Peter Gogan is a Scientist Emeritus at the Fort Collins Science Center
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
Where the buffalo roam: The role of history and genetics in the conservation of bison on U.S. federal lands
As an emblem of the Great Plains, American Indians, and wildlife conservation, the American bison (Bison bison) is one of the most visible and well-known of wildlife species in North America (fig. 1, above). Species of the genus Bison originally entered the continent via the Bering land bridge from northern Eurasia in the Illinoian glacial period of the Pleistocene epoch (125,000–500,000 years ago
Second chance for the plains bison
Before European settlement the plains bison (Bison bison bison) numbered in the tens of millions across most of the temperate region of North America. Within the span of a few decades during the mid- to late-1800s its numbers were reduced by hunting and other factors to a few hundred. The plight of the plains bison led to one of the first major movements in North America to save an endangered spec
Ecological studies of bison in the Greater Yellowstone Area: Development and implementation
Bison (Bison bison) of the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) are perhaps best known to the scientific community from the classic study of Meagher (1973) that reviewed their ecological status and management from the time of establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 through the last National Park Service (NPS) removals of bison within the park in 1966. Since cessation of herd reductions in the
A simple solar radiation index for wildlife habitat studies
Solar radiation is a potentially important covariate in many wildlife habitat studies, but it is typically addressed only indirectly, using problematic surrogates like aspect or hillshade. We devised a simple solar radiation index (SRI) that combines readily available information about aspect, slope, and latitude. Our SRI is proportional to the amount of extraterrestrial solar radiation theoretica
What limits the Serengeti zebra population?
The populations of the ecologically dominant ungulates in the Serengeti ecosystem (zebra, wildebeest and buffalo) have shown markedly different trends since the 1960s: the two ruminants both irrupted after the elimination of rinderpest in 1960, while the zebras have remained stable. The ruminants are resource limited (though parts of the buffalo population have been limited by poaching since the 1
Control of ungulate numbers in a protected area
Successful long-term control of ungulate numbers within a protected area requires continuous review and refinement of management practices. Insights gained may have application to other sites. We evaluated management objectives and actions to control populations of exotic axis deer (Axis axis) and fallow deer (Dama dama) at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Using records of numbers of eac
Pregnancy rates in central Yellowstone bison
Plains bison (Bison b. bison) centered on Yellowstone National Park are chronically infected with brucellosis (Brucella abortus) and culled along the park boundaries to reduce the probability of disease transmission to domestic livestock. We evaluated the relationship between pregnancy rates and age, dressed carcass weight, and serological status for brucellosis among bison culled from the central
Re-introduction of tule elk to Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA
Tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes), a subspecies endemic to California, was historically found in large herds throughout much of central and coastal California. Market hunting during the California Gold Rush decimated these herds, and by 1895, only two to 10 elk remained. This remnant group was protected and served as the source for early relocation efforts (McCullough, 1971). Early efforts were g
Genetic population substructure in bison at Yellowstone National Park
The Yellowstone National Park bison herd is 1 of only 2 populations known to have continually persisted on their current
landscape since pre-Columbian times. Over the last century, the census size of this herd has fluctuated from around 100
individuals to over 3000 animals. Previous studies involving radiotelemetry, tooth wear, and parturition timing provide
evidence of at least 2 distinct groups
Estimating survival rates with time series of standing age‐structure data
It has long been recognized that age‐structure data contain useful information for assessing the status and dynamics of wildlife populations. For example, age‐specific survival rates can be estimated with just a single sample from the age distribution of a stable, stationary population. For a population that is not stable, age‐specific survival rates can be estimated using techniques such as inver
Aerial survey estimates of fallow deer abundance
Reliable estimates of the distribution and abundance of an ungulate species is essential prior to establishing and implementing a management program. We used ground surveys to determine distribution and ground and aerial surveys and individually marked deer to estimate the abundance of fallow deer (Dama dama) in north-coastal California. Fallow deer had limited distribution and heterogeneous densi
Northern Yellowstone Mule Deer Movements and Demographics
This data product includes two datasets acquired for the study of northern Yellowstone mule deer seasonal movement and survival patterns. One data set "Point Locations of Radio-collared female northern Yellowstone mule deer" provides details about the date and time of relocations of radio-collared female northern Yellowstone mule deer along with location coordinates. Habitat type
