Stanek, A., N. B. Wolf, G. V. Hilderbrand, B. A. Mangipane, D. Causey, and J. M. Welker. 2017. Seasonal foraging strategies of Alaskan gray wolves (Canis lupus) in a salmon subsidized ecosystem. Canadian Journal of Zoology 95(8):555-563. doi:10.1139/cjz-2016-0203.
Grant V Hilderbrand, Ph.D. (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Date published: October 7, 2019
Status: Active Community Outreach and Engagement
It is critically important that Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and Alaska co-management councils are kept informed of USGS research activities and findings. Involvement of and collaboration with students also provides valuable perspectives to USGS science. This page offers information on how USGS communicates its activities and seeks opportunities to gain important perspectives from...
Contacts: John M Pearce, Ph.D.
Attribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center
Date published: August 13, 2018
Status: Active Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Contacts: John M Pearce, Ph.D.
Date published: April 26, 2018
Status: Active Marine Ecosystems
The USGS conducts research on marine wildlife, habitats, and processes to provide science to inform our partners as they make decisions relative to species status, resource use, and human activities.
Contacts: John M Pearce, Ph.D.
Attribution: Ecosystems, Environments Program, Wildlife Program, Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center
Year Published: 2019
The influence of body size, condition, and age on recruitment of four Alaskan brown bear populations
Recruitment of brown bear (Ursus arctos) offspring into a population is the product of initial cub production and subsequent survival and is a critical component of overall population status and trend. We investigated the relationship between maternal body size, body condition, and age (as a surrogate for gained experience) and recruitment of...
Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Gustine, David; Joly, Kyle; Mangipane, Buck; Leacock, William; Cameron, Matthew; Sorum, Mathew; Mangipane, Lindsey; Erlenbach, Joy
Year Published: 2018
Exposure of Alaska brown bears (Ursus arctos) to bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents varies spatiotemporally and may be influenced by age
We collected blood and serum from 155 brown bears (Ursus arctos) inhabiting five locations in Alaska during 2013–16 and tested samples for evidence of prior exposure to a suite of bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents. Antibody seroprevalence among Alaska brown bears was estimated to be 15% for Brucella spp., 10% for Francisella...
Leacock, William B.; Ramey, Andrew M.; Cleveland, Christopher A.; Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Joly, Kyle; Gustine, David D.; Mangipane, Buck; Leacock, William B.; Crupi, Anthony P.; Hill, Dolores E.; Dubey, Jitender P.; Yabsley, Michael J.
Year Published: 2018
Sex-specific variation in denning by brown bears
Denning characteristics of brown bears (Ursus arctos) have been described in numerous studies; however, population specific factors (i.e., landscape characteristics and climate) can greatly influence the location and timing of denning. Our objective was to evaluate den-site characteristics and denning chronology for male and female brown...
Mangipane, Lindsey; Belant, Jerrold L.; Mangipane, Buck; Gustine, David; Hilderbrand, Grant V.
Year Published: 2018
Body size and lean mass of brown bears across and within four diverse ecosystems
Variation in body size across populations of brown bears (Ursus arctos) is largely a function of the availability and quality of nutritional resources while plasticity within populations reflects utilized niche width with implications for population resiliency. We assessed skull size, body length, and lean mass of adult female and male brown...
Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Gustine, David; Mangipane, Buck A.; Joly, Kyle; Leacock, William; Mangipane, Lindsey S.; Erlenbach, Joy; Sorum, Mathew; Cameron, Matthew; Belant, Jerrold L.; Cambier, TroyView Citation
Hilderbrand, G. V., D. D. Gustine, B. Mangipane, K. Joly, W. Leacock, L. Mangipane, J.
Erlenbach, M. S. Sorum, M. D. Cameron, J. L. Belant, and T. Cambier. 2018. Body size and lean mass of brown bears across and within four diverse ecosystems. Journal of Zoology 305:53-62. DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12536.
Year Published: 2018
Plasticity in physiological condition of female brown bears across diverse ecosystems
Variation in life history strategies facilitates the near global distribution of mammals by expanding realized niche width. We investigated physiological plasticity in the spring body composition of adult female brown bears (Ursus arctos) across 4 diverse Alaskan ecosystems. Brown bears are a highly intelligent omnivore with a historic range...
Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Gustine, David; Mangipane, Buck A.; Joly, Kyle; Leacock, William; Mangipane, Lindsey; Erlenbach, Joy; Sorum, Mathew; Cameron, Matthew; Belant, Jerrold L.; Cambier, TroyView Citation
Hilderbrand, G. V., D. D. Gustine, B. Mangipane, K. Joly, W. Leacock, L. Manipane, J.
Erlenbach, M. S. Sorum, M. D. Cameron, J. L. Belant, and T. Cambier. 2018. Plasticity in physiological condition of female brown bears across diverse ecosystems. Polar Biology. DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2238-5.
Year Published: 2018
Dietary plasticity in a nutrient-rich system does not influence brown bear (Ursus arctos) body condition or denning
Behavioral differences within a population can allow use of a greater range of resources among individuals. The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a generalist omnivore that occupies diverse habitats and displays considerable plasticity in food use. We evaluated whether brown bear foraging that resulted in deviations from a proposed optimal diet...
