Mo nth ly co unts of large he rb iyores on the ran gclands of south ern Narok Distr icl were cond ucted by the Ken ya Aa ngela nd Ecologíca l Monitoring Unil (KR EMU) fram December 1978 lo Novem ber 1979 Al thal t ime these rangel ands sllpporled)'ea r-long herbivore popu lat ions of 132/ km: re prese nting a biollu ss of 160 kg / ha. Th e Mara Plai ns, part icul arly t he area protecled as the Masai-Mara Na tiona l Reserve, served as a critica l dr y season range. Du ring the pea k of the dry season (Ju l). the resident popu lation oí 100,000 blue wildebeesl (Connochoetes tauri nus) was slIpplemented wit\¡ large m igra lo r}' herds from the Serengcll wh ich increased lotal numbers to > 800,000. Bu rchell's zcbras (Eq uus bu-rchelli) and Tho01 SOlÚ gazelles (Cazella thom son¡) w eTe less migra tory but moved seasona ll y th roug h the Mara. Sia na, and Loita rangt) units.

In 58 sets of lungs from bighorns from western Alberta or eastern British Columbia, 91% were infected with Protostrongylus stilesi, and 38% were infected with P. rushi. Four of the five sheep free of P. stilesi were lambs. Lungs from nine near-term fetuses were negative for lungworms.All but 1 of 409 field-collected fecal samples from the same ranges contained larvae of Protostrongylus spp.; counts of larvae per gram of dry feces suggest a clumped distribution of lungworms. Analysis of monthly samples from one herd indicated a significant seasonal variation, with high numbers of larvae shed by bighorns on winter range. The use of fecal analyses in assessing severity of infection and the evolutionary significance of the clumped distribution of lungworms are discussed.

Contagious ecthyma (CE) is reported in bighorn sheep (Ovis c. canadensis) from several national parks in western Canada and in moutain goat (Oreamnos americanus) from Kootenay National Park, British Columbia. (This is the first report of CE in mountain goat.) Diagnosis was based on clinical signs, histopathology, transmission experiments and the demonstration of a proxvirus with the electron microscope. The infection was transmitted from wild to domestic goat, but not to domestic sheep. Most infections, some of them severe, were found in lambs and kids. Clinical signs of disease were similar to those seen in domestic sheep and goats. General body condition was poor and animals had difficulty feeding normally. All infected herds had prolonged contact with areas where salt was provided artificially (i.e., salt blocks, highways and campgrounds). Fewer infected sheep were observed annually when salt blocks were removed from Jasper National Park.

Summary Population estimates and distributions of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in the entire Kenya rangelands was obtained using light aircraft during the period 1977–1981. The population of elephants for the whole of Kenya was 75,300 ± 5000 in 1977, 55,300 ± 5000 in 1978 and 51,200 ± 5000 in 1980–1981. The ratio of live to dead elephants decreased from 4‐0: 1 in 1977 to 2‐0:1 in 1978 and 1.27: 1 in 1980–1981; an indication of rapid rise in elephant mortality. All except 7500 ± 2500 of these elephants were on the rangelands (500,000 km2), especially in the Hola, Ijara, Tsavo, Mtito Andei, Jipe and Lamu eco‐units. Their numbers were also relatively high in Meru, Laikipia and Mara eco‐units. The 7500 ± 2500 elephants occurring outside the rangelands were mainly found in the Aberdare and the Mt Kenya National Parks, Mt Elgon and the Mau Forest. Although the rapid downward trend in elephant numbers slowed down between 1978 and 1980–1981, there is still an urgent need for stringent conservation measures to be instituted. RÉSUMEÉ Des estimations de population et les distributions de l'éléphant africain (Loxodonta africana) sur l'entièreté du territoire du Kenya furent obtenues par l'utilisation d'un avion léger durant la période 1977–1981. La population d'éléphants pour le Kenya entier était de 75,300 ± 5000 en 1977, 55,300 ± 5000 en 1978 et 51,200 ± 5000 en 1980–1981. Le rapport éléphants vivants/éléphants morts décroǐt de 4.0:1 en 1977 à 2.0:1 en 1978 et àl.27:l en 1980–1981, ce qui indique une augmentation rapide de la mortalitè. A part 7500 ± 2500 éléphants, tous étaient dans les rangelands (500,000 km2), spécialement dans les régions de Hola, Ijara, Tsavo, Mtito Andei, Jipe et Lamu. Leur nombre était aussi relativement élevé dans les unités écologiques de Meru, Laikipia et Mara. Les 7500 ± 2500 éléphants présents en dehors des rangelands furent observés principalement dans les Pares Nationaux d'Aberdare et du Mt Kenya, sur le Mont Elgon et dans la Forét de Mau. Malgré que la tendance dégressive rapide du nombre d'éléphants se soit ralentie entre 1978 et 1980–1981, il y a toujours un besoin urgent d'instituer des mesures de conservation drastiques.

The effects on big game of clearcut logging a mature white spruce forest (Picea glauca] in strips 10-chains wide, with residual strips 5-chains wide to be logged 12 years later, were studied in a 6-square-mile area of the Rocky Mountain foothills near Hinton, Alberta. Use by deer, elk and moose decreased during the first 5 years following clearcut logging with the decrease most pronounced in scarified cut-overs. Five years after logging, browse production in the unscarified area exceeded the 529 Ib./acre in the unlogged forest. In years 9 and 17 the logged unscarified area produced three and four times as much browse as the unlogged forest while production in the logged scarified area averaged 1O0/0 below the unscarified area. Changes in species composition and height affected both browse utilization and cover. These habitat changes were further evident in estimates of ungulate use. Observed numbers of big game 17 years after logging and scarification were much lower than expected from the forage carrying-capacity estimates. Forage carrying capacity potentials were one moose/ 7.7, one elk/3.6 and one deer/0.7 acres. However, in summer, observed populations were one moose/213.3, one elk/ 71.1 and one deer/40.0 acres respectively. Observed use of the area dropped drastically in winter, apparently due to the absence of adequate cover, to no moose or elk and only one deer/1280 acres.