Scholarship & Research
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Item Stress hormones and social behavior of wolves in Yellowstone National Park(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2001) Sands, Jennifer LeighItem Relationships between activity patterns and foraging strategies of Yellowstone grizzly bears(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1985) Harting, Albert L.; United States. National Park Service; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Harold D. PictonEleven grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) were radiotracked in Yellowstone National Park and vicinity in 1981 and 1982. Principal objectives of the study were 1: to examine the daily and seasonal activity patterns of Yellowstone grizzlies and to determine what influence certain temporal and environmental factors had on these activity patterns and 2: to examine the interrelationships of food habits, habitat use, movements, and activity patterns. Two methods for rating the quality of a bear’s occupied habitat were employed. One method considered the abundance, diversity, and relative value to grizzlies of the vegetation occurring at field-checked relocation sites. The second method utilized existing habitat maps and a spatial information computer package to identify the habitats surrounding relocation points. These habitat types were then rated according to a system of Habitat Importance Values developed by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study. Theoretical aspects of grizzly bear foraging strategies and predatory habits were also considered. Environmental factors which had a significant effect on grizzly bear activity patterns were temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover. Some of the influence of environmental variables on bear activity could be explained according to their probable effect on olfactory perception. Temporal factors found to be important were season and time of day (diel period). Grizzlies in this study were primarily crepuscular and nocturnal but individual bears differed significantly in their activity patterns. Individual differences in grizzly bear food habits and habitat use were reflected in their characteristic activity patterns and movements. Bears which occupied vegetatively poor habitat appeared to be more reliant on "supplemental" food sources (meat or garbage) than bears in rich mesic areas. The use of trained bear dogs to retrace grizzly bear movements proved to be a valuable adjunct to traditional research tactics.Item Behavior and microhabitat competition of brown trout and greenback cutthroat trout in an artificial stream(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1989) Wang, LizhuItem Effects of helping behaviors on coyote packs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1995) Hatier, Kezha GuittardItem Ecology and behavior of mule deer on the Rosebud Coal Mine, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1995) Fritzen, Duane E.Item Temporal variation in leopard seal presence and predation near an Antarctic penguin rookery(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1998) Mader, Tracey RaeItem Behavioral responses of elk (Cervus elaphus) to the threat of wolf (Canus lupus) predation(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2006) Winnie, John Arthur, Jr.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Scott CreelWe studied individual and herd level behavioral responses of elk to spatial and temporal variation in the risk of predation by wolves over three winters in the Upper Gallatin drainage, Montana. Within a given drainage, elk of both sexes moved into or closer to protective cover (timber) in response to wolf presence. Cow elk responded to elevated risk by increasing vigilance in exchange for foraging, and large mixed (cow, calf, spike) herds substantially decreased in size. In contrast, when wolves were present, bulls did not increase vigilance levels, nor decrease feeding, and small bull-only groups slightly increased in size. As a consequence, small bull-only herds and large mixed sex herds converged on a similar size when wolves were present.