Jeff and his lab study bison (Bison bison) adaptability, plasticity, and management in a changing world. We apply multiple disciplines including, but not limited to wildlife biology, climatology, thermography, disease ecology, natural history, and human dimensions of climate change for predicting bison responses to climate change. Because bison are a species considered both a wildlife and livestock taxa, we transect all sectors of bison management: private commercial operations, non-profit NGOs, tribal herds, and public herds, collectively referred to as the Bison Management System (BMS). This multifaceted approach to bison management provides a unique opportunities and access to assess diverse management strategies for improving management of this iconic species. This resulting research framework places bison at the nexus of two emerging paradigms: changing climate and changing cultural values across working lands (i.e., production) and natural lands (i.e., conservation). Being at a Land Grant University, we strive to make our research widely applicable to land and bison managers across all sectors.
United States of America