Mangipane, Lindsey S.; Belant, Jerrold L.; Lafferty, Diana J. R.; Gustine, David D.; Hiller, Tim L.; Colvin, Michael E.; Mangipane, Buck A.; Hilderbrand, Grant V.View Citation
Mangipane, L.S., J.L. Belant, D.J.R. Lafferty, D.D. Gustine, T.L. Hiller, M.E. Colvin, B.A. Mangipane, and G.V. Hilderbrand. 2017. Dietary plasticity in a nutrient-rich system does not influence brown bear (Ursus arctos) body condition or denning. Polar Biology https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2237-6
Year Published: 2018
Using gene transcription to assess ecological and anthropological stressors in brown bears
Increasingly, population- and ecosystem-level health assessments are performed using sophisticated molecular tools. Advances in molecular technology enable the identification of synergistic effects of multiple stressors on the individual physiology of different species. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are an apex predator; thus, they are ideal...
Bowen, Lizabeth; Miles, A. Keith; Waters, Shannon C.; Gustine, Dave; Joly, Kyle; Hilderbrand, Grant V.Attribution: Western Ecological Research Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Bowen, L, AK Miles, S Waters, D Gustine, K Joly, G Hilderbrand. 2017. Using Gene Transcription to Assess Ecological and Anthropological Stressors in Brown Bears. EcoHealth. doi: 10.1007/s10393-017-1287-0
Year Published: 2018
Influences of landscape heterogeneity on home-range sizes of brown bears
Animal space use is influenced by many factors and can affect individual survival and fitness. Under optimal foraging theory, individuals use landscapes to optimize high-quality resources while minimizing the amount of energy used to acquire them. The spatial resource variability hypothesis states that as patchiness of resources increases,...
Mangipane, Lindsey S.; Belant, Jerrold L.; Hiller, Tim L.; Colvin, Michael E.; Gustine, David; Mangipane, Buck A.; Hilderbrand, Grant V.View Citation
Influences of landscape heterogeneity on home-range sizes of brown bears: Mammalian Biology, In Press,. doi: 10.1016/j.mambio.2017.09.002
Year Published: 2017
Using multiple data types and integrated population models to improve our knowledge of apex predator population dynamics
Current management of large carnivores is informed using a variety of parameters, methods, and metrics; however, these data are typically considered independently. Sharing information among data types based on the underlying ecological, and recognizing observation biases, can improve estimation of individual and global parameters. We present a...
Bled, Florent; Belant, Jerrold L.; Van Daele, Lawrence J.; Svoboda, Nathan; Gustine, David D.; Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Barnes, Victor G.View Citation
Bled F, Belant JL, Van Daele LJ, et al. Using multiple data types and integrated population models to improve our knowledge of apex predator population dynamics. Ecol Evol. 2017;7:9531–9543. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3469
Year Published: 2016
The impacts of human recreation on brown bears (Ursus arctos): A review and new management tool
Increased popularity of recreational activities in natural areas has led to the need to better understand their impacts on wildlife. The majority of research conducted to date has focused on behavioral effects from individual recreations, thus there is a limited understanding of the potential for population-level or cumulative effects. Brown bears...
Fortin-noreus, Jennifer; Rode, Karyn D.; Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Wilder, James; Farley, Sean; Jorgensen, Carole; Marcot, Bruce G.
Year Published: 2004
Importance of salmon to wildlife: Implications for integrated management
Salmon (Oncorhynchuss pp.) are an importantr esourcef or terrestriawl ildlife. However, the salmon requirements of wildlife populations and the role wildlife play in nutrient transport across ecosystems are largely ignored in salmon and habitat management. Any activity that reduces the availability of or access to salmon by wildlife may adversely...
Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Farley, Sean D.; Schwartz, Charles C.; Robbins, Charles T.
Year Published: 2000
Effect of hibernation and reproductive status on body mass and condition of coastal brown bears
We investigated the effect of hibernation and reproductive status on changes in body mass and composition of adult female brown bears (Ursus arctos) on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. This information is fundamental to understanding nutritional ecology of wild brown bear populations. Six adult females handled in the fall and following spring (paired...
Hilderbrand, Grant V.; Schwartz, C. C.; Robbins, C.T.; Hanley, Thomas A.Pre-USGS Publications
Coletti, H. A., G. V. Hilderbrand, and J. Pfeiffenberger. 2015. An overview of the changing tides research project. Pages 87-90 in Coastal Research Science in Alaska's National Parks. Alaska Park Science 15(1).
Applied conservation ethics: Argument analyses of baiting as a harvest technique for brown and black bears
Hilderbrand, G. V. 2014. Applied conservation ethics: Argument analyses of baiting as a harvest technique for brown and black bears. The Wildlife Professional 8(2):60-63.
Teisberg, J. E., S. D. Farley, L. Nelson, G. V. Hilderbrand, M. Madel, O. Owen, C. Erlenbach, and C. T. Robbins. 2014. Immobilization of grizzly bears with dexmetatomidine, tiletamine, and zolazepam. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 50(1):74-83. doi:10.7589/2012-11-273.
