Consumption of pondweed rhizomes by Yellowstone grizzly bears

Mattson, David J.; Podruzny, Shannon; Haroldson, Mark A.

doi:10.2192/1537-6176(2005)016[0041:coprby]2.0.co;2

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…There are several types of food consumed by grizzly bears that may cause them to ingest some soil indirectly when foraging. Yellowstone grizzly bears are known to feed on earthworms (Mattson et al 2002 a ), roots (Mattson 1997), mushrooms, and truffles (Mattson et al 2002 b ). They may also dig up pocket gopher dens and eat both the gopher and its food cache (Mattson 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lead exposure in large carnivores in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Rogers

Bedrosian²,

Graham

et al. 2011

J Wildl Manag

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Ingestion of lead rifle bullet fragments found in discarded hunter‐harvested ungulate gut piles negatively affects avian wildlife. Some large carnivores, such as grizzly bears, are also known to target these gut piles as a food source and are therefore potentially at risk of lead exposure. We investigated whether large carnivores in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem were exposed to lead, and if so, if ammunition ingested from gut piles was an apparent source of exposure. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos, n = 82) exhibited higher blood lead levels (median = 4.4 µg/dL, range 1.1–18.6 µg/dL) than black bears (Ursus americanus, n = 35, median = 1.6, range 0.5–6.9 µg/dL), but blood lead levels did not increase during the autumn hunting season when potentially lead‐tainted gut piles are available. Wolves (Canis lupus, n = 21) and cougars (Puma concolor, n = 8) showed lead concentrations near or below the minimum level of detection in both blood and tissue samples. Unlike findings in previous studies on avian scavengers, we did not find lead ammunition fragments to be a widespread source of lead exposure in large carnivores. Grizzly bears do, however, exhibit blood lead levels that are higher than what is considered safe in humans, but the source of this exposure remains unknown. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lead exposure in large carnivores in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Rogers

Bedrosian²,

Graham

et al. 2011

J Wildl Manag

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“…Small and large mammals, such as squirrels and deer, are important in the distribution of Rhizopogon and Suillus spores (Izzo et al 2005b;Ashkannejhad and Horton 2006), and these genera can also persist as sporebanks in soil (Kjøller andBruns 2003, Ashkannejhad andHorton 2006). In addition, Rhizopogon sporocarps are a possible food source for grizzly bears in the GYE, and spores have been documented in bear scat from whitebark pine forests in the GYE (Mattson et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ectomycorrhizal fungi of whitebark pine (a tree in peril) revealed by sporocarps and molecular analysis of mycorrhizae from treeline forests in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Mohatt

Cripps

Lavin

2008

Botany

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Whitebark pine ( Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) is unique as the only stone pine in North America. This species has declined 40%–90% throughout its range owing to blister rust infection, mountain pine beetle, fire suppression, and global climate change. However, intact mature and old growth forests still exist in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) at high timberline elevations. This study addresses the urgent need to discover the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi critical to this tree species before forests are further reduced. A study of mature whitebark pine forests across five mountain ranges in the Northern GYE confirmed 32 ECM species of fungi with the pine by sporocarp occurrence in pure stands or by identification of mycorrhizae with ITS-matching. Boletales and Cortinariales ( Cortinarius ) comprise 50% of the species diversity discovered. In Boletales, Suillus subalpinus M.M. Moser (with stone pines), Suillus sibericus Singer (stone pines), Rhizopogon evadens A.H. Sm. (five-needle pines), Rhizopogon spp. (pines) and a semi-secotioid Chroogomphus sp. (pines) are restricted to the hosts listed and are not likely to occur with other high elevation conifers in the GYE. The ascomycete generalist, Cenococcum geophilum Fr., was the most frequent (64%) and abundant (51%) ECM fungus on seedling roots, as previously reported for high elevation spruce-fir and lower elevation lodgepole pine forests in the GYE. The relative importance of the basidiomycete specialists and the ascomycete generalist to whitebark pine (and for seedling establishment) is not known, however this study is the first step in delineating the ECM fungi associated with this pine in peril.

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“…These changes may require all wildlife agencies responsible for managing elk populations that live in and around Yellowstone National Park to develop cooperative management programs that reflect the increased biological complexity of the ecosystem. If whitebark pine trees continue dying and reach levels where they no longer are a primary food resource for bears, female grizzly bears and black bears will likely depend more heavily on false‐truffles as they currently do during years of poor seed production (Mattson et al 2002, Haroldson and Podruzny 2010). However, the ability of the bears to adjust to the loss of higher value food resources is undoubtedly limited.…”

Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary adjustability of grizzly bears and American black bears in Yellowstone National Park

Fortin¹,

Schwartz²,

Gunther³

et al. 2012

J Wildl Manag

Self Cite

109

165

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Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (U. americanus) are sympatric in much of Yellowstone National Park. Three primary bear foods, cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki), whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) nuts, and elk (Cervus elaphus), have declined in recent years. Because park managers and the public are concerned about the impact created by reductions in these foods, we quantified bear diets to determine how bears living near Yellowstone Lake are adjusting. We estimated diets using: 1) stable isotope and mercury analyses of hair samples collected from captured bears and from hair collection sites established along cutthroat trout spawning streams and 2) visits to recent locations occupied by bears wearing Global Positioning System collars to identify signs of feeding behavior and to collect scats for macroscopic identification of residues. Approximately 45 AE 22% (x AE SD) of the assimilated nitrogen consumed by male grizzly bears, 38 AE 20% by female grizzly bears, and 23 AE 7% by male and female black bears came from animal matter. These assimilated dietary proportions for female grizzly bears were the same as 10 years earlier in the Lake area and 30 years earlier in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. However, the proportion of meat in the assimilated diet of male grizzly bears decreased over both time frames. The estimated biomass of cutthroat trout consumed by grizzly bears and black bears declined 70% and 95%, respectively, in the decade between 1997-2000 and 2007-2009. Grizzly bears killed an elk calf every 4.3 AE 2.7 days and black bears every 8.0 AE 4.0 days during June. Elk accounted for 84% of all ungulates consumed by both bear species. Whitebark pine nuts continue to be a primary food source for both grizzly bears and black bears when abundant, but are replaced by false-truffles (Rhizopogon spp.) in the diets of female grizzly bears and black bears when nut crops are minimal. Thus, both grizzly bears and black bears continue to adjust to changing resources, with larger grizzly bears continuing to occupy a more carnivorous niche than the smaller, more herbivorous black bear. ß 2012 The Wildlife Society.

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Consumption of pondweed rhizomes by Yellowstone grizzly bears

Cited by 9 publications

References 12 publications

Lead exposure in large carnivores in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Lead exposure in large carnivores in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Ectomycorrhizal fungi of whitebark pine (a tree in peril) revealed by sporocarps and molecular analysis of mycorrhizae from treeline forests in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Dietary adjustability of grizzly bears and American black bears in Yellowstone National Park

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