University of Wyoming News, WY
07-16-07
Speakers to Examine Elk Calving, Moose Population Thursday at Grand Teton
National Park
July 16, 2007 -- Calving behavior of elk and the drop in the number of moose in the Greater Yellowstone National Park Ecosystem will be discussed Thursday,
July 19, at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW-NPS) Research
Center. The center is located at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.
Scott Becker, from the University of Wyoming, and Andrea Barbknecht from
Iowa State University , will speak at 6:30 p.m. at the AMK Ranch, north of Leeks
Marina. A barbecue will be held at 5:30 p.m. with a $5 per person fee. For more information, call the UW-NPS Center at (307) 543-2463. Becker and
Barbknecht’s presentations will both be approximately 25 minutes.
Becker will present his research on why the north Jackson moose herd numbers have decreased the last few years.
“The suggested downward trend in moose numbers in northwest Wyoming is perhaps due to a decrease in the quality of winter range, increased predation from large carnivores or disease,” Becker says. “To help understand these factors, data will be presented on population numbers, resource selection, movement patterns and physiological health of the Jackson her d.”
Barbknecht will discuss elk that were outfitted with radio collars and implanted with transmitters to mark calving locations and time of birth. Her research will provide an evaluation of calving habitat in the Buffalo Valley.
Results will be compared to elk using feed grounds in the winter to help assess brucellosis transmission risks.
The UW-NPS Research Center provides a base for university faculty members and governmental scientists from throughout North America to conduct research in the diverse aquatic and terrestrial environments of Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Area.