Grizzly Bear Use of Forest Service Grazing Allotments in The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Poster)

Range expansion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population has led to increased human-bear conflicts, including livestock depredation. In 2015, we began a study to evaluate spatio-temporal patterns between public land livestock grazing, grizzly bear habitat use and livestock depredations. In collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, we will obtain 25 years (1989-2014) of data related to Forest Service grazing allotments, including livestock stocking and on-off dates, locations of individual collared bears, grizzly bear depredations and management removals, bear density and habitat characteristics pertinent to bear space use (e.g. landcover, elevation, human activity) within the GYE. Bear and conflict locations will be related to allotment information, habitat characteristics, and bear density using generalized linear models to evaluate what factors are influencing grizzly bear space use and depredation events, and how they have changed across seasons and years. Habitat selection by individual bears will be evaluated at two scales, home range selection within the landscape and selection within the home range, to give more insight into factors affecting space use and how they differ among individual bears. Our results should facilitate the development of adaptive approaches to conserve grizzly bears while also conserving the economic viability of livestock operations, and should have utility for bear and land management in the GYE

DISTRIBUTION OF GRAY WOLVES IN RESPONSE TO HABITAT AND HUMAN PRESENCE IN THE ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTH WILDERNESS, MONTANA

Since wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in 1995 and 1996, the population has increased and expanded into adjacent areas. In this study, we documented the distribution of wolves in relation to habitat and human presence in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (ABW) in Montana during the summers of 2005 and 2006, prior to the onset of wolf hunting in 2009, by observing tracks and scat along USDA Forest Service (USFS) trails. Our results indicated that wolves in the ABW 1)  were primarily located near the boundary of YNP, 2) did not prefer forested habitats when traveling on trails, 3) did not avoid USFS cabins or outfitter camps, and 4) did not differentiate between permanent cabins and temporary camps

Quaking Aspen Ecology on Forest Service Lands North of Yellowstone National Park

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) occupy a small area in the northern Rocky Mountains, but are highly valued as wildlife habitat. Aspen stands in and around Yellowstone National Park commonly consist of few, large, mature overstory stems and numerous root suckers that do not grow above the browsing reach (≈ 2 m) of most wild ungulates. Our primary objective was to determine if the recruitment or density of aspen stems \u3e 2 m tall had changed from 1991 to 2006 on a portion of the Gallatin National Forest. The same aspen stands were surveyed in 1991 and 2006 in the 560 km² study area (n = 316). Secondary objectives were to determine if aspen density was influenced by elk (Cervus elaphus) browsing, conifer establishment, and cattle (Bos spp.) grazing. Mean recruitment stem density did not change from 1991 to 2006 (P = 0.95). Density of stems \u3e 2 m declined 12 percent from 1991 to 2006 (P = 0.04), which indicates that recruitment stems are not being produced at a sufficient rate to replace aging overstories. Areas with the greatest elk densities had the lowest recruitment stem densities and contributed the most to the decline. Although elk browsing seemed to play the largest role, conifer establishment and cattle grazing have also negatively impacted overstory recruitment in aspen stands. Even though elk numbers on the Northern Yellowstone Winter Range have declined since wolf reintroduction, aspen recruitment has not increased at the landscape level on the Gallatin National Forest

Snowshoe Hare use of Silviculturally Altered Conifer Forests in The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Information about snowshoe hare habitat use in key Canada lynx recovery areas, such as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, is critical for the conservation of lynx. Although research conclusions differ in regard to the types and ages of forests preferred by snowshoe hares, restrictions on silvicultural practice have been implemented by forest managers to protect snowshoe hares in this area. However, some research suggests that regenerating lodgepole pine stands associated with silvicultural treatments benefit snowshoe hares. We evaluated three indices of snowshoe hare use within a timber management area in southwest Montana, inside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (1999–2012) to assess the relative use of forest types. We analyzed: 1) 11 years of data collected from 280 pellet plots using linear mixed models and AICc model selection, 2) 13 years of track counts from 2,202 km of roadway travel using Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests of proportional segment lengths and the associated cover types, and 3) 76 nights over one winter of live-trapping using a hare/night index. Overall, we observed the greatest use within the youngest two classes of regenerating lodgepole pine stands that were associated with clear cutting and pre-commercial thinning. These results suggest snowshoe hares prefer silviculturally influenced 30–60 years old lodgepole pine forests

A year of genomic surveillance reveals how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic unfolded in Africa.

The progression of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in Africa has so far been heterogeneous, and the full impact is not yet well understood. In this study, we describe the genomic epidemiology using a dataset of 8746 genomes from 33 African countries and two overseas territories. We show that the epidemics in most countries were initiated by importations predominantly from Europe, which diminished after the early introduction of international travel restrictions. As the pandemic progressed, ongoing transmission in many countries and increasing mobility led to the emergence and spread within the continent of many variants of concern and interest, such as B.1.351, B.1.525, A.23.1, and C.1.1. Although distorted by low sampling numbers and blind spots, the findings highlight that Africa must not be left behind in the global pandemic response, otherwise it could become a source for new variants

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

MOOSE POPULATION HISTORY ON THE NORTHERN YELLOWSTONE WINTER RANGE

Moose probably colonized the Northern Yellowstone Winter Range (NYWR) in the latter half of the 19th century. Euro-American settlement of the NYWR occurred at roughly the same time. Legislative protection of moose from hunting in the first half of the 20th century and suppression of wildfires facilitated moose population growth and range expansion. A hunting season in Montana along the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, authorized in 1945 in response to perceived damage by moose to willow stands, evidently reduced the moose population quickly and maintained it at moderate densities through 1988. In 1988, landscape-altering wildfires swept through the Yellowstone ecosystem and impacted old growth forest important for moose survival during winter. The moose population associated with the NYWR declined by 75% or more and has shown no sign of recovery by 2002. Several techniques for assessing population trend for moose on the NYWR were tested. Given the problems associated with monitoring a species at low densities with a dispersed social organization and occupying habitats where visibility is limited, aerial population censuses were not useful. A horseback trail survey, a road survey, and counts of moose in early winter or late spring in larger willow stands had greater potential as indices to moose population changes

SHIRAS MOOSE WINTER HABITAT USE IN THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER VALLEY PRIOR TO AND AFTER THE 1988 FIRES

Fourteen radio-collared moose in the upper Yellowstone River drainage of Montana and Wyoming provided information on habitat use patterns during 1987-91. Two basic winter habitat use patterns were evident prior to the 1988 fires in the Yellowstone area. Moose either used willow stands in riparian areas that did not significantly overlap with elk winter range until snow forced them into mature conifer stands, or they used small patches of aspen and willow within elk winter range and retreated to mature conifer stands as these patches were depleted of available browse or covered by snow. Moose that stayed in Yellowstone National Park avoided hunting mortality but may have suffered nutritional penalties by sharing range with elk or by using higher elevation conifer stands with deeper snow. Moose outside thePpark could avoid elk and deep snow more easily but were vulnerable to hunting and faced winter range reduction as mature conifer stands at moderate elevations were logged. Moose that exhibited the high elevation/mature conifer pattern survived extensive burning of their winter ranges by reducing movements and concentrating on small islands of unburned and lightly burned habitat or by shifting home ranges to unburned areas. Moose that shared winter ranges with elk survived the 1988 fires if they were able to avoid excessive movement and find unburned mature conifer stands with snow depths that discouraged elk use