In many situations, control of coyotes will enhance distribution and abundance of red foxes and thus, negatively affect swift fox populations. The conflict between the swift and red foxes has potential for greater impact than the conflict between swift foxes and coyotes. Without understanding interspecific relationships, we risk ineffective or possible failure of management programs, loss of time and funds, and the conservation of the species may be compromised. The successful long-term management of bison and brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area is influenced by many issues relating to bison population ecology and the epidemiology of brucellosis. In an effort to develop a more comprehensive understanding of these issues, USGS scientists are leading a collaborative effort with university, State, and Federal groups involving a number of studies.
Ecological studies focus on forage availability, habitat use, and bison population dynamics.
Brucellosis research includes examining the risk of transmission of the disease from wildlife to cattle, identification of exposed animals in the field, and the safety of vaccines to wildlife species. The information gained from these studies assists Park managers, Federal and State officials, Congress, and others in developing future bison management plans. For example, preliminary data are being used to project the outcomes of various management alternatives identified in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Interagency Bison Management Plan for the State of Montana and Yellowstone National Park. In Alaska, the contentious wolf management debate continues, and Federal land managers are playing a larger role because of subsistence management responsibilities. USGS scientists are studying the population dynamics of wolves and their major prey species, caribou and moose, in Denali National Park.