Kate Schoenecker is a Research Wildlife Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.
Science and Products
Herbivore-Ecosystem Interactions
Data from these studies help inform management decisions regarding ungulates on public lands, typically in large, jurisdictionally complex landscapes. Recent work involves investigations on the effects of herd size and movements of elk, bison, and wild horses on various ecosystem components. Specifically, scientific efforts include quantifying interactions among herbivores, plants, and soils...
Where the Bison Roam: Public-Private Partnership Supports Potential Restoration
A little over one hundred years ago, plains bison were prolific in the Great American West. Reports describe herds containing thousands of animals migrating through the central and western states, totaling 20–30 million across their entire range. With commercial, unregulated hunting in the late 1800s came the rapid demise of bison to barely more than 1,000 by 18891. Recently, renewed interest in...
Non-invasive Genetic Sampling of Free-roaming Horses to Estimate Population Size, Genetic Diversity, and Consumption of Invasive Species
Molecular tagging is a new application of molecular genetic techniques to traditional mark-recapture methodology designed to address situations where traditional methods fail. In such studies, non-invasively collected samples (such as feces, feathers, or fur) are used as a source of DNA that is then genotyped at multiple loci such that each individual animal can be uniquely identified. Thus, each...
Counting America’s Wild Horses and Burros: Better Estimates for Population Management
The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, as amended, states that, "It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands (PL 92-195, Sec. 1331, Congressional...
Wild Horse and Burro Survey Techniques
Because population estimates drive nearly all management decisions pertaining to wild horses and burros, accuracy is important. Several widely used techniques exist for conducting aerial population estimates of wildlife, but individually, each has important limitations. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), are evaluating combinations of these techniques...
Elk and Bison Grazing Ecology in the San Luis Valley, Colorado
Managers need information on the grazing ecology of bison and elk in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to develop science-based management alternatives.
Wild Horse and Burro Population Management
Wild horse populations often increase at high rates on U.S. western rangelands, which in turn can lead to habitat degradation. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management are cooperating on studies investigating the potential of fertility control drugs to reduce foaling rates. In addition, because nearly every management issue concerning wild horses depends on accurate herd counts...
Research for Management of America's Wild Horses and Burros
FORT scientists are leading collaborative research projects to provide the BLM with better tools for managing expanding wild horse and burro populations. We are assessing the carrying capacity of wild horse habitats, behavioral effects of spaying mares and gelding a proportion of a herd’s stallions, testing the efficacy of an intrauterine device for mares, and evaluating four fertility-control...
Elk and Bison Grazing Ecology in the San Luis Valley, Colorado
Managers need information on the grazing ecology of bison and elk in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to develop science-based management alternatives.
America's Wild Horses and Burros—Research to Support Management
The wild horses that roam the west are feral descendents of domestic animals that either escaped from or were intentionally released by early European explorers and later settlers. As a result of both origin and contemporary management, the Spanish or Iberian influence remains strong in some wild horse populations (e.g., the Kiger, Pryor Mountain, and Sulfur Mountain herds). In other populations...
Molecular Tagging
Molecular tagging is a new application of molecular genetic techniques to traditional mark-recapture methodology designed to address situations where traditional methods fail. In such studies, non-invasively collected samples (such as feces, feathers, or fur) are used as a source of DNA that is then genotyped at multiple loci such that each individual animal can be uniquely identified. Thus, each...
GPS locations of feral horses in Utah, USA, from 2016-2020
Data represent locations of mares and stallions in Utah. Data were collected using GPS radio collars on mares or tail transmitters braided into the tails of stallions, at a 2-hour fix rate for a period spanning 2016 to 2020. Horses were located at Conger Herd Management Area (HMA) or Frisco HMA in the Great Basin ecosystem of Utah, USA.
