2 - Interagency Bison Management Plan

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Transcript 2 - Interagency Bison Management Plan

Surveillance Plan for Bison
Yellowstone National Park
Need for Surveillance
 Effects and Effectiveness of
Management Actions
 Vaccination
 Free-ranging bison in Yellowstone
 Remote delivery decision in 2010
 Government Accountability Office
 Define measurable objectives
 Apply adaptive management
Purpose of Surveillance
Implement long-term research and
monitoring for Yellowstone bison and
brucellosis
Obtain information to:
 Evaluate the effects and effectiveness of vaccination
and other management actions
 Guide decision making
 Effectively adapt the IBMP
Adaptive Management Principles
 Goals of the IBMP
 Reduce the risk of transmission to cattle
 Conserve a free-ranging bison herd
Measurable Objectives
 Management and research objectives
 Define scientific and management questions
Surveillance Activities
 13 specific activities to answer questions
 >1 sampling objectives for each activity
Adaptive Management Principles
Incorporate findings into the decisionmaking process
Inform stakeholders
Adjust the IBMP based on assessments
Decision – remote delivery vaccination
Surveillance Activities
3 Primary Themes
 Conservation – preserve a wild bison
population
 Risk Management – prevent
brucellosis transmission from bison to
cattle
 Brucellosis Suppression – reduce
disease prevalence
Conservation
1. Estimate the abundance, demographic
rates, and limiting factors for bison.
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Overall population and 2 subpopulations
Abundance
Age, pregnancy, recruitment, survival
Social structure – group sizes, matrilineal
Foraging – landscape heterogeneity
Mate competition and sex ratios
Role and function – ecosystem effects
(e.g., primary production, competition,
prey for carnivores and scavengers)
Conservation
1.
Estimate the abundance, demographic rates,
and limiting factors for bison.
2. Describe migratory and nomadic
movements by bison in and out of park.
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Distribution, migration, and dispersal
Effects of density, environmental
conditions, and management actions
Conservation
Estimate the abundance, demographic rates,
and limiting factors for bison.
2. Describe migratory and nomadic movements
by bison in and out of park.
1.
3. Estimate genetic diversity and
probabilities of conservation
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Overall population and 2 subpopulations
Interchange rates between subpopulations
Long-term conservation of bison genome
Risk Management
4. Estimate risks of transmission within
and between species and areas.
 Risk assessment model – bison, elk, cattle
 Transmission pathways through the
greater Yellowstone area
Risk Management
4. Estimate risks of transmission within and
between species and areas.
5. Estimate seroprevalence rates, culture
rates, and cross-reactive agents.
 % seropositive and seronegative bison
that are culture positive
 % seropositive bison that express crossreactive antibodies (e.g., Yersinia)
Risk Management
Estimate risks of transmission within and
between species and areas.
5. Estimate seroprevalence rates, culture rates,
and cross-reactive agents.
4.
6. Determine rates of recrudescence.
 Rate at which latent carriers of Brucella
relapse to infectious state and shed
bacteria
Risk Management
Estimate risks of transmission within and
between species and areas.
5. Estimate seroprevalence rates, culture rates,
and cross-reactive agents.
6. Determine rates of recrudescence.
4.
7. Determine factors influencing the
vulnerability of bison to infection and
transmission.
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Pregnancy, stress, nutritional condition
Identify the best time to vaccinate
Risk Management
Estimate seroprevalence rates, culture rates,
and cross-reactive agents.
6. Determine rates of recrudescence.
7. Determine factors influencing the vulnerability of
bison to infection and transmission.
5.
8. Estimate the timing and % of removals.
 Subpopulations
 Sex and age classes
 % of calf-cow pairs
Risk Management
Determine rates of recrudescence.
Determine factors influencing the vulnerability of
bison to infection and transmission.
8. Estimate the timing and % of removals.
6.
7.
9. Document bison use of zones outside
the park and commingling with cattle.
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North and west boundaries of park
During likely abortion period (Feb.-April)
Risk Management
Determine factors influencing the vulnerability of
bison to infection and transmission.
8. Estimate the timing and % of removals.
9. Document bison use of zones outside the park
and commingling with cattle.
7.
10. Estimate the effects of hazing or holding
bison at capture pens.
 Influence on subsequent movements
 Possible habituation to feeding
 Exposure to abortion events?
Disease Suppression
11. Determine the strength and duration
of the immune response following
syringe vaccination with SRB51.
 Cell-mediated immune response
compared to non-vaccinated bison
 Vaccine’s ability to provide
protection against Brucella infection
 Effects of age and condition
 Booster vaccination necessary?
Disease Suppression
11. Determine the strength and duration of the
immune response following syringe
vaccination.
12. Determine the strength and duration
of the immune response following
remote delivery vaccination.
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Bio-bullet with hydrogel encapsulation
of SRB51
Cell-mediated immune response
compared to syringe-vaccinated bison
Disease Suppression
13. Document trends in prevalence and
the effects of vaccination, other risk
management actions, and ecological
conditions on these trends.
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Effectiveness of intensive vaccination
in combination with other actions
Decrease seroprevalence
Increase % of vaccinated bison
Decrease incident rate (seronegative to
seropositive)
Conservation & Disease Management
for Yellowstone Bison
Managing Brucellosis Risk
Prevent Transmission to
Cattle
• Separation: bison/cattle
• Cattle management
• State and treaty hunts
• Management removals
• Research: disease
dynamics & transmission
Brucellosis Suppression
Reduce Disease Prevalence
Desired Condition
2500 to 5000 bison
Increased
tolerance for bison
outside YNP
• Vaccination (syringe, remote)
• Direct slaughter of exposed
• Disease surveillance
• Contraception - seropositives?
• Research: vaccination/immune
response
Conservation
Preserve a Functional, Free-Ranging Bison Population
Behavior
• Mating
• Social
• Foraging
• Movements
Role and Function
• Landscape
• Nutrient redistribution
• Competition / prey
• Habitat creation
• Carcasses - scavenge
Genetic Diversity
• Population substructure
• Gene flow / mutations
• Reduce exploitative
selection
• Create satellite herds
(quarantine)
Demography
• Population size
• Age/sex ratios
• Vital rates
• Limiting factors
• Removals match
natural selection
Bison won’t always do what we expect or
want. Also, many aspects of the proposed
disease suppression program are uncertain.
Thus, we need to learn and adapt.