scholarly journals Estimating Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) Abundance Using Noninvasive Sampling at a Mineral Lick within a National Park Wilderness Area

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Schoenecker ◽  
Mary Kay Watry ◽  
Laura E. Ellison ◽  
Michael K. Schwartz ◽  
Gordon Luikart
Author(s):  
C. Haas ◽  
Gar Workman

The ecology of a reintroduced population of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni} is being investigated in Arches National Park. National Park Service objectives are: (1) determine general ecological parameters, including population and social dynamics, seasonal distribution and habitat use patterns, and general health characteristics; and (2) develop a comprehensive program of habitat analysis and evaluation that can be used to determine habitat suitability and identify transplant sites in other National Park Service units.


Author(s):  
Michael Whitfield ◽  
Barry Keller

This study was initiated in order to determine the population status of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in the Teton Range. Intensive field studies were initiated in the summer of 1978 and will be continued during the winter of 1978-79 in order to delineate the distribution of sheep and to relate this distribution to habitat factors which affect seasonal distributions. Additionally, information on the history of bighorn sheep has been sought through interviews of longtime residents of the several valleys surrounding the Teton Range.


2009 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick Dekker

Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) wintering in the lower Athabasca River valley of Jasper National Park, Alberta, were monitored from 1981 to 2010 by recording maximum band sizes per annum on two traditional but separate sheep ranges. In study area #1, the ram band declined significantly from a 20-year mean of 18 in the period 1981-2001 to a 5-year mean of 11 in the period 2001-2006, with a slight recovery in 2006-2010. Ewes in area #1 dwindled from a mean of 20 in the period 1981-1995 to zero in the period 1995-2010. In area #2, the ewe band dropped significantly from a mean of 40 in the period 1981-2001 to 24 in the period 2001-2010. The declines in area #1 coincided with an invasion of Russian Thistle (Salsola kali). Range conditions in area #2 deteriorated following four years with lower than average annual precipitation. The mean lamb:ewe ratio in area #2, pooled for 29 years, was 22:100 (n = 646). The sheep were protected from hunting, but were subject to a full range of indigenous carnivores. However, predation did not appear to be the primary cause of the declines, nor was competition for forage with American Elk (Cervus elaphus).


Author(s):  
Terri Steel ◽  
Michael Machalek ◽  
Gar Workman

The objective of the 1989 fieldwork was the testing of a model developed in 1988. The main project objectives are to: (1) evaluate the success of the transplant operations; (2) investigate habitat selection behavior of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis); and (3) develop a model which classifies areas suitable for sheep use. This model will then be incorporated into a Geographic Information System (G.I.S.) to examine macrohabitat use patterns. Software to be used includes: SAGIS, MAP, DBIII, and HOMER.


2004 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry J. Kreeger ◽  
Walter E. Cook ◽  
William H. Edwards ◽  
Todd Cornish

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip W. Hedrick ◽  
John D. Wehausen

Abstract Founder effects, genetic bottlenecks, and genetic drift in general can lead to low levels of genetic diversity, which can influence the persistence of populations. We examine genetic variation in two populations of desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis from New Mexico and Mexico to measure change over time and evaluate the impact of introducing individuals from one population into the other. Over about three generations, the amount of genetic variation in the New Mexico population increased. In contrast, over about two generations the amount of genetic variation in the Mexican population decreased by a great extent compared with an estimate from another Mexican population from which it is primarily descended. The potential reasons for these changes are discussed. In addition, although both populations have low genetic variation, introduction of Mexican rams into the New Mexico population might increase the amount of genetic variation in the New Mexico population. Overall, it appears that management to increase genetic variation might require substantial detailed monitoring and evaluation of ancestry from the different sources and fitness components.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 2010-2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. MacArthur ◽  
Ronald H. Johnston ◽  
Valerius Geist

The telemetered heart rates (HR) of unrestrained female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) were recorded under various behavioral and environmental circumstances. In all ewes HR varied positively with activity level and inversely with distance to a road traversing the study area. The HR recorded from animals moving at night or through timber by day were higher than during daytime movement across open slopes.Responses to transient stimuli varied greatly. The appearance of free-ranging canids evoked maximal increases in HR in all ewes. Vehicular traffic and aircraft elicited HR responses only at close range (< 200 m). Most (78.1%) HR responses to disturbing stimuli preceded or occurred in the absence of overt behavioral reactions. The HR usually peaked within 60 s of the onset of the response and recovered to predisturbance base line in less than 200 s. The appearance and continued presence (1–10 min) of a human within 50 m of the sheep resulted in a 20% rise in mean HR. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the behavior, ecology, and bioenergetics of bighorn sheep.


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