 56 to confirm an
Page 74: THE NORTHERN RANGE 58 RESEARCH RECO
Page 77 and 78: SOIL, EROSION, SEDIMENTS, AND WATER
Page 79 and 80: SOIL, EROSION, SEDIMENTS, AND WATER
Page 81 and 82: ated with ungulate winter ranges. T
Page 83 and 84: ELK POPULATION ISSUES IS YELLOWSTON
Page 85 and 86: ange grazing issue, Yellowstone man
Page 87 and 88: ELK POPULATION ISSUES 71 ... Other
Page 89 and 90: ELK POPULATION ISSUES 73 1996d), so
Page 91 and 92: ELK POPULATION ISSUES 75 the northe
Page 93 and 94: ELK POPULATION ISSUES 77 It has evo
Page 96 and 97: 4 , ~ 1 v " 'It , \ J~ ~""~ .:,~ ",
Page 98 and 99: THE NORTHERN RANGE 82 Competition t
Page 100 and 101: Figure 7.3. Bison winter range. Sin
Page 102 and 103: THE NORTHERN RANGE Figure 7.7. Envi
Page 104 and 105: THE NORTHERN RANGE 88 not aware of
Page 106 and 107: THE NORTHERN RANGE 90 tion size, an
Page 108 and 109: THE NORTHERN RANGE 92 activity (95
Page 110 and 111: THE NORTHERN RANGE 94 pursue the su
Page 112 and 113: THE NORTHERN RANGE 96 factors were
Page 114 and 115: THE NORTHERN RANGE Figure 7.13. Num
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Page 118 and 119: THE NORTHERN RANGE 102 complex set
Page 120 and 121: THE NORTHERN RANGE 104 practically
Page 124 and 125: AppendixA. Conferences, Meetings, a
Page 126 and 127: lJO Year Estimate Comment Source 19
Page 128 and 129: lJ2 , Estimated # of Elk Year Date
Page 130 and 131: lJ4 Winter Total Count 1967-68 397
Page 132 and 133: 116 Year Date of Count Parkwide Par
Page 134 and 135: 118 Counts and estimates of mule de
Page 136 and 137: 120 Northern Yellowstone winter ran
Page 138 and 139: 122 Population estimates and reduct
Page 140 and 141: 124 Actual count Inside Outside Est
Page 142 and 143: Pronghorn counted during spring sur
Page 144 and 145: 128 Year 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1
Page 146 and 147: Ground and aerial counts of bighorn
Page 148 and 149: REFERENCE LIST NOTES ON THIS REFERE
Page 150 and 151: Pages 199-210 in Carbyn, L.N., S.H.
Page 152 and 153: Yellowstone National Park. Technica
Page 154 and 155: mammal mortality in the 1988 Yellow
Page 156 and 157: National Park. International Journa
Page 158 and 159: Mehus, C.A. 1995. Influences ofbraw
Page 160 and 161: __ , and __ . 1996a. Preburn root b
Page 162 and 163: Pages 127-138 in F.J. Singer, ed. E
Page 164 and 165: some northern Yellowstone elk. M.S.
Page 166: I I I I I
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