Detections of burros from helicopter aerial surveys in the southwestern US, 2016-2018
Feral burros (Equus asinus) and horses (E. ferus caballus) inhabiting public land in the western United States are intended to be managed at population levels established to promote a thriving, natural ecological balance. Like many large ungulate populations, management agencies employ aerial surveys to obtain estimates of horse and burro population sizes. Double-observer sightability (MDS) models
Adult male horse data from Conger and Frisco Herd Management Areas, Utah, USA, between 2017 and 2020
We studied the effect of castrating a proportion of the adult males in a feral horse herd to examine any effect on behavior and social associations, particularly in terms of association with mares (i.e., maintenance of a harem group). We conducted this study between 2017 and 2020 at two Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in western Utah, USA: Conger and Frisco. We conducted demographic observations year
Winter herbaceous utilization by elk and bison in the Great Sand Dunes National Park ecosystem of the San Luis Valley, Colorado, 2006 to 2008
These data represent 2 years of plant clipping data in areas with elk plus bison and areas of elk only in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, USA from 2006-2008. Clipping plots were measured (clipped) in meadow sites, herbaceous riparian sites, and willow communities. We clipped 1/4 m2 (meter-squared) rings inside and outside of 1-m2 grazing cages, as well as within large ungulate exclosures that wer
Body condition scores and foaling outcomes in 2021 for 18 mares at Sulphur herd management area, Utah treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone
These data present outcomes for monitoring of 18 mares at Sulphur herd management area, Utah. Data include Henneke body condition scores (BCS) and foaling success, measured by visual observations of mares during the 2021 breeding season (April to September 2021) to determine if mares had a foal at foot. Mares were treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone vaccine on September 2, 2020 and booster
Detections of bison from helicopter and aerial thermal infrared imagery in Grand Canyon National Park, 2019-2021
These data are detections of bison in Grand Canyon National Park made during helicopter surveys between 2019 and 2021, and an aerial infrared imagery survey done in February 2020.
Feral horse tail tag deployment and retention data at Conger and Frisco Herd Management Areas, Utah, 2016-2020
These data show details of time taken to fit tail tags on horses at Herd Management Areas in Utah and Nevada. We provide the time of day that individuals entered and exited a squeeze chute and the resulting duration of time they were in the squeeze to have the tag affixed (among other things) at BLM facilities, as well as the sex and age of the individual, and dates that tail tags were deployed an
Fecal samples collected in May, August, and October 2014 from Little Book Cliffs Herd Management Area, Colorado, for determination of diet, persistence of DNA in the environment, individual identity, and seed germination.
These data were collected in May, August, and October in west central Colorado from a Bureau of Land Management wild horse herd management area (HMA). Samples were already on the ground, not fresh from the horse. The Diet dataset includes proportion of plant species found in fecal samples using two different lab techniques -- plant DNA bar-coding,and microhistology. Results of both methods to dete
Vegetation measurements of production and offtake in cottonwood communities of the Great Sand Dunes ecosystem, Colorado, 2005-2009.
These data provide measurements of cottonwood production and herbaceous production in cottonwood communities of the Great Sand Dunes National Park ecosystem in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, from 2005-2009. These data also include cottonwood browsing rates. The study area was stratified into 2 ungulate strata: areas with elk and bison herbivory, and areas with just elk herbivory (bison not pres
Body condition score of horses wearing radio collars, weekly behavior data of treatments and controls, and monthly descriptive data of collar and radio tag effects, 2015-2016, Oklahoma, USA
These data are from a study of wild horses and burros wearing radio collars in a captive facility in Oklahoma, USA, for one year. We also evaluated radio transmitter tags (braided into the mane and tails of horses but not burros). We recorded behavior, body condition score, and effects of collars on the necks of horses and burros wearing radio collars and of horses and burros not wearing collars (
Filter Total Items: 41
Comparison of aerial thermal infrared imagery and helicopter surveys of bison (Bison bison) in Grand Canyon National Park, USA
Aerial thermal infrared (TIR) surveys are an attractive option for estimating abundances of large mammals inhabiting extensive and heterogenous terrain. Compared to standard helicopter or fixed-wing aerial surveys, TIR flights can be conducted at higher altitudes translating into greater spatial coverage and increased observer safety; however, monetary costs are much greater. Further, there is no
Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis
The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect o
