Mark Haroldson
Biography
Education
B.S. Wildlife Biology, 1979, University of Montana
Graduate level class work, 1982-88, University of Montana
Research Interest
Mark Haroldson is a USGS Supervisory Wildlife Biologist for the Interagency Grizzly Bears Study Team and works out of the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT. Mark has had a passion for bears since he began studying them as an undergraduate in 1976. He has worked in bear research and management in several western states ever since. Since 1984 he has worked in various capacities for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Current research is focused on mortality and population trend of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Science and Products
Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) is an interdisciplinary group of scientists and biologists responsible for long-term monitoring and research efforts on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The team was formed by the Department of the Interior (DOI) in 1973 as a direct result of controversy...
NOROCK Large Carnivore Research Program
NOROCK has substantial expertise in large carnivore research, primarily involving species listed as Threatened or Endangered. NOROCK’s Large Carnivore Research Program includes scientists from NOROCK’s Headquarters, West Glacier Field Station, and the Southern Appalachian Field Station. Studies are conducted in a wide variety of landscapes throughout the U.S., as well as international...
Yellowstone Grizzly Bear investigations 2019 - Annual report of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team
No abstract available.
van Manen, Frank T.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Karabensh, Bryn Potential for recreational restrictions to reduce grizzly bear–caused human injuries
In 2011, 2 hikers were killed by grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in separate incidents on backcountry trails in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, USA (YNP). Hayden Valley provides prime habitat for grizzly bears and is known to have high densities of bears. During 1970–2017, 23% (10 of 44) of all backcountry grizzly bear–inflicted human...
Gunther, Kerry A.; Haroldson, Mark A. Yellowstone Grizzly Bear investigations: Annual report of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team 2018
This annual report summarizes the results of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) research and monitoring conducted in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) during 2018. The research and monitoring program is focused on population estimation and demographics, food monitoring, and habitat monitoring. The...
van Manen, Frank T.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Karabensh, Bryn Estimating distemper virus dynamics among wolves and grizzly bears using serology and Bayesian state‐space models
Many parasites infect multiple hosts, but estimating the transmission across host species remains a key challenge in disease ecology. We investigated the within and across host species dynamics of canine distemper virus (CDV) in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and wolves (Canis lupus) of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). We hypothesized that...
Cross, Paul C.; van Manen, Frank T.; Viana, Mafalda; Almberg, Emily S.; Bachen, Daniel; Brandell, Ellen E.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Hudson, Peter J.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Smith, Douglas W. Potential paths for male-mediated gene flow to and from an isolated grizzly bear population
For several decades, grizzly bear populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) have increased in numbers and range extent. The GYE population remains isolated and although effective population size has increased since the early 1980s, genetic connectivity between these populations...
Peck, Christopher P.; van Manen, Frank T.; Costello, Cecily M.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Landenburger, Lisa; Roberts, Lori L.; Bjornlie, Daniel D.; Mace, Richard D. Yellowstone grizzly bears: Ecology and conservation of an icon of wildness
No abstract available.
White, P.J.; Gunther, Kerry A.; van Manen, Frank T. Diet and macronutrient optimization in wild ursids: A comparison of grizzly bears with sympatric and allopatric black bears
When fed ad libitum, ursids can maximize mass gain by selecting mixed diets wherein protein provides 17 ± 4% of digestible energy, relative to carbohydrates or lipids. In the wild, this ability is likely constrained by seasonal food availability, limits of intake rate as body size increases, and competition. By visiting locations of 37...
Costello, Cecily M.; Cain, Steven L.; Pils, Shannon R; Frattaroli, Leslie; Haroldson, Mark A.; van Manen, Frank T. Detecting grizzly bear use of ungulate carcasses using global positioning system telemetry and activity data
Global positioning system (GPS) wildlife collars have revolutionized wildlife research. Studies of predation by free-ranging carnivores have particularly benefited from the application of location clustering algorithms to determine when and where predation events occur. These studies have changed our understanding of large carnivore behavior, but...
Ebinger, Michael R.; Haroldson, Mark A.; van Manen, Frank T.; Costello, Cecily M.; Bjornlie, Daniel D.; Thompson, Daniel J.; Gunther, Kerry A.; Fortin, Jennifer K.; Teisberg, Justin E.; Pils, Shannon R; White, P J; Cain, Steven L.; Cross, Paul C. Density dependence, whitebark pine, and vital rates of grizzly bears
Understanding factors influencing changes in population trajectory is important for effective wildlife management, particularly for populations of conservation concern. Annual population growth of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA has slowed from 4.2–7.6% during 1983–2001 to 0.3–...
van Manen, Frank T.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Bjornlie, Daniel D.; Ebinger, Michael R.; Thompson, Daniel J.; Costello, Cecily M.; White, Gary C. Multiple estimates of effective population size for monitoring a long-lived vertebrate: An application to Yellowstone grizzly bears
Effective population size (Ne) is a key parameter for monitoring the genetic health of threatened populations because it reflects a population's evolutionary potential and risk of extinction due to genetic stochasticity. However, its application to wildlife monitoring has been limited because it is difficult to measure in natural populations. The...
Kamath, Pauline L.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Luikart, Gordon; Paetkau, David; Whitman, Craig L.; van Manen, Frank T. Dietary breadth of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are opportunistic omnivores that eat a great diversity of plant and animal species. Changes in climate may affect regional vegetation, hydrology, insects, and fire regimes, likely influencing the abundance, range, and elevational distribution of the plants and animals consumed...
Gunther, Kerry A.; Shoemaker, Rebecca; Frey, Kevin L.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Cain, Steven L.; van Manen, Frank T.; Fortin, Jennifer K. Whitebark pine, population density, and home-range size of grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem
Changes in life history traits of species can be an important indicator of potential factors influencing populations. For grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), recent decline of whitebark pine (WBP; Pinus albicaulis), an important fall food resource, has been paired with a slowing of population growth following...
Bjornlie, Daniel D.; van Manen, Frank T.; Ebinger, Michael R.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Thompson, Daniel J.; Costello, Cecily M.