Yellowstone Wolves: Their Ecology and Community Consequences

黄石狼：它们的生态和社区后果

• 批准号: 0613730
• 负责人: John Vucetich
• 金额: $ 45万
• 依托单位: Michigan Technological University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-15 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0613730&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Yellowstone; Wolves; Their; Ecology; Community

Following 80 years of absence, wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in 1995. The basic approach to studying YNP wolves has entailed ground and aerial tracking of radio-collared wolves. For the past ten years, all wolf packs on Yellowstone's Northern Range have been monitored intensively for 30-day periods beginning 15 November and 1 March. During these two periods abundance, pack size dynamics, kill rates, vital rates, and aspects of intra- and interspecific behavior have been determined. These observations contribute to a better understanding of wolf population dynamics and of how wolf populations affect and are affected by elk populations. The current project represents a continuation of what has already been a 10-year study.The topic of this research - predation - is one of the fundamental ecological relationships. The subject of the study - wolves and their predation on elk - is of great interest to the general public and managers. Because it links an important scientific concept with a popular pair of species, this research is directly associated with broad public educational outreach that takes many forms, from field classes and books to major TV documentaries. In recent years, this research has also been closely linked to that of over a dozen scientific collaborators and has provided research foci for 12 graduate students. It has also provided full-time, season-long opportunities to participate in field research to ~50 volunteers (40% female), most of whom are expecting to pursue a career in science.

狼在消失了 80 年后，于 1995 年被重新引入黄石国家公园 (YNP)。研究 YNP 狼的基本方法是对戴着无线电项圈的狼进行地面和空中跟踪。 在过去十年中，从 11 月 15 日到 3 月 1 日开始，黄石公园北部山脉的所有狼群都受到了为期 30 天的集中监测。 在这两个时期，丰度、群体大小动态、杀死率、生命率以及种内和种间行为的各个方面都已确定。 这些观察有助于更好地了解狼种群动态以及狼种群如何影响麋鹿种群以及如何受到麋鹿种群的影响。 当前的项目是已经进行了 10 年的研究的延续。这项研究的主题——捕食——是基本的生态关系之一。 这项研究的主题——狼及其对麋鹿的捕食——引起了公众和管理者的极大兴趣。 由于它将重要的科学概念与一对流行的物种联系起来，这项研究与广泛的公共教育活动直接相关，其形式多种多样，从实地课程和书籍到主要电视纪录片。 近年来，这项研究还与十几位科研合作者的研究紧密相连，并为12名研究生提供了研究焦点。 它还为约 50 名志愿者（40% 女性）提供了整个赛季的全职参与实地研究的机会，其中大多数人希望从事科学事业。