Effects of elk and bison herbivory on narrowleaf cottonwood
Ungulate browsing influences the structure and composition of woody plant communities, including species composition and biomass production as well as age distribution, recruitment, and mortality. We evaluated effects of elk and bison herbivory on narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) communities in a semiarid ecosystem in southern Colorado. Cottonwoods in this ecosystem have been aged at ≥
Using fecal DNA and closed-capture models to estimate feral horse population size
Accurate population estimates provide the foundation for managing feral horses (Equus caballus ferus) across the western United States. Certain feral horse populations are protected by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the United States Forest Service on designated herd management areas (HMAs) or wild horse territories, re
Feral horse space use and genetic characteristics from fecal DNA
Feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) in the western United States are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service in designated areas on public lands with a goal of maintaining populations in balance with multiple uses of the landscape. Small, isolated populations can be at risk of extirpation from stochastic events and deleterious genetic effects resulting from
Evaluation of the impacts of radio-marking devices on feral horses and burros in a captive setting
Radio-collars and other radio-marking devices have been invaluable tools for wildlife managers for >40 years. These marking devices have improved our understanding of wildlife spatial ecology and demographic parameters and provided new data facilitating model development for species conservation and management. Although these tools have been used on virtually all North American ungulates, their de
Standard operating procedures for wild horse and burro double-observer aerial surveys
The U.S. Geological Survey has been collaborating with the Bureau of Land Management to develop statistically reliable methods for wild horse and burro aerial survey data collection and analysis for more than a decade. In cooperation with Colorado State University, the U.S. Geological Survey tested several methods in herds with known abundance, resulting in two scientifically defensible aerial sur
Comparison of methods to examine diet of feral horses from non-invasively collected fecal samples
Feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) have become abundant on public lands in the American West, particularly over the past 10 yr. In areas where they are overabundant, there is risk of habitat degradation. Most previous studies on diet and habitat use of feral horses were conducted more than 20 yr ago; rangelands have changed considerably in that time, so it is useful to revisit horse diets. We con
Potential spread of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) by feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) in Western Colorado
The invasive grass cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) presents major challenges for land management and habitat conservation in the western United States. Feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) have become overabundant in some areas of the West and can impact fragile semiarid ecosystems. Amid ongoing efforts to control cheatgrass in the Great Basin, we conducted a study to determine if feral horses cont
Change in dominance determines herbivore effects on plant biodiversity
Herbivores alter plant biodiversity (species richness) in many of the world’s ecosystems, but the magnitude and the direction of herbivore effects on biodiversity vary widely within and among ecosystems. One current theory predicts that herbivores enhance plant biodiversity at high productivity but have the opposite effect at low productivity. Yet, empirical support for the importance of site prod
Testing infrared camera surveys and distance analyses to estimate feral horse abundance in a known population
We tested the use of high‐resolution infrared (IR) camera technology and distance sampling analyses to estimate abundance of feral horses (Equus caballus) during 2015–2016 in the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area, Wyoming, USA. Infrared technology is becoming more common in ungulate population monitoring. The quality of IR cameras now allows ungulate species to be differentiated. Imperfect det
Development of an aerial population survey method for elk (Cervus elaphus) in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Executive SummarySince the early 1990s, substantial effort and funding have been expended to conduct research to guide development of a 20-year Elk and Vegetation Management Plan for Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in Colorado. One goal of the plan is to maintain the elk (Cervus elaphus) population size at the lower end of the natural range of variation. To implement management actions called
Non-USGS Publications**
Schoenecker, K.A., and W.W. Shaw. 2008. Attitudes toward a proposed reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. 2(3): 42-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10871209709359101
Schoenecker, K.A., and P.R. Krausman. 2002. Human Disturbance in Bighorn Sheep Habitat, Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Arizona. Arizona-Nevada Academy of Sciences. 34(1) 63-68.