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 18
Where the buffalo roam: The role of history and genetics in the conservation of bison on U.S. federal lands
As an emblem of the Great Plains, American Indians, and wildlife conservation, the American bison (Bison bison) is one of the most visible and well-known of wildlife species in North America (fig. 1, above). Species of the genus Bison originally entered the continent via the Bering land bridge from northern Eurasia in the Illinoian glacial period of the Pleistocene epoch (125,000–500,000 years agoSecond chance for the plains bison
Before European settlement the plains bison (Bison bison bison) numbered in the tens of millions across most of the temperate region of North America. Within the span of a few decades during the mid- to late-1800s its numbers were reduced by hunting and other factors to a few hundred. The plight of the plains bison led to one of the first major movements in North America to save an endangered specEcological studies of bison in the Greater Yellowstone Area: Development and implementation
Bison (Bison bison) of the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) are perhaps best known to the scientific community from the classic study of Meagher (1973) that reviewed their ecological status and management from the time of establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 through the last National Park Service (NPS) removals of bison within the park in 1966. Since cessation of herd reductions in theA simple solar radiation index for wildlife habitat studies
Solar radiation is a potentially important covariate in many wildlife habitat studies, but it is typically addressed only indirectly, using problematic surrogates like aspect or hillshade. We devised a simple solar radiation index (SRI) that combines readily available information about aspect, slope, and latitude. Our SRI is proportional to the amount of extraterrestrial solar radiation theoreticaWhat limits the Serengeti zebra population?
The populations of the ecologically dominant ungulates in the Serengeti ecosystem (zebra, wildebeest and buffalo) have shown markedly different trends since the 1960s: the two ruminants both irrupted after the elimination of rinderpest in 1960, while the zebras have remained stable. The ruminants are resource limited (though parts of the buffalo population have been limited by poaching since the 1Control of ungulate numbers in a protected area
Successful long-term control of ungulate numbers within a protected area requires continuous review and refinement of management practices. Insights gained may have application to other sites. We evaluated management objectives and actions to control populations of exotic axis deer (Axis axis) and fallow deer (Dama dama) at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Using records of numbers of eacPregnancy rates in central Yellowstone bison
Plains bison (Bison b. bison) centered on Yellowstone National Park are chronically infected with brucellosis (Brucella abortus) and culled along the park boundaries to reduce the probability of disease transmission to domestic livestock. We evaluated the relationship between pregnancy rates and age, dressed carcass weight, and serological status for brucellosis among bison culled from the centralRe-introduction of tule elk to Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA
Tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes), a subspecies endemic to California, was historically found in large herds throughout much of central and coastal California. Market hunting during the California Gold Rush decimated these herds, and by 1895, only two to 10 elk remained. This remnant group was protected and served as the source for early relocation efforts (McCullough, 1971). Early efforts were gGenetic population substructure in bison at Yellowstone National Park
The Yellowstone National Park bison herd is 1 of only 2 populations known to have continually persisted on their current landscape since pre-Columbian times. Over the last century, the census size of this herd has fluctuated from around 100 individuals to over 3000 animals. Previous studies involving radiotelemetry, tooth wear, and parturition timing provide evidence of at least 2 distinct groupsEstimating survival rates with time series of standing age‐structure data
It has long been recognized that age‐structure data contain useful information for assessing the status and dynamics of wildlife populations. For example, age‐specific survival rates can be estimated with just a single sample from the age distribution of a stable, stationary population. For a population that is not stable, age‐specific survival rates can be estimated using techniques such as inverAerial survey estimates of fallow deer abundance
Reliable estimates of the distribution and abundance of an ungulate species is essential prior to establishing and implementing a management program. We used ground surveys to determine distribution and ground and aerial surveys and individually marked deer to estimate the abundance of fallow deer (Dama dama) in north-coastal California. Fallow deer had limited distribution and heterogeneous densi - Data
Northern Yellowstone Mule Deer Movements and Demographics
This data product includes two datasets acquired for the study of northern Yellowstone mule deer seasonal movement and survival patterns. One data set "Point Locations of Radio-collared female northern Yellowstone mule deer" provides details about the date and time of relocations of radio-collared female northern Yellowstone mule deer along with location coordinates. Habitat type