Fatal grizzly bear attack on Mr. Richard White on the Toklat River, Denali National Park, August 24, 2012
Hilderbrand, G. V., J. Hechtel, D. Shideler, and P. Owens. 2013. Fatal grizzly bear attack on Mr. Richard White on the Toklat River, Denali National Park, August 24, 2012. National Park Service, Board of Review Report. Denali Park, Alaska, 7 p.
Wildlife stewardship on NPS Units in Alaska
Hilderbrand, G. V., K. Joly, S. P. Rabinowitch, and B. S. Shults. 2013. Wildlife stewardship on NPS Units in Alaska. National Park Service, Natural Resource Technical Report.
Hilderbrand, G. V. and H. N. Golden. 2013. Body composition of free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus). Canadian Journal of Zoology 91:1-6. doi:10.1139/cjz-2012-0205.
Hilderbrand, G. V., S. P. Rabinowitch, and D. Mills. 2013. Black bear baiting in Alaska and in Alaska's National Park Service Lands. Ursus 24(1):91-96. doi:10.2192/URSUS-D-12-00023.1.
Hilderbrand, G. V. 2013. Using ethics arguments to preserve naturalness: A case study of wildlife harvest practices on NPS lands in Alaska. Pages 46-65 in Wilderness in Alaska. Alaska Park Science 13(1).
Hatch, K. A., B. L. Roeder, R. S. Buckman, B. H. Gale, S. T. Bunnell, D. L. Eggett, J. Auger, L. A. Felicetti, and G. V. Hilderbrand. 2011. Isotopic and gross fecal analysis of American black bear scats. Ursus 22(2):133-140. doi:10.2192/URSUS-D-10-00034.1.
Suring, L. H., S. D. Farley, G. V. Hilderbrand, M. I. Goldstein, S. Howlin, and W. P. Erickson. 2006. Patterns of landscape use by female brown bears on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Management 70(6):1580-1587. doi:10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[1580:POLUBF]2.0.CO;2.
Robbins, C. T., G. V. Hilderbrand, and S. D. Farley. 2002. Incorporating concentration dependence in stable isotope mixing models: A response to Phillips and Koch (2002). Oecologia 133(1):10-13. doi:10.1007/s00442-002-0978-5.
Farley, S. D., G. V. Hilderbrand, G. Del Frate, T. Bailey, R. Ernst, L. H. Suring, W. Shuster, M. Tetreau, and J. Schoen. 2001. A conservation assessment of the Kenai Peninsula brown bear. Interagency Brown Bear Study Team.
Hilderbrand, G. V., L. L. Lewis, J. Larrivee, and S. D. Farley. 2000. A denning brown bear, Ursus arctos, sow and two cubs killed in an avalanche on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Canadian Field-Naturalist 114(3):498.
Hilderbrand, G. V., C. C. Schwartz, C. T. Robbins, M. E. Jacoby, T. A. Hanley, S. M. Arthur, and C. Servheen. 1999. Importance of meat, particularly salmon to body size, population productivity, and conservation of North American brown bears. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77(1):132-138. doi:10.1139/z98-195.
Jacoby, M. E., G. V. Hilderbrand, C. Servheen, C. C. Schwartz, S. M. Arthur, T. A. Hanley, C. T. Robbins, and R. Michener. 1999. Trophic relations of brown and black bears in several western North American ecosystems. Journal of Wildlife Management 63(3):921-929. doi:10.2307/3802806.
Studies of the Nutritional Ecology of Coastal Brown Bears
Hilderbrand, G. V. 1998. Studies of the Nutritional Ecology of Coastal Brown Bears. Dissertation, Washington State University, Pullman, WA., 63 p.
Hilderbrand, G. V., C. T. Robbins, and S. D. Farley. 1998. Response to Bocheren's comment on: Use of stable isotopes to determine diets of living and extinct bears. Canadian Journal of Zoology 76(12):2301-2303. doi:10.1139/z98-162.
Hilderbrand, G. V., S. D. Farley, and C. T. Robbins. 1998. Predicting body condition of bears using two field methods. Journal of Wildlife Management 62(1):406-409.
Determination of body composition of brown and black bears
Hilderbrand, G. V., C. T. Robbins, and S. D. Farley. 1998. Determination of body composition of brown and black bears. Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA.
Studies of the nutritional ecology of bears
Robbins, C. T., G. V. Hilderbrand, M. E. Jacoby, E. Shochat, and S. D. Farley. 1997. Studies of the nutritional ecology of bears. International Association of Bear Research and Management 6:20.
Hilderbrand, G. V., S. D. Farley, C. T. Robbins, T. A. Hanley, K. Titus, and C. Servheen. 1996. Use of stable isotopes to predict diets of living and extinct bears. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74(11):2080-2088. doi:10.1139/z96-236.
Use of stable isotopes to predict diets of living and extinct bears
Hilderbrand, G. V. 1995. Use of stable isotopes to predict diets of living and extinct bears. Thesis, Washington State University, Pullman, WA., 27 p.