Schoenecker, K.A., and P.R. Krausman. 2002. Human disturbance in bighorn sheep habitat, Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Arizona. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. 34(1): 63-68.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Multi-objective Modeling as a Decision-support Tool for Feral Horse Management
Decisions related to controversial problems in natural resource management receive the greatest support when they account for multiple objectives of stakeholders in a structured and transparent fashion. In the United States, management of feral horses (Equus caballus) is a controversial multi-objective problem because disparate stakeholder groups have varying objectives and opinions about how to m
Science and Products
- Science
Herbivore-Ecosystem Interactions
Data from these studies help inform management decisions regarding ungulates on public lands, typically in large, jurisdictionally complex landscapes. Recent work involves investigations on the effects of herd size and movements of elk, bison, and wild horses on various ecosystem components. Specifically, scientific efforts include quantifying interactions among herbivores, plants, and soils...Where the Bison Roam: Public-Private Partnership Supports Potential Restoration
A little over one hundred years ago, plains bison were prolific in the Great American West. Reports describe herds containing thousands of animals migrating through the central and western states, totaling 20–30 million across their entire range. With commercial, unregulated hunting in the late 1800s came the rapid demise of bison to barely more than 1,000 by 18891. Recently, renewed interest in...Non-invasive Genetic Sampling of Free-roaming Horses to Estimate Population Size, Genetic Diversity, and Consumption of Invasive Species
Molecular tagging is a new application of molecular genetic techniques to traditional mark-recapture methodology designed to address situations where traditional methods fail. In such studies, non-invasively collected samples (such as feces, feathers, or fur) are used as a source of DNA that is then genotyped at multiple loci such that each individual animal can be uniquely identified. Thus, each...Counting America’s Wild Horses and Burros: Better Estimates for Population Management
The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, as amended, states that, "It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands (PL 92-195, Sec. 1331, Congressional...Wild Horse and Burro Survey Techniques
Because population estimates drive nearly all management decisions pertaining to wild horses and burros, accuracy is important. Several widely used techniques exist for conducting aerial population estimates of wildlife, but individually, each has important limitations. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), are evaluating combinations of these techniques...Elk and Bison Grazing Ecology in the San Luis Valley, Colorado
Managers need information on the grazing ecology of bison and elk in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to develop science-based management alternatives.Wild Horse and Burro Population Management
Wild horse populations often increase at high rates on U.S. western rangelands, which in turn can lead to habitat degradation. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management are cooperating on studies investigating the potential of fertility control drugs to reduce foaling rates. In addition, because nearly every management issue concerning wild horses depends on accurate herd counts...Research for Management of America's Wild Horses and Burros
FORT scientists are leading collaborative research projects to provide the BLM with better tools for managing expanding wild horse and burro populations. We are assessing the carrying capacity of wild horse habitats, behavioral effects of spaying mares and gelding a proportion of a herd’s stallions, testing the efficacy of an intrauterine device for mares, and evaluating four fertility-control...Elk and Bison Grazing Ecology in the San Luis Valley, Colorado
Managers need information on the grazing ecology of bison and elk in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to develop science-based management alternatives.America's Wild Horses and Burros—Research to Support Management
The wild horses that roam the west are feral descendents of domestic animals that either escaped from or were intentionally released by early European explorers and later settlers. As a result of both origin and contemporary management, the Spanish or Iberian influence remains strong in some wild horse populations (e.g., the Kiger, Pryor Mountain, and Sulfur Mountain herds). In other populations...Molecular Tagging
Molecular tagging is a new application of molecular genetic techniques to traditional mark-recapture methodology designed to address situations where traditional methods fail. In such studies, non-invasively collected samples (such as feces, feathers, or fur) are used as a source of DNA that is then genotyped at multiple loci such that each individual animal can be uniquely identified. Thus, each... - Data
GPS locations of feral horses in Utah, USA, from 2016-2020
Data represent locations of mares and stallions in Utah. Data were collected using GPS radio collars on mares or tail transmitters braided into the tails of stallions, at a 2-hour fix rate for a period spanning 2016 to 2020. Horses were located at Conger Herd Management Area (HMA) or Frisco HMA in the Great Basin ecosystem of Utah, USA.Detections of burros from helicopter aerial surveys in the southwestern US, 2016-2018
