title: The ecological future of the North American bison: conceiving long-term, large-scale conservation of wildlife.
abstract: Many wide-ranging mammal species have experienced significant declines over the last 200 years; restoring these species will require long-term, large-scale recovery efforts. We highlight 5 attributes of a recent range-wide vision-setting exercise for ecological recovery of the North American bison (Bison bison) that are broadly applicable to other species and restoration targets. The result of the exercise, the "Vermejo Statement" on bison restoration, is explicitly (1) large scale, (2) long term, (3) inclusive, (4) fulfilling of different values, and (5) ambitious. It reads, in part, "Over the next century, the ecological recovery of the North American bison will occur when multiple large herds move freely across extensive landscapes within all major habitats of their historic range, interacting in ecologically significant ways with the fullest possible set of other native species, and inspiring, sustaining and connecting human cultures." We refined the vision into a scorecard that illustrates how individual bison herds can contribute to the vision. We also developed a set of maps and analyzed the current and potential future distributions of bison on the basis of expert assessment. Although more than 500,000 bison exist in North America today, we estimated they occupy <1% of their historical range and in no place express the full range of ecological and social values of previous times. By formulating an inclusive, affirmative, and specific vision through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, we hope to provide a foundation for conservation of bison, and other wide-ranging species, over the next 100 years.
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA. esanderson@wcs.org
authors.forename: Eric W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Sanderson
authors.forename: Kent H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Redford
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aune
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baldes
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Derr
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dobrott
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fearn
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fleener
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Forrest
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: C Cormack
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gogan
authors.forename: Shaun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grassel
authors.forename: Jodi A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hilty
authors.forename: Marv
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Kyran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kunkel
authors.forename: Duane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lammers
authors.forename: Rurik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: List
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minkowski
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pague
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stephenson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016164:Bison; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D009656:North America; D011157:Population Dynamics