Species Monitoring on the Fort Belknap Indian Community
Katy Anderson
Wildlife monitoring surveys are important in establishing baseline species abundance and distribution records for an area. Even though the state of Montana has made concerted efforts to gather baseline information on nongame species across the state there still exists a significant lack of knowledge of species records and distributions on American Indian lands. The Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) lands have a lack of observation records relative to the surrounding areas with almost a complete lack of reptile and amphibian records. Permission has been granted by the FBIC to conduct wildlife surveys for mountain plovers (Charadrius montanus), burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) and long-billed curlews (Numenius americanus) as well as various herpetofauan species. Survey focus will take place on the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies as these are suitable habitat for the burrowing owl, mountain plover and long-billed curlew.
There is significant concern about herpetofauna declines across much of the world and getting baseline data on these taxonomic groups allows for future monitoring and population assessments to occur. Because herpetofauna provide an important food supply to ecological communities and their susceptibility to environmental changes and contaminates, collecting species distribution data for these taxonomic groups is a key part in monitoring the area. The herpetofauna surveys will be conducted on randomly chosen transects within the FBIC lands.
This project also emphasizes community involvement by reaching out to the Aaniiih Nakoda Community College (ANCC) located on the reservation, allowing ANCC students to participate in a variety of wildlife surveys and gain field experience by working with RMC faculty and student researchers. In the future, biodiversity monitoring on the FBIC lands can be used as a model to conduct similar work with tribal communities, filling in important population and species distribution gaps in the Yellowstone river watershed and also providing community outreach and hands on field experience for students attending tribal colleges.
There is significant concern about herpetofauna declines across much of the world and getting baseline data on these taxonomic groups allows for future monitoring and population assessments to occur. Because herpetofauna provide an important food supply to ecological communities and their susceptibility to environmental changes and contaminates, collecting species distribution data for these taxonomic groups is a key part in monitoring the area. The herpetofauna surveys will be conducted on randomly chosen transects within the FBIC lands.
This project also emphasizes community involvement by reaching out to the Aaniiih Nakoda Community College (ANCC) located on the reservation, allowing ANCC students to participate in a variety of wildlife surveys and gain field experience by working with RMC faculty and student researchers. In the future, biodiversity monitoring on the FBIC lands can be used as a model to conduct similar work with tribal communities, filling in important population and species distribution gaps in the Yellowstone river watershed and also providing community outreach and hands on field experience for students attending tribal colleges.
Distribution of Carnivores in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area
Sean Flynn
The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (ABW) is filled with elusive carnivore species but, it is only accessible during the summer months because of the rugged terrain and constant snowpack. Two possible carnivores in the ABW are the Wolverine (Gulo gulo) and Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis). These two species have been affected by global climate change, changes in vegetation cover, and trapping. The ABW provides suitable habitat for these predators to live in but only six wolverine observations, since 1880, and three lynx observations, since 1999, have been recorded. Wilderness managers are under pressure to try and protect these elusive predators and their habitat. With a better understanding of the distribution of these animals, better management plans can be put into place.
Through the use of modified United States Forest Service survey methods, the Carnivore project is trying to learn about the distribution of carnivores in the ABW during summer months. The Carnivore project incorporates citizen scientists to gain knowledge of carnivore species distribution and increase public awareness about their existence. We work closely with the United States Forest Service, Montana Wilderness Association - Eastern Wildlands Chapter, and the Absarokee-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation.
The study area is the eastern portion of the Absarokee-Beartooth Wilderness. Camera stations are placed in areas of suitable habitat and monitored by student researchers and citizen scientists. Collecting photographic evidence will provide insight into carnivore distribution and help identify areas critical for habitat management.
Through the use of modified United States Forest Service survey methods, the Carnivore project is trying to learn about the distribution of carnivores in the ABW during summer months. The Carnivore project incorporates citizen scientists to gain knowledge of carnivore species distribution and increase public awareness about their existence. We work closely with the United States Forest Service, Montana Wilderness Association - Eastern Wildlands Chapter, and the Absarokee-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation.
The study area is the eastern portion of the Absarokee-Beartooth Wilderness. Camera stations are placed in areas of suitable habitat and monitored by student researchers and citizen scientists. Collecting photographic evidence will provide insight into carnivore distribution and help identify areas critical for habitat management.
Mapping Community Health in Yellowstone County: A Collaborative Project between RiverStone Health and the Yellowstone River Research Center
Tyler Hilderbrand
The Eagle Formation (The Rimrocks) in and around Billings, Montana is a prominent bedrock hill slope. As the rock undergo weathering and erosion, and the city continues to develop atop and below the Rimrocks, it poses a threat of rock fall to many. During the past decade, several homes and other property have been extensively damaged due to slab detachment from the cliff face. Hazard assessment data have been collected by the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology for decades on 11 monitored areas of concern. Past data collection has included monthly measurements of slab movement on particular areas of concern; vertical and horizontal displacement of the slabs, along with continuous temperature and precipitation on the measurement days. Coming up with new ways of collecting data and identifying other potential processes that might influence rock fall are important in explaining rock fall hazards along the Rimrocks. Slab movement may be affected by seasonal changes in weather (primarily precipitation and temperature) and, may also be affected by the presence vegetation within the fractures. With the use of dendrochronology (tree ring data), and lichenometry (lichen growth), together with continued measurement of slab movement, and collection of precipitation and temperature records, this project looks to identify other factors influencing rock fall hazards on the Rimrocks. Age of the fracture vegetation, temperature, and precipitation will be compared to slab movement over time. Where relationships exist, statistical analyses can be used to help highlight which factors have a greater effect on slab movement. Also, incorporating the study of geomorphology, structure, sedimentology and stratigraphy, will help to better understand the weathering and erosional characteristics of this formation. Hazard assessment data will be collected over a period of 12 months. The use of LiDAR technology would also provide valuable information; which has not been used in this area. We are currently in discussions with UNAVCO, a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitates geoscience research and education using geodesy based in Boulder, Colorado, to have a technician scan a location of interest along the Rims using Terrestrial Laser Technology Scanning (TLS) equipment in the fall semester. This would provide sub-centimeter resolution of the 3-dimensional cliff face. This data resolution will help identify small scale slab movements over time. LiDAR technology will provide quantitative data for slab movement in order to help explain small scale changes to the cliff face that might influence larger scale rock fall events. Knowing which processes have greater effects on slab detachment, will better explain rock fall on the Rimrocks, and could help aid in the prediction of these hazards in the future. Rock fall hazard assessment is crucial for the continued protection and safety of the public.
Using Q Method to Explore Montanan’s Wilderness Values and Management Preferences.
Tyler Kethley
Americans have access to 618 million acres of public lands and 109 million acres of which are designated wilderness (The Wilderness Society). Wilderness is a subset of these public lands that are highly protected from development, motorized vehicles, and resource extraction. The U.S. Forest service, BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service, control, and regulate a combined 95% of all federal lands, and most of this land is concentrated in the western US. (Logomasini, 2008). Multiple new public land and wilderness management bills have surfaced pertaining to wilderness management and more specifically; what agencies are best suited to manage America’s public lands. These land transfer bills and new management plans show that there are numerous different stakeholders in Montana’s wilderness and that their views and opinions align and differ on a variety of subjects. This raises the question of how many substantively different views exist within Montana wilderness stakeholders.
This study aims to explore how many distinctly different views exist within Montana’s wilderness stakeholders. This information will contribute to our general understanding of wilderness management, and will provide vital information for policy makers for developing new Montana wilderness policy which embraces stakeholder cooperation and minimizing conflict.
This is accomplished by conducting semi-structured interviews where demographic data is collected and supplementary data, in the form or dialog, is collected. Q method (a sorting exercise), which enables researchers to quantitatively analyze participant’s qualitative views will also be used to explore how many distinct ways do stakeholder opinions align and diverge.
Ultimately this study will give us, as land managers, valuable data that will promote a policy making environment where conflict is minimized and policy implementation and practice is more effective. This research was funded largely in part by the Montana Wilderness Association.
This study aims to explore how many distinctly different views exist within Montana’s wilderness stakeholders. This information will contribute to our general understanding of wilderness management, and will provide vital information for policy makers for developing new Montana wilderness policy which embraces stakeholder cooperation and minimizing conflict.
This is accomplished by conducting semi-structured interviews where demographic data is collected and supplementary data, in the form or dialog, is collected. Q method (a sorting exercise), which enables researchers to quantitatively analyze participant’s qualitative views will also be used to explore how many distinct ways do stakeholder opinions align and diverge.
Ultimately this study will give us, as land managers, valuable data that will promote a policy making environment where conflict is minimized and policy implementation and practice is more effective. This research was funded largely in part by the Montana Wilderness Association.
Spatial Patterns of Historic and Contemporary North American Wolves and Future Policy Implications
Sierra Wilson
This project was inspired by a lifelong passion for wolves and Professors Lehman and Ward. By using historical data such as the Lewis and Clark journals, Fergus County bounty records and Montana State bounty records, GIS maps will be made to illustrate spatial patterns and then analyzed to understand speciation and management policies for North American wolves. First, relevant historical wolf data will be identified. Then, a GIS map will be created to visually represent the spatial relationships of the data. Next, the maps will be analyzed against contemporary wolf ecology and management to understand the significance of the spatial relationships of the data and identify issues and possible solutions. The goals of this project are to expand upon GIS software utilization possibilities and to emphasize the importance of environmental history. This study will be used to improve large carnivore management.