Another insightful article(our third this week--lucky us!) from Ecologist Cristina Eisenberg--Today she provides her thoughts on what seems to be the coming Federal Delisting of Grizzly Bears in the Greater Yellowstone.........She provides us with a reiteration of the history of decline and recovery of Griz in this region and then goes on to reveal the fragility of that recovery-------"For any species, recovery hinges on the portion of the population capable of reproducing, called the ecologically effective population"................ "Species with a low reproductive rate, such as the grizzly bear (which doesn't begin to reproduce until the age of 6-8 years, and then only has 1-3 young every 3 years), will have a low ecologically effective population"............. "For example, a population of 100 bears may have only 15 reproducing females".............. "Scientists have identified sustainable mortality for females with cubs of the year of 4 percent"............. "Based on new science, in 2013 USFWS adjusted this to 7.6 percent, although not all agree"...................She admonishes us that "recovery isn't just about numbers".............. "The long-term future of the great bear will be based on the support of people who live, work, and recreate in this species' habitat"............... "To be effective, grizzly bear conservation must happen at the grassroots level"............ "The potential for conflict on ranchlands and leased grazing allotments makes such an approach crucial".............. "In the GYE between 1992 and 2000, 44 percent of bear-human conflicts had to do with livestock depredation"

Learn more about large carnivore conservation by joining Cristina afield on her Earthwatch expedition, Tracking Fire and Wolves through the Canadian Rockies.

 CLICK ON LINK BELOW TO READ CRISTINA'S FULL ARTICLE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cristina-eisenberg/recovery-of-the-great-bea_b_8539066.html

Recovery of the

Great Bear?

Posted: 11/12/2015 12:23 pm EST Updated: 11/12/2015 12:59 pm EST

 Grizzly Bear in Yellowstone (stock image)

.

Whitebark Pine
Photo Courtesy American Forests

 Grizzly Bear Mother and Cubs (stock image)

Grizzly Bear

Foraging on

Whitebark Pine

Photo Courtesy

American Forests