The Midden the Resource Management Newsletter of Great Basin National Park
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Great Basin National Park Park News National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior The Midden The Resource Management Newsletter of Great Basin National Park Bighorn Sheep in the Snake Range: Status and Restoration By Bryan Hamilton, Biologist have been only marginally successful. In 1979, eight bighorn from Rocky Bighorn sheep were once the most Mountain National Park, Colorado, numerous ungulate in the Great were released into the South Snake Basin and were described more range, west of Wheeler Peak. This frequently by early explorers than was followed by a release of twelve mule deer and elk. As an important additional bighorns from the Tarryall food source for Native Americans, Range in Colorado. While this the images of bighorns are captured population has persisted, it has not in rock art throughout the region. In increased and is currently estimated spite of such historical abundance, at 20-25 individuals. While the South bighorn sheep declined precipitously Snake Range bighorn herd has faltered, A Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and were extirpated from the Snake the North Snake Range population Range by 1940, primarily due to has successfully expanded. Releases lambing in extremely steep, rugged overhunting and habitat degradation. in 1975, 1981, and 1990 totaled 48 areas. Disease and nutrient level bighorn. The population declined to testing shows that although the sheep low levels in the 1990s but showed have low selenium levels (which may signs of recovery after 2000. In January reduce their reproductive success), the 2006, this herd was augmented with sheep are generally healthy. 30 bighorn from the Humboldt Range, Elko County Nevada and limited Following this pilot study, a larger hunting has resumed. restoration project is planned. The primary objective of this project In an effort to restore viable bighorn is to determine the potential for sheep populations to the South A bighorn sheep pictograph augmenting the South Snake Range Snake Range, NDOW and Great bighorn herd with additional Basin National Park have initiated The Nevada Department of individuals from Nevada. When a partnership. Healthy, reproducing considering augmentation, an Wildlife (NDOW) has aggressively ewes are the key to successful bighorn pursued a program of trapping and important concern is the level of risk populations and as a first step in this presented by potential interactions transplanting bighorn sheep across partnership, a pilot study focused on the state. This program has restored between bighorn and domestic sheep. ewes is in progress. Three ewes were Continued on Page 2 three subspecies of mountain sheep captured by a helicopter crew with into their historic range. Thanks a net gun in January 2009, tested for largely to these efforts, Nevada disease, and outfitted with GPS collars. In This Issue currently has the largest bighorn Cultural Resources.............................3 Stella Lake: A Glimpse to Past.......5 sheep population in the lower 48 Our initial findings suggest that while New Genus of Millipede .................6 states. winter habitat is limited, ewes are Water Resources Monitoring.........6 utilizing recently burned areas as Park Staff Assist Mojave Preserve.7 Nevertheless, restoration efforts overwintering and lambing habitat. in the South Snake Range, which Beetle Bioblitz.....................................8 Consistent with most bighorn Upcoming Events...............................8 includes Great Basin National Park, populations, ewes are apparently Summer 2009 Volume 9 Issue 1 Bighorn Sheep in the Snake Range (continued) Towards this end, the current level of support limited harvest, provide viewing the successful restoration of bighorn interactions between domestic and opportunities to park visitors, and herds to the Snake Range is a testament bighorn sheep will be determined. reestablish metapopulation dynamics to the science-based wildlife and land with the North Snake Range herd. As management practices of NDOW and Other important questions about an important part of the ecosystems the public land management agencies in bighorn sheep in the South Snake and cultural heritage of the Great Basin, eastern Nevada. Range that will be addressed include habitat utilization (winter, lambing and breeding range), survival, recruitment, fecundity, age class structure (ewe: lamb ratios), and metapopulation dynamics between the North and South Snake Range herds. The potential for bighorn augmentation in the South Snake Range is high. Several recent high elevation fires have expanded bighorn habitat, and sheep are already utilizing these areas. The bighorn sheep population was once estimated at 10- 15 individuals, but is currently at 20 – 25, suggesting that habitat conditions have improved. The ultimate goal of this restoration effort is a viable South Snake Range Bighorn sheep ewe winter range is shown in purple further to the north than the lambing range, the wide strip bighorn population which can of yellow in the southwestern part of the Snake Range. Recent Publications about Great Basin National Park Glaudas, X., S. R. Goldberg, and B. T. Hamilton. 2009. Reproductive ecology of a cold desert viperid snake from North America, the Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus). Journal of Arid Environments 73:719-725. Hamilton, B. T. 2009. Small mammals in portions of Great Basin Bational Park susceptible to groundwater withdrawal: Diversity and stable isotope perspectives. Masters Thesis, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University:1-79. Horner, Margaret A., Gretchen M. Baker, and Debra L. Hughson. 2009. Baseline Water Quality Inventory of Great Basin National Park. Natural Resource Report NPS/PWR/GRBA/NRTR—2009/201. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Available at: http://www. nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM/nrtr.cfm. Final report of a year-long study documenting water quality in a variety of water sources. Prudic, David E. and Pat A. Glancy. 2009 Geochemical investigation of source water to Cave Springs, Great Basin National Park, White Pine County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5073, 28 p. Available at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ sir/2009/5073/. Study and results of the source of water to Cave Springs, the water supply for the park headquarters area. Shear, W. A., S. J. Taylor, J. J. Wynne, J. K. Krejca. 2009. Cave millipeds of the United States. VIII. New genera and species of polydesmid millipeds from caves in the southwestern United States. Zootaxa 2151:47-65. Available at: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2009/ zt02151.html. See article on page 6 for more information. Taylor, Steven J., Jean K. Krejca, Michael E. Slay, and Terry L. Harrison. 2009. Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, Aglais milberti (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): a facultative trogloxene in alpine caves. Speleology Notes 1:20-23. Available at: http://speleologynotes.edu. A brush-footed butterfly commonly found in riparian areas was detected in two alpine caves in Great Basin National Park. 2 The Midden Cultural Resource Accomplishments and Changes By Karla Jageman, Archeologist The cultural resource program at Great Basin National Park has been very busy over the past year. Archeological site condition assessments in the park were completed, a cultural Landscape Inventory of the Johnson Lake Mine was begun, the Nevada Rock Art Foundation visited the park to record several rock art sites, our former Cultural Resource Manager left in September, and the new Cultural Resource Manager arrived in May. Over the past two years, the park was able to complete condition assessments on all known archeological sites in the park. These sites were updated in a nationwide archeological database called Archeological Sites Management Mill site at Johnson Lake mine Inventory System (ASMIS). The database is available to the park’s accessible and more susceptible to are described and evaluated. They cultural resource staff and allows vandalism, looting, and decay. One site include characteristics such as them to maintain accurate records of that will need a condition assessment natural systems, spatial organization, the known archeological sites in the completed every year is the Johnson land use, vegetation, circulation, park. Lake Mine. structures, and views. The CLI also assesses the integrity and condition The goal of the condition assessment A Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) of the landscape. Information is mandate by the Washington, D.C. was undertaken at Johnson Lake gathered primarily from secondary office is to assess site conditions for Mine in the summer of 2008. “A CLI sources and through field surveys of mitigation purposes. For example, is a comprehensive inventory of all the landscape (Harmon 2001: 311). the assessments will allow park staff historically significant landscapes to determine what needs to be done within the National Park System…” Johnson Lake Mine was listed on in order to maintain archeological the National Register of Historic sites for the future and to protect The CLI is an evaluated inventory Places (NRHP) in 1995 as a Historic them from vandalism and looting. that provides baseline documentation District. The CLI will expand upon for cultural landscapes. It documents the information found in the NRHP The park’s goal is to continue to general descriptive information, nomination form. The Johnson perform condition assessments existing documentation, and Lake Mine was an early 20th century on sites as required by the ASMIS management information. The CLI tungsten mine in the