Park managers need reliable estimates of population size, trend, distribution, and genetic health to make informed decisions about how to recover the threatened grizzly bear population and manage black bears in Glacier National Park ecosystem. Currently live capture, drugging, and radio collaring are typically used to monitor bear populations; however, these methods can have long–term impacts on the behavior and survival of bears. Noninvasive hair sampling and DNA analysis hold promise of providing a better, cheaper and faster way to monitor population status than radio telemetry. Furthermore, hair sampling does not require highly skilled personnel or impact the health of sampled animals and can sample black bears and grizzlies simultaneously. These low–impact methods are also a good fit for the management philosophies of national parks and wilderness areas. Eventually, existing park staff may be able to collect samples while conducting other backcountry duties.

According to a recently completed study by USGS scientist, Kate Kendall, the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) in northwest Montana which includes Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness, is home to 765 grizzly bears. During just 14 weeks, her study collected 34,000 bear hair samples from barbed wire hair traps and natural bear rubs. Genetic analysis of the hair to identify individual bears was used to derive a highly precise estimate of grizzly abundance. The high proportion of the population detected at rub trees and the ease of sampling with this method suggested that this could be an efficient, effective way to monitor bear population status.

Proposed research: Continue field sampling and genetic analysis to determine if data from hair collected at bear rubs is a reliable means to monitor grizzly bear population trend. This will be year 3 of a 4-year project involving 3 years of field sampling followed by a year of data analysis and report preparation. Each natural bear rub site in our network will be surveyed 3 times to collect bear hair during the 2011 field season. The DNA in the hair will be genotyped to identify the species, sex and individual identity of the bears that rubbed. Population trajectory and survival rates will be developed from detection histories of each individual bear sampled.

Funding Requested: $10,000. This will fund field surveys to collect bear hair and will be used to leverage additional funding from other project partners. Contributors will receive periodic updates about this project, an opportunity to take a hike with a USGS biologist from this project to visit bear rub trees in Glacier NP, and recognition in USGS reports and in the Glacier National Park Fund documents.

Principal Investigator: Kate Kendall, Leader Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project, USGS – Glacier Field Station, Glacier National Park, West Glacier, MT 59936 ~ 406-888-7994 ~ kkendall@usgs.gov


For more information on Kate Kendall go to www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/staff/kendall.html

For information about bear monitoring techniques and the latest project report