Feral burros (Equus asinus) and horses (E. ferus caballus) inhabiting public land in the western United States are intended to be managed at population levels established to promote a thriving, natural ecological balance. Like many large ungulate populations, management agencies employ aerial surveys to obtain estimates of horse and burro population sizes. Double-observer sightability (MDS) modelsAdult male horse data from Conger and Frisco Herd Management Areas, Utah, USA, between 2017 and 2020
We studied the effect of castrating a proportion of the adult males in a feral horse herd to examine any effect on behavior and social associations, particularly in terms of association with mares (i.e., maintenance of a harem group). We conducted this study between 2017 and 2020 at two Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in western Utah, USA: Conger and Frisco. We conducted demographic observations yearWinter herbaceous utilization by elk and bison in the Great Sand Dunes National Park ecosystem of the San Luis Valley, Colorado, 2006 to 2008
These data represent 2 years of plant clipping data in areas with elk plus bison and areas of elk only in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, USA from 2006-2008. Clipping plots were measured (clipped) in meadow sites, herbaceous riparian sites, and willow communities. We clipped 1/4 m2 (meter-squared) rings inside and outside of 1-m2 grazing cages, as well as within large ungulate exclosures that werBody condition scores and foaling outcomes in 2021 for 18 mares at Sulphur herd management area, Utah treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone
These data present outcomes for monitoring of 18 mares at Sulphur herd management area, Utah. Data include Henneke body condition scores (BCS) and foaling success, measured by visual observations of mares during the 2021 breeding season (April to September 2021) to determine if mares had a foal at foot. Mares were treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone vaccine on September 2, 2020 and boosterDetections of bison from helicopter and aerial thermal infrared imagery in Grand Canyon National Park, 2019-2021
These data are detections of bison in Grand Canyon National Park made during helicopter surveys between 2019 and 2021, and an aerial infrared imagery survey done in February 2020.Feral horse tail tag deployment and retention data at Conger and Frisco Herd Management Areas, Utah, 2016-2020
These data show details of time taken to fit tail tags on horses at Herd Management Areas in Utah and Nevada. We provide the time of day that individuals entered and exited a squeeze chute and the resulting duration of time they were in the squeeze to have the tag affixed (among other things) at BLM facilities, as well as the sex and age of the individual, and dates that tail tags were deployed anFecal samples collected in May, August, and October 2014 from Little Book Cliffs Herd Management Area, Colorado, for determination of diet, persistence of DNA in the environment, individual identity, and seed germination.
These data were collected in May, August, and October in west central Colorado from a Bureau of Land Management wild horse herd management area (HMA). Samples were already on the ground, not fresh from the horse. The Diet dataset includes proportion of plant species found in fecal samples using two different lab techniques -- plant DNA bar-coding,and microhistology. Results of both methods to deteVegetation measurements of production and offtake in cottonwood communities of the Great Sand Dunes ecosystem, Colorado, 2005-2009.
These data provide measurements of cottonwood production and herbaceous production in cottonwood communities of the Great Sand Dunes National Park ecosystem in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, from 2005-2009. These data also include cottonwood browsing rates. The study area was stratified into 2 ungulate strata: areas with elk and bison herbivory, and areas with just elk herbivory (bison not presBody condition score of horses wearing radio collars, weekly behavior data of treatments and controls, and monthly descriptive data of collar and radio tag effects, 2015-2016, Oklahoma, USA
These data are from a study of wild horses and burros wearing radio collars in a captive facility in Oklahoma, USA, for one year. We also evaluated radio transmitter tags (braided into the mane and tails of horses but not burros). We recorded behavior, body condition score, and effects of collars on the necks of horses and burros wearing radio collars and of horses and burros not wearing collars ( - Publications
Filter Total Items: 41
Comparison of aerial thermal infrared imagery and helicopter surveys of bison (Bison bison) in Grand Canyon National Park, USA
Aerial thermal infrared (TIR) surveys are an attractive option for estimating abundances of large mammals inhabiting extensive and heterogenous terrain. Compared to standard helicopter or fixed-wing aerial surveys, TIR flights can be conducted at higher altitudes translating into greater spatial coverage and increased observer safety; however, monetary costs are much greater. Further, there is noBody size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis
The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect oEffects of elk and bison herbivory on narrowleaf cottonwood
Ungulate browsing influences the structure and composition of woody plant communities, including species composition and biomass production as well as age distribution, recruitment, and mortality. We evaluated effects of elk and bison herbivory on narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) communities in a semiarid ecosystem in southern Colorado. Cottonwoods in this ecosystem have been aged at ≥Using fecal DNA and closed-capture models to estimate feral horse population size
Accurate population estimates provide the foundation for managing feral horses (Equus caballus ferus) across the western United States. Certain feral horse populations are protected by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the United States Forest Service on designated herd management areas (HMAs) or wild horse territories, reFeral horse space use and genetic characteristics from fecal DNA
Feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) in the western United States are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service in designated areas on public lands with a goal of maintaining populations in balance with multiple uses of the landscape. Small, isolated populations can be at risk of extirpation from stochastic events and deleterious genetic effects resulting fromEvaluation of the impacts of radio-marking devices on feral horses and burros in a captive setting
Radio-collars and other radio-marking devices have been invaluable tools for wildlife managers for >40 years. These marking devices have improved our understanding of wildlife spatial ecology and demographic parameters and provided new data facilitating model development for species conservation and management. Although these tools have been used on virtually all North American ungulates, their deStandard operating procedures for wild horse and burro double-observer aerial surveys
The U.S. Geological Survey has been collaborating with the Bureau of Land Management to develop statistically reliable methods for wild horse and burro aerial survey data collection and analysis for more than a decade. In cooperation with Colorado State University, the U.S. Geological Survey tested several methods in herds with known abundance, resulting in two scientifically defensible aerial surComparison of methods to examine diet of feral horses from non-invasively collected fecal samples
Feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) have become abundant on public lands in the American West, particularly over the past 10 yr. In areas where they are overabundant, there is risk of habitat degradation. Most previous studies on diet and habitat use of feral horses were conducted more than 20 yr ago; rangelands have changed considerably in that time, so it is useful to revisit horse diets. We conPotential spread of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) by feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) in Western Colorado
The invasive grass cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) presents major challenges for land management and habitat conservation in the western United States. Feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) have become overabundant in some areas of the West and can impact fragile semiarid ecosystems. Amid ongoing efforts to control cheatgrass in the Great Basin, we conducted a study to determine if feral horses contChange in dominance determines herbivore effects on plant biodiversity
Herbivores alter plant biodiversity (species richness) in many of the world’s ecosystems, but the magnitude and the direction of herbivore effects on biodiversity vary widely within and among ecosystems. One current theory predicts that herbivores enhance plant biodiversity at high productivity but have the opposite effect at low productivity. Yet, empirical support for the importance of site prodTesting infrared camera surveys and distance analyses to estimate feral horse abundance in a known population
We tested the use of high‐resolution infrared (IR) camera technology and distance sampling analyses to estimate abundance of feral horses (Equus caballus) during 2015–2016 in the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area, Wyoming, USA. Infrared technology is becoming more common in ungulate population monitoring. The quality of IR cameras now allows ungulate species to be differentiated. Imperfect detDevelopment of an aerial population survey method for elk (Cervus elaphus) in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Executive SummarySince the early 1990s, substantial effort and funding have been expended to conduct research to guide development of a 20-year Elk and Vegetation Management Plan for Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in Colorado. One goal of the plan is to maintain the elk (Cervus elaphus) population size at the lower end of the natural range of variation. To implement management actions calledNon-USGS Publications**
Schoenecker, K.A., and W.W. Shaw. 2008. Attitudes toward a proposed reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. 2(3): 42-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10871209709359101Schoenecker, K.A., and P.R. Krausman. 2002. Human Disturbance in Bighorn Sheep Habitat, Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Arizona. Arizona-Nevada Academy of Sciences. 34(1) 63-68.Schoenecker, K.A., and P.R. Krausman. 2002. Human disturbance in bighorn sheep habitat, Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Arizona. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. 34(1): 63-68.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Software
Multi-objective Modeling as a Decision-support Tool for Feral Horse Management
Decisions related to controversial problems in natural resource management receive the greatest support when they account for multiple objectives of stakeholders in a structured and transparent fashion. In the United States, management of feral horses (Equus caballus) is a controversial multi-objective problem because disparate stakeholder groups have varying objectives and opinions about how to m - News
- Multimedia