These data represent the Kaibab Plateau bison herd's seasonal ranges on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest. The Kaibab Plateau bison make seasonal movements from summer to winter habitat and range widely during transitional seasons. Bison were captured annually between 2019 and 2022 with a corral trap using low-stress handling techniques (Hibbard 2021) in accordance with an approved USGS animal use protocol (FORT IACUC 2018-14 and NPS Concurrence Institute of Animal Care and Use Committee USGS, IMR_GRCA_Schoenecker_Bison_2018.A2). Bison were immobilized using a hydraulic squeeze chute and outfitted with Iridium global positioning system (GPS) tracking collars (Telonics Inc, model: TGW-4477 Iridium, Mesa, AZ, USA), targeting older males and female matriarchs. Bison were released from the capture facility immediately following collaring. Collars were programmed to release from bison following two years of wear so that the animals were not burdened with the weight of the collar beyond the lifespan of the battery. Locations collected every two hours from collared male and female bison during the focal period of September 15, 2019 – April 30, 2022 were used to complete a resource selection function analysis. Data from the first five days following each animal’s capture were omitted to avoid bias of animal movements from capture events. Bison seasonal designations are based on their movements. An animation created in the ‘moveVis’ package in R (R Core Team, Schwalb-Willmann et al. 2020) was used to visually estimate the date range for each biological season. The range polygons were created using location data from GPS-collared female and male bison (n = 43) and kernel density techniques (R Core Team, Calenge 2021). Note that polygons represent a 95% utilization distribution area. Last updated on 5/3/2022.

These data were compiled for an assessment of rangeland ecosystem conditions of the Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument. The approximately one-million-acre Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (PARA) is located in the northwest corner of Arizona and co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS). This report is focused on the ca. 200,000 acres of NPS administered lands—one of the largest NPS units where livestock grazing is a permitted land-use activity. Many ecosystems in PARA are characterized by a low degree of resilience to improper grazing due to low and variable precipitation. PARA is marked by an extremely high degree of environmental heterogeneity, including a large elevation gradient, widely differing precipitation patterns, a diversity of geologic substrates, and unique combinations of plant species. Locations for rangeland assessments were selected using a stratified, spatially balanced random sampling method based on allotment, soil type, slope, distance to cattle water locations, and accessibility. A total of 155 plots were established and sampled between March and November of 2012 and 2013. Data collection at each plot included soil geomorphic setting descriptions, plant and soil cover, and soil aggregate stability.

These data were compiled for an assessment of rangeland ecosystem conditions of the Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument. The approximately one-million-acre Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (PARA) is located in the northwest corner of Arizona and co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS). This report is focused on the ca. 200,000 acres of NPS administered lands—one of the largest NPS units where livestock grazing is a permitted land-use activity. Many ecosystems in PARA are characterized by a low degree of resilience to improper grazing due to low and variable precipitation. PARA is marked by an extremely high degree of environmental heterogeneity, including a large elevation gradient, widely differing precipitation patterns, a diversity of geologic substrates, and unique combinations of plant species. Locations for rangeland assessments were selected using a stratified, spatially balanced random sampling method based on allotment, soil type, slope, distance to cattle water locations, and accessibility. A total of 155 plots were established and sampled between March and November of 2012 and 2013. Data collection at each plot included soil geomorphic setting descriptions, plant and soil cover, and soil aggregate stability.

This dataset includes three datasets collected in 2021 and 2022 to assess the potential effects of bison (Bison bison) herbivory and climate on grassland functional properties throughout semi-arid meadows in Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest of northern Arizona. Bison herbivory offtake (utilization) and aboveground herbaceous production are demonstrated in the production offtake dataset titled 'BisonHerbivory_ANPP_Ot.csv'. This dataset includes the experimental treatment variables (Stratum and Treatment) and estimates for seasonal offtake, total annual offtake, total aboveground net primary production, and grazing intensity. Data on herbaceous nitrogen yield provides calculations of percent nitrogen and nitrogen yield for graminoid and forb samples collected from biomass clippings in areas of bison grazing (file titled 'BisonHerbivory_N_Yield.csv'). Meteorological data are presented for seasonal and total annual climate variables including precipitation (measured in mm) and temperature (measured in Growing Degree Days). Climate data is within the file titled 'BisonHerbivory_Climate.csv".

This dataset includes three datasets collected in 2021 and 2022 to assess the potential effects of bison (Bison bison) herbivory and climate on grassland functional properties throughout semi-arid meadows in Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest of northern Arizona. Bison herbivory offtake (utilization) and aboveground herbaceous production are demonstrated in the production offtake dataset titled 'BisonHerbivory_ANPP_Ot.csv'. This dataset includes the experimental treatment variables (Stratum and Treatment) and estimates for seasonal offtake, total annual offtake, total aboveground net primary production, and grazing intensity. Data on herbaceous nitrogen yield provides calculations of percent nitrogen and nitrogen yield for graminoid and forb samples collected from biomass clippings in areas of bison grazing (file titled 'BisonHerbivory_N_Yield.csv'). Meteorological data are presented for seasonal and total annual climate variables including precipitation (measured in mm) and temperature (measured in Growing Degree Days). Climate data is within the file titled 'BisonHerbivory_Climate.csv".

These data are detections of bison in Grand Canyon National Park made during helicopter surveys between 2019 and 2021, and an aerial infrared imagery survey done in February 2020.

These data are detections of bison in Grand Canyon National Park made during helicopter surveys between 2019 and 2021, and an aerial infrared imagery survey done in February 2020.

This data release provides Geologic Map Schema (GeMS)-compliant GIS data for new geologic mapping of the Bison Range and surrounding area on the Flathead Reservation, northwestern Montana. The database represents the geology for the 150 square kilometer, geologically complex map area, at a publication scale of 1:24,000. The map covers parts of Sanders and Lake Counties, Montana. All bedrock units exposed in the map area are metasedimentary rocks of the Mesoproterozoic Belt Supergroup that we mapped using a combination of field work and structural contouring. Surficial map units include Holocene alluvial and colluvial deposits, and Pleistocene glacial deposits. Previous mapping of surficial deposits (Ostenaa, 1990) was refined using high-resolution lidar from the U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program. The digital data present the attribute tables and geospatial features (points, lines, and polygons) in the format that meets GeMS requirements. Ostenaa, D.A., 1990, Flathead Reservation regional seismotectonic study: an evaluation for dam safety: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Seismotectonic Report 1990-8.

We developed and report a microsatellite data set composed of 52 microsatellite loci for 2305 individuals from 20 bison conservation herds (17 US federal, 1 tribal, 2 Canadian) and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data set composed of 5013 biallic loci for 376 individuals from 16 bison conservation herds that were used as part of a broader study. We also developed an algorithm to select a subset of SNPs that captures the genetic variation present in the full SNP data set. Human expansion is a major driver of both declining wildlife species abundance and the contraction of species’ distributions, increasing the risk of genetic erosion and the need for genetic monitoring. Rapidly advancing technology has expanded the types of genetic data that are available for wildlife conservation. However, the use of different genetic markers could result in different management decisions and, thus, must be considered carefully. Rebounding from near extinction in the early 1900s, the majority of plains bison (Bison bison bison) are managed as small and isolated herds. Microsatellite-based analyses are currently used to inform management of the US federal bison conservation herds. Transitioning from monitoring with tens of multiallelic loci (e.g., microsatellite loci) to thousands of biallelic loci (e.g., SNP loci) could increase genotyping efficiency and improve the precision of population genetic inference but would require an understanding of the inferential differences between genetic marker types.