Bison health on tribal landsLegacy contaminants in a cultural icon
Many tribal lands have been contaminated by mining, bombing, and illegal dumping. The degree to which heavy metals are concentrated in soil, forage, and eventually grazers such as bison are not understood. Our research will establish heavy metal concentrations of soil and forage in bison pastures and examine patterns of bioaccumulation in bison tissues. |
Bighorn sheep pneumoniaBighorn sheep catch colds and die, but not all of them
Bacteria that cause polymicrobial pneumonia can be transmitted from domestic sheep and goats to bighorn sheep. After an initial die-off of up to 80%, the surviving bighorns either clear the infection or chronically carry and shed bacteria. Lambs born in the spring have no resistance and suffer heavy losses. Removing the chronic carriers can help